One prayer God always loves to answer
Kids can ask for all kinds of things, over and over and over and… you get the point. My kids keep asking for things for their birthdays about 10 months ahead of time.
However, I can promise you there is one request they could make of me that would never, ever upset me in the least. In fact, it would be the most delightful sound in any parent’s ear.
Dad, can I have more of you in my life?
Jesus told us exactly how our heavenly Father responds when we ask for more of him in our lives.
Let me ask you this: Do you know of any father who would give his son a snake on a plate when he asked for a serving of fish? Of course not! Do you know of any father who would give his daughter a spider when she had asked for an egg? Of course not! If imperfect parents know how to lovingly take care of their children and give them what they need, how much more will the perfect heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit’s fullness when his children ask him.
~Luke 11:11-13 TPT
Think about your life this way: All of the things you truly need most in your life, God has for you.
Need peace? Fulfillment? Purpose? Meaning? Belonging? Significance? Safety? Security? Provision? Joy?
The list goes on, and the Father has all that you need and has placed it at your disposal on the basis of Jesus’ death and resurrection. All of the spiritual blessings in heavenly places are yours in Christ.
But you need God’s help to truly receive, implement and utilize those heavenly resources, right? So God has a very simple plan for you.
Ask.
That’s it. Pray. Ask. And ask persistently from a pure motive. James often put things in very simple terms, like when he said,
You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
~James 4:2-3 NIV
God has everything you really need, and he’s quite generous. But he wants you to stop scheming and start praying.
When pray for more of God’s fullness into your life, God delights to answer your prayer with an enthusiastic “Yes!”
Photo source: istock
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