OUR ASKING AND GOD’S ANSWERING

“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)

Although prayer has been defined as communion with God, aspiration after the highest things, Stopford Brooke, an Irish clergyman who lived from1832 to 1916, was right when he insisted that prayer, in its plainest meaning, is a petition addressed to God.  When Jesus laid the duty of petition upon His disciples, He went on to assert the reasonableness of our asking and God's answering.  Jesus argues along the line of reason that, if an earthly parent does the best in his power for his children, the Almighty, All-Wise, and All-Loving Father, of which human love is only the shadow, will do better still for His great family; and therefore our Master teaches that we ought everywhere to pray, without fear, with hope, and without doubt.

-- Adapted from Horace L. Hastings (1852-1922) in “The Great Christian Doctrines”

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A REQUEST AND A GIFT

"One of the criminals hanging beside [Jesus] scoffed, 'So You're the Messiah, are You? Prove it by saving Yourself -- and us, too, while You're at it!' But the other criminal protested, 'Don't you fear God even when you are dying? We deserve to die for our evil deeds, but this man hasn't done anything wrong.' Then he said, 'Jesus, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom.' And Jesus replied, 'I assure you, today you will be with Me in Paradise'." (Luke 23:39-43 NLT)

Amidst all the people at the crucifixion scene there is one person with whom all of us can identify. We can all relate to the crucified crook. All of us hang on the cross beside Jesus. All of us have made the most imaginable request. And all of us who are in the body of Christ have received the most unimaginable and immeasurable gift that we could ever receive -- salvation!

-- Max Lucado 

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BRINGING OUR TROUBLES TO GOD

"Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God. And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours].”  (Philippians 4:6-7 Amplified Bible)

We sometimes fear to bring our troubles to God, because they must seem small to Him who sits on the circle of the earth. But if they are large enough to vex and endanger our welfare, they are large enough to touch His heart of love.

-- R. A. Torrey


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