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.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
St Matthew, Chapter 7, verses: 9-10, Sermon on the Mount.
We continue our paragraph topic with: (Power of prayer) Part 2.
Christ gives us another example of the power of prayer in these verses. He tells us of the love that an earthly father has for his son through what the son asks. He shows us that if a son asks his father for a loaf of bread, he will not give him a stone instead. If a son asks his father for a fish to eat, he will not hand him a serpent. Our earthly fathers love us because we are their children. If it is in their power to give us what we ask then they do it with pleasure because it demonstrates their love for us. Most parents love their children from the day they are born and even before, when they are in the womb.
These are powerful examples of what our prayers can bring. We do not pray to our earthly fathers when we ask for something. We speak to them in person, on the phone, via a letter or text or otherwise. Prayer is the same. We are talking to our spiritual father when we pray. We are speaking to him directly through what we say when we pray. It is almost the same as if we were talking to him in person. Christ tells us that just like our earthly fathers, our heavenly father loves us also. He would not give us bad gifts. He would not give us lack when we ask for riches. He would not give us pain when we ask for relief. He would not give us suffering when we ask for help. He would not give us hard times when we ask for prosperity. He will give us good gifts when we ask.
What good gifts do we ask for? Do we ask for good health? Do we ask for money? Do we ask for a good job? Do we ask for fame? Do we ask for glory? Do we ask for a new car? Do we ask for a new house? Do we ask for a good spouse? What things do we ask that our father give to us? Here is the critical question that we should know. Are we asking for a stone when our father wants to give us bread? Are we asking for a scorpion when our father wants to give us a fish? Are we asking for destruction when our father wants to give us prosperity? Are we asking for damnation when our father wants to give us salvation?
Do we really know what we ask for? Do we have any idea that what we are asking for will do us harm or good. If we had a crystal ball and asked for money, do we know where the use of that money will lead us in the future? If we had the magic mirror and asked for fame, do we know where that fame will send us tomorrow? The question is do we know best what we need? Do we know best what is good for us?
Parents know what their children need to survive, and our heavenly father knows already what we need. Are we willing to accept his wisdom over our own desires and passions? Are we willing to rely upon his wisdom and believe that he only wants the best for us? Are we willing to be patient enough and allow his will for us to unfold before our eyes as we walk the path that he has set before us? God loves us very much and wants us to know his love. Only through walking in his will can we come to know and to see that he provides for us much more than we can provide for ourselves. Only through our patient acceptance of his will for us will we see how he protects us from harm and gives us the good gifts of his heavenly love. Abide in Him. Love Him. Seek Him. Know Him and he will know you.
Christ gives us another example of the power of prayer in these verses. He tells us of the love that an earthly father has for his son through what the son asks. He shows us that if a son asks his father for a loaf of bread, he will not give him a stone instead. If a son asks his father for a fish to eat, he will not hand him a serpent. Our earthly fathers love us because we are their children. If it is in their power to give us what we ask then they do it with pleasure because it demonstrates their love for us. Most parents love their children from the day they are born and even before, when they are in the womb.
These are powerful examples of what our prayers can bring. We do not pray to our earthly fathers when we ask for something. We speak to them in person, on the phone, via a letter or text or otherwise. Prayer is the same. We are talking to our spiritual father when we pray. We are speaking to him directly through what we say when we pray. It is almost the same as if we were talking to him in person. Christ tells us that just like our earthly fathers, our heavenly father loves us also. He would not give us bad gifts. He would not give us lack when we ask for riches. He would not give us pain when we ask for relief. He would not give us suffering when we ask for help. He would not give us hard times when we ask for prosperity. He will give us good gifts when we ask.
What good gifts do we ask for? Do we ask for good health? Do we ask for money? Do we ask for a good job? Do we ask for fame? Do we ask for glory? Do we ask for a new car? Do we ask for a new house? Do we ask for a good spouse? What things do we ask that our father give to us? Here is the critical question that we should know. Are we asking for a stone when our father wants to give us bread? Are we asking for a scorpion when our father wants to give us a fish? Are we asking for destruction when our father wants to give us prosperity? Are we asking for damnation when our father wants to give us salvation?
Do we really know what we ask for? Do we have any idea that what we are asking for will do us harm or good. If we had a crystal ball and asked for money, do we know where the use of that money will lead us in the future? If we had the magic mirror and asked for fame, do we know where that fame will send us tomorrow? The question is do we know best what we need? Do we know best what is good for us?
Parents know what their children need to survive, and our heavenly father knows already what we need. Are we willing to accept his wisdom over our own desires and passions? Are we willing to rely upon his wisdom and believe that he only wants the best for us? Are we willing to be patient enough and allow his will for us to unfold before our eyes as we walk the path that he has set before us? God loves us very much and wants us to know his love. Only through walking in his will can we come to know and to see that he provides for us much more than we can provide for ourselves. Only through our patient acceptance of his will for us will we see how he protects us from harm and gives us the good gifts of his heavenly love. Abide in Him. Love Him. Seek Him. Know Him and he will know you.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
St Matthew, Chapter 7, verses:7-8, The Sermon on the Mount
We start a new paragraph topic in three parts: (Power of prayer) Part 1.
Christ now gives a new topic for comment in the power of prayer. In previous sermons in chapter 6 Christ has already told us to pray in secret and he has given us an outline for praying. Here he tells us that there is power in prayer. He tells us to ask, to seek, and to knock. In doing these things we will receive, we will find, and when we knock doors will be opened to us. He did not qualify our asking. He did not say what we should seek. He did not tell us what doors to knock upon or what doors we should stay away from. He gave us open statements. He, however, in previous statements told us that our heavenly father already knows what we need.
What then shall we ask for? Shall we ask for money? Shall we ask for a good job? Shall we ask for a spouse? Shall we ask for a new car? Shall we ask for a good grade on our tests? Shall we ask for material things or shall we ask for spiritual gifts? What shall we seek? Shall we seek fame? Shall we seek our own glory? Shall we seek earthly powers? Or shall we seek for righteousness and justice, and knowledge and wisdom and love? What doors shall we knock upon? Shall we knock upon the door of privilege? Shall we knock upon the door of wealth? Shall we knock upon the door of long life? Shall we knock upon the door of good health? Or shall we knock upon the door of heaven to let us in? Shall we knock upon the door of our hearts to be opened to the Holy Spirit to come and live with us, to guide us, to protect us against the evil one.
Christ gives us an open invitation. Choose what to ask for. Choose what to seek. Choose what to knock upon. For whatever you choose it will be given to you. Whatever you seek you will find. Whatever door you knock upon it will be opened to you. The choice is yours. Shall you choose the world to seek and find? Or shall you choose the kingdom of God to knock upon to be opened to you?
We live in a world that caters to its own whims, desires, and passions. And yet we are distinct from it. It will engulf us, surround us, consume us, if we do not exercise a choice, if we do not choose. Not making a choice is a choice in and of itself. For that choice allows us to continue in the world. And even when we choose other than the world, the world will continue to attempt to create doubt and fear in our hearts due to the constant barrage of questions that it throws at us on a daily basis to challenge our beliefs. Straddle the fence if you like. But half of you cannot live in heaven and half in the world. Our choice requires commitment. Our choice requires dedication. Our choice demands that we give our all and not half, or one third or one fourth. God wants us to live with him one hundred percent. The choice is ours to have. Choose correctly. Choose right. CHOOSE God and live by that choice.
Christ now gives a new topic for comment in the power of prayer. In previous sermons in chapter 6 Christ has already told us to pray in secret and he has given us an outline for praying. Here he tells us that there is power in prayer. He tells us to ask, to seek, and to knock. In doing these things we will receive, we will find, and when we knock doors will be opened to us. He did not qualify our asking. He did not say what we should seek. He did not tell us what doors to knock upon or what doors we should stay away from. He gave us open statements. He, however, in previous statements told us that our heavenly father already knows what we need.
What then shall we ask for? Shall we ask for money? Shall we ask for a good job? Shall we ask for a spouse? Shall we ask for a new car? Shall we ask for a good grade on our tests? Shall we ask for material things or shall we ask for spiritual gifts? What shall we seek? Shall we seek fame? Shall we seek our own glory? Shall we seek earthly powers? Or shall we seek for righteousness and justice, and knowledge and wisdom and love? What doors shall we knock upon? Shall we knock upon the door of privilege? Shall we knock upon the door of wealth? Shall we knock upon the door of long life? Shall we knock upon the door of good health? Or shall we knock upon the door of heaven to let us in? Shall we knock upon the door of our hearts to be opened to the Holy Spirit to come and live with us, to guide us, to protect us against the evil one.
Christ gives us an open invitation. Choose what to ask for. Choose what to seek. Choose what to knock upon. For whatever you choose it will be given to you. Whatever you seek you will find. Whatever door you knock upon it will be opened to you. The choice is yours. Shall you choose the world to seek and find? Or shall you choose the kingdom of God to knock upon to be opened to you?
We live in a world that caters to its own whims, desires, and passions. And yet we are distinct from it. It will engulf us, surround us, consume us, if we do not exercise a choice, if we do not choose. Not making a choice is a choice in and of itself. For that choice allows us to continue in the world. And even when we choose other than the world, the world will continue to attempt to create doubt and fear in our hearts due to the constant barrage of questions that it throws at us on a daily basis to challenge our beliefs. Straddle the fence if you like. But half of you cannot live in heaven and half in the world. Our choice requires commitment. Our choice requires dedication. Our choice demands that we give our all and not half, or one third or one fourth. God wants us to live with him one hundred percent. The choice is ours to have. Choose correctly. Choose right. CHOOSE God and live by that choice.
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