Praying to Our Good Father
Pause:
Before you start reading this devotional, take a moment to stop what you’re doing, slow down and focus on Jesus.
Pray and ask him to open your eyes to see as you read the scriptures, and to open your ears to hear as you wait on the leading of the Spirit.
Read:
Luke 11v9-13: “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you.10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”
Going Deeper:
I am a new Father, so Jesus’ passages describing our Father in Heaven, and how He loves us, looks at us, and treats us, have all taken on new meaning for me.
It’s become an easy equation for me to do to understand passages like Luke 11. Substitute myself for August as the child, and God for me as the Father. And now the passage comes alive in a new way.
And as I live in the truth that God is a far greater Father than I am, I see that my strong feelings of love, protection, care and value for my child are dwarfed by God’s perfect and infinite feelings towards me.
If my 6-month-old daughter August asked me for something, I would give it to her if I was able, unless it was bad for her. I adore her. I want her to be happy and healthy and have whatever she needs.
The only time I would deprive her, or say no to her, is if the thing that she wanted – or thought she needed! – was something that was bad for her, or would hurt her.
We have definitely had moments where she doesn’t understand this and screams blue-murder. This last week we took her to get an injection, and she did not understand that this ‘light and momentary affliction’ was for her good. She screamed and seemed pretty unhappy about it for a few minutes. Even though what we were doing was for her good.
So sometimes we give her something that she thinks is bad, which is really for her good. But, if she asked for something good, we would never give her something bad, to hurt her instead.
If August looked up at me, with her beautiful blue eyes, and asked me for some fish (maybe some tuna sashimi?) I would probably give her some fish. Or something similar. Never a snake! I wouldn’t trick her, and give her a Black Mamba instead!
And if she asked me for an egg, I would probably give her an egg: either poached, scrambled or in an omelet. Never a dangerous scorpion!
These examples are ridiculous!
Jesus describes our love for our children as evil, compared to the divine and perfect love of God towards us. And if we as finite humans, know the difference between what is good and bad for a child, or helpful and unhelpful, or kind and cruel. Or, if we know what is for their good instead of what will really hurt them, then how much more does our perfect, loving Father in Heaven know what is good and bad for us?
This is a passage on prayer. And earlier in Luke 11, we are encouraged to pray persistently and boldly, which is a good encouragement. But in these later verses we are reminded who we are praying to: Our Father in Heaven, who is good, and loves us, and knows what we need, and won’t withhold any good thing from us!
So, in this season, as you pray, do you really trust your Father in Heaven with His answers and provision?
And do you trust that the Father wants to give you more of Himself through the Holy Spirit. That we can live intimately with Him everyday, everywhere we go, and in every situation that we face.
Pray:
Respond to God in prayer by speaking to Him about what stood out to you from this passage this morning.
Listen:
What is the Holy Spirit saying to you this morning?
Apply:
What are you going to do in response to what God is saying to you from the text and by the Spirit?