Day 6: The Infinite Fatherliness of God

“Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:9-11)

When I analyze my prayer points, I realize one grave mistake I’d done. A constant repetition, not in words or requests but in the centeredness of my main objective: I’m not really interested in Himself but only in His blessings. May my mistake we shall not repeat it. Let us focus our prayer on the One who is giving rather than merely desires for His blessings.

Live as a child of God and you will be able to pray and most assuredly be heard as a child. To experience His promise above, you have to come to the attitude of a good child. J. Oswald Sanders reminded himself (or rather us), “Have I been asking God to give me money for something I want when there is something I have not paid for? Have I been asking God for liberty while I am withholding it from someone who belongs to me? …I have not been living as God’s child among my relatives and friends.” It is no use praying unless we are living as children of God. His promise is influence entirely to the relation between Father-child.

“…how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” I still remember when I was young. Because my family only has motorcycle, I and my brother have to decide which one of us should go with father to town. Fortunately, it was I but unfortunately for my father… it was I. I tell you why. Whenever I want to have toys, this I would do: I would stand still facing which toys that I want and never move an inch unless my ‘protest’ had been heard. Initially, my father just ignored my request… he would leave me there alone. Later on he would come back. Out of pity and love, even he was reluctant, yet he brought those toys eventually.

As much greater as God is than man, so much surer it is that prayer will be heard with the Father in Heaven that with a father on earth. The New Bible Commentary [21^st century edition] comments, “If even human fathers, who are evil (a recognition of the essential sinfulness of humanity), can be relied on to do the best for their children, how much more can God? This is not, of course, a guarantee that any prayer we care to offer will be successful, God gives only good gifts, which may not correspond to our ideas of what we should have!” 

Eugene H. Peterson in The Message paraphrase Matthew 7:9-11 this way;

“If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn't think of such a thing. You're at least decent to your own children. So don't you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better?”

Think about it…

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Related topic: 

Knowing God as a Father (Click to Read)

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