Text- Matthew 7:11 – “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?”
Jesus asks a simple question in our text, “How much more will your heavenly Father give good things to them that ask Him”
Wherever you see the phrase “How much more”, it gives the sense of great intensity, and tells us the extent and degree to which an action or feeling is going to take place, especially in comparison with another.
So then, when Jesus uses the expression, “How much more?” in our text, He means to say that the commitment of God to answer our prayers is greatly intense, and that there is a high degree of certainty that our prayers will be answered by God.
With this truth, I want to inspire your confidence in God’s commitment to answer your prayers. He is so much committed to give good things to those who ask Him.
I once read a bible commentary that says “Let us never suppose our heavenly Father would bid us pray, and then refuse to hear”… Beloved, God didn’t put His hope in us to move away. He’s ever willing to hear our prayers and to give us the good things that we ask Him in prayer.
You see, another part to this verse which I really like is that it says “How much more shall your Father which is in heaven give GOOD THINGS…”. I like the fact that it says GOOD THINGS!
As much as God will never refuse to hear our prayers, He’s also so committed to our well-being and safety that He will never give us something that would be harmful, or that is plainly not good for us.
There is a difference between
- What we need
- What we want
- What is good for us
There are copious portions of scripture where God promised us all the three. Take for instance, Philippians 4:19 promised that God will meet our needs; Psalm 23:1 promises that we shall not want as long as God is our shepherd; then Psalm 34:3 goes father to say we shall not want any good thing.
So then when we pray, we can pray from the stance-point of our needs, our wants, or our ‘good’. The one that excites me most is the fact that God will give me what is good for me. I am safer that way.
Yes, God knows the things we want, and he is fully aware of what we need. But then, it is glad to know that our God knows what exactly is good for us, and is ever willing to give us same.
PRAYER
Father, I thank you for being committed to answering my prayers and to give me the good things I ask of you. I worship you for this, and I put my confidence in you in Jesus Name.