Ask for the right things
Matthew 7:7-12Ask, and It Will Be Given7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!The Golden Rule12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. (ESV)LORD of great grace and generosity. Help me to believe that it is worth asking, seeking, and knocking. But let me know what to ask for, seek, an knock for since it is easy to just want YOU to serve me and not for me to seek to serve YOU in my seeking.YOU tell me that YOU are greater than any earthly father's desire to provide and protect his children. How if the children ask for good things they will not be given bad gift that would not satisfy or harm. Most fathers are not abusive in that way. Even though our earthy fathers are evil, yet they have not lost this basic part of YOUR image by YOUR grace. They do respond to their children's cries for provision.But YOU are much more than that. YOU are the good FATHER OF HEAVEN, and give us the good gift of the Messiah Jesus. YOU have given YOUR treasure to us that we might have all good things in HIM. YOU gave us YOUR heart. LORD, give us the Messiah Jesus in our lives. Let us abide in HIM and let HIM abide in us. Give us a personal relationship with the LORD Jesus or we will perish. Grant this to those who we love, to our children and to their children as well.LORD, of mercy give us the gift of faith. Above all other gifts let us believe the gospel and in that we will have all spiritual blessings.Even as we cry for mercy, teach us to give others mercy. Help us to be generous and graceful in how we treat others even as YOU have been generous and graceful in how YOU have treated us in the Messiah Jesus. LORD, we desire others to treat us with merciful compassion so guide us to give merciful compassion to others.LORD, help us seek first YOUR kingdom and righteousness above all other things. Amen