Sis Hanna Richard Devotion - God our Bountiful Father

God our Bountiful Father

“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? Luke 11:13

In this scripture, Jesus teaches his disciples to pray. Jesus prayed a lot and taught His disciples the Lord’s prayer. The Lord’s prayer is a pattern of how we ought to pray. Our prayers should be with a childlike confidence. When a child asks for something, even if we wait or remain quiet, the child will not stay quiet. They are persistent to ask, until they receive an answer from us. Because of this persistence they get a favorable answer, sometimes it is just for us to have some peace! We should approach the throne of Grace, in this same way, knowing that our Father will hear and grant our desires according to His will. We must continue to pray because our Father likes to ‘hear’ us ask Him, though He knows what we are going to say. We must persistently seek God with all our heart and He will be right there waiting to be found. There may be doors that are shut by our qualifications, backgrounds, aptitudes, inexperience, looks, age, and so on; none of these matter to God. We must steadfastly knock at opportunities knowing that God will open the doors that are shut for us by His Divine intervention. He is more than enough for us.

We mustn’t merely repeat the words but talk to God by faith. We shouldn’t bargain but be direct. The problem is not in God giving, but in our receiving what He freely gives us. God may not always answer immediately. We must continue in prayer and receive in faith. It may be different from what we request because God always hears true prayers and answers in the best possible way. We only have a nearsighted view of our immediate life but God knows and sees our timelines, so He knows what’s best for us in the long run.

A father loves to bless his children. If we who are sinners can perceive so, then how much more will our Father in Heaven comprehend with His infinite knowledge. How much more is God able to give, and gives us with all His unimaginable resources i.e., all that is on the earth and in Heaven? Also, God desires to pour out His Spirit but waits for us to ask. God will not unduly give or coerce us into anything. He gives when we ask or when we thirst. So seek God with all your heart, seek His purpose in your life, and seek His ways. God promised to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask. So, ask, ask and ask in faith!

Sis Hanna Richard