We finish our paragraph topic today at: (Power of prayer) Part 3.
Christ concludes his teaching on the power of asking, prayer, with this basic statement: "How much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" Christ makes this statement after giving us the two examples of what we should do when we pray. He tells us to ask, seek, and to knock. He tells us to be persistent. Don't just ask in prayer, but seek for the answer to what you ask for. Don't just seek for what we ask for but go and knock on the doors of what you want with the expectation of finding it. Believe that we shall receive.
He has told us that we have a good father, just as we have good earthly fathers who would not do harm to us when we ask for something. Our earthly fathers would not give us a stone for bread or a scorpion for a fish. So also our heavenly father will not give us things that will harm us. He will give us good things.
Just as we are children of our earthly fathers, we are also children of our heavenly Father. This is the point that Christ is making. He is telling us that if our earthly father knows how to give good gifts, even though they are evil. How much more will our heavenly Father give to us when we ask. This is a glorious affirmation to us that we have a heavenly Father and that he loves us.
How blessed are we to have such a father? How joyous should we be that our heavenly Father wants to give us good things? How glorious the day when we realize that we have a great father in heaven who will provide and protect us, if we let him. It brings joy to the heart of a father to give to his children, to see them happy. It brings joy to the heart of our heavenly Father to provide for us the things that he has in store for us. We should be filled with an overflowing spirit of happiness that we have such a father. All we have to do is ask and it shall be given, seek and we shall find, knock and the door shall be opened to us.
We must also realize that what God gives to us may not be the same as what we expect. Our passion for what we want may not be the best for what we need. Our desire to have the material things of this world may not be what will lead us to God and open the doors of heaven to us.
A child wants to eat as much candy as he can get. In many cases he/she will cry, get sad and even throw a temper tantrum simply to get what they want. We as parents can not provide them with the desires that they want because we know that it is not good for them to just eat candy all the time. It is bad for their health, both physically and mentally. It will destroy their teeth. It will create a energy rush that will put them on a roller coaster ride with dangerous highs and lows. It may set the stage for diabetes and obesity. And many other bad things may happen as a result of allowing them to eat what they want. So we as parents have to exercise control over their wants and desires and provide them with what is beneficial and healthy for their bodies and minds. By denial of their wants we also give them rules that are later incorporated into their social morals that guide them through life. And it is these rules that help them to live and thrive as good human beings.
Our heavenly Father plays the same role as our parents does with us as children. He does not provide the passions that we desire. He does not give us the candy of this material world because he knows that it will destroy us. It will leads us to decay and immorality. Instead he exercises parental control because he knows what is best for his children. He knows what will harm us. He knows what will bring damage to our spiritual bodies and lead us astray. He knows what evil awaits us if we are given the wants of the flesh.
He provides us the good gift that will make us healthy spiritually and provide growth to our spiritual bodies. We may get angry and doubt that he loves us. We may push him aside and go do for ourselves what he knows is not good for us. We have that choice to wait upon the Lord, or push him aside and take matters into our own hands. God knows what is best and all we have to do is be patient. All we have to do is wait. All we have to do is trust that he will provide for us what we need. All we have to do is have the faith of a mustard seed and believe that he is there providing for us everyday, every hour, every minute of the day.
Rejoice in the Lord. Be glad. Know that he is with you and wait on him. He will provide. You will begin to see the workings of his hand in your life by the little things. Do not be anxious about the job. God will provide. Do not be anxious about money. God will give. Do not be anxious about the bills. God will pay. Put your faith in him. Put his words before you daily. Keep him in your mind. Let his words come forth from your mouth and you will begin to feel his presence in your life. You will rejoice in the Lord and he will rejoice in you.
