OUR FATHER GOD
“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him. (Matthew 7:9–11, NLT)
We have all experienced asking a parent, or a parent-figure in our life, for a good gift. We know what it is like to long for something, then to work up the courage to ask mom or dad, then the fear of a potential “no”.
Jesus uses the parent analogy to help us understand the certainty of God's good response to our prayers. He says that no parent would refuse their child something healthy, something good, and turn around and give their child something bad or evil. Every parent is glad to give good gifts to their children out of whatever resources they have. And, if we who are evil desire to give good gifts to our children, then how much more so does a righteous God desire to give good gifts to His children?
This is a simple parable that contains a deep spiritual truth. Those who would follow God and worship Him with a child-like faith, will be heard by God. The child that forsakes the Father's house and finds no pleasure in loving and walking with His Father and yet still hopes to obtain what he or she asks for, will be disappointed. But the child who returns to their Father and walks in relationship with their Father, will be heard by Him and will receive an answer to his or her prayers.
And, there is another lesson here. It matters what you ask for. In the parable, the child is not asking for the stone, the child is asking for bread. The child is not asking for the snake, the child is asking for the fish. This means it is important what the child is asking for. When we pray, it is important to ask the Father for good gifts, for good things. God's desire for us is to give us what is good. If we are asking for things that are not part of what God considers to be good, we should not expect that God will answer those prayers.
A final lesson in this parable is the importance of a child-like heart. A child is weak. Children are still growing into their giftings and their strengths. Our heavenly Father is not looking to give good gifts to the perfect child. Rather, the Father is simply looking to give good gifts to those who have a child-like heart. The Father is the One who is Holy. He is the One who has a whole heart. The secret to powerful prayer is to have a heart filled with the Father-Love of God. A heart that desires to seek and know God.
What is God saying to me today?
My Prayer List:
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Personal Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I thank you so much for Your unfailing love for me. Thank you that I can have assurance that You are a good Father who desires to give good gifts. Give me wisdom to ask for good things, for good gifts. Give me faith to trust that You have a beautiful and perfect Father-heart that desires to both hear my prayers and to give good gifts in Your time. Amen.