Deepening Your Prayer Life: Matthew 7:9-11
“9) Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? 10) Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? 11) If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” Matthew 7:9-11
Our view of God affects the way we pray. The opposite is also true, the way we pray reveals our true view of God. Jesus implied that many people have a higher view of their earthly father than they do their Heavenly Father.
If your son was hungry and asked for a loaf of bread, you would not mock him and give him a stone, would you? Or if he asked for a fish, would you give him a snake?
If people weighed down with an evil sin nature meet pressing needs when asked, will not your Heavenly Father treat you even better than them? We need to approach God in light of His love, goodness and unwavering nature. A more effective prayer life grows out from a deepening understanding of God.
Luke 11:13 adds a significant detail to this teaching of Jesus. It says; “13) If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”
God is not a deceiver. He wants to give us His promise. (See Acts 1:4-5) If you ask for the the Holy Spirt, He will give Him to you. He is not going pull a switch and give you an evil spirit. It intrigues me that Jesus said we need to seek God about this matter.
According to Romans 8:26-27, one of the vital ministries of the Holy Spirit is to enhance our prayer life. He “helps our weakness” when it comes to our praying.
When Matthew and Luke are pulled together, they give an amazing picture of this teaching of Jesus on the subject of prayer. God invites us to ask, seek and knock about every detail of our life. He wants us to learn persistence and trust. Prayer is where He wants to build deep trust, communion and relationship us.
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
