March 21, 2016
Scripture Reading: Matthew 7:7-12
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Questions for Reflection:
Jesus returns to the topic of prayer. What does Jesus teach on prayer in the passage above? What does it say about the priority of prayer in Jesus’ life that He often returns to the subject of prayer? What is promise that Jesus gives in verses 7 and 8? Does this mean that we will receive everything we ask for? If not, what does it mean?
Jesus uses an illustration of a child asking their parent for something to illustrate what is happening in prayer. In doing so, Jesus is shifting the perception of how we view God. Theologian and Bible scholar DA Carson explains the picture that Jesus is painting in this passage:
“What is fundamentally at stake is man’s picture of God. God must not be thought of as a reluctant stranger who can cajoled or bullied into bestowing his gifts, asa malicious tyrant who takes vicious glee in the tricks he plays, or even as an indulgent grandfather who provides everything requested of him. He is the heavenly Father, the God of the kingdom, who graciously and willingly bestows the good gifts of the kingdom in answer to prayer.”
One of the dangers of studying prayer is that we can get possess all kinds of knowledge about prayer without ever applying it to our lives. Sometimes it is helpful to focus on the practical, “how-to”s of prayer. Bill Hybels gives some pointers in this video:
Spend time in prayer today. What are you asking God to do in your life?