²² If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for^(A) in prayer.”

²⁴ Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.^(A)

⁹ “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you;^(A) seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

¹¹ “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for^[a] a fish, will give him a snake instead? ¹² Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? ¹³ If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

The Parable of the Persistent Widow

18 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.^{(A) 2} He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. ³ And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice^(B) against my adversary.’

⁴ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, ⁵ yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”^(C)

⁶ And the Lord^(D) said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. ⁷ And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out^(E) to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? ⁸ I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man^(F) comes,^(G) will he find faith on the earth?”

⁷ If you remain in me^(A) and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.^(B)

⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God,^(A) who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.^(B)

⁶ But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt,^(A) because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

²² and receive from him anything we ask,^(A) because we keep his commands^(B) and do what pleases him.^(C)