How Much More - The One Year Praying through the Bible for Your Kids

You fathers —if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So if you sinful people 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 11:11-13

JESUS WANTED to encourage his disciples to pray to God as a father. To help them understand the Father’s heart toward those who are persistent in prayer, he appealed to their understanding of a parent’s heart. Most parents genuinely want to respond positively to the requests of their children and provide for their needs. Most parents would never intentionally do anything that would hurt or harm them. Their orientation is toward the good of their children.

Jesus says that when parents understand their own hearts and inclinations toward their children, they have a glimpse of insight into his Father’s heart and his inclinations toward his sons and daughters. If parents whose hearts are infected with sin respond to their children with kindness and good intentions, how much more will the Father whose heart is pure and holy respond to his children this way? We parent from hearts that are sometimes stingy, sometimes hard, sometimes deceived, and sometimes filled with pride. We simply aren’t smart enough to always know what is best for our child. That means we sometimes give our kids what makes us feel better instead of what is best for them.

So we rest in the reality that our children have a heavenly parent who is exceedingly wiser, more generous, and more consistent than the earthly parents they were given. His orientation is to respond to their prayers by giving them what is good. And only he is able to give them the very best —the Holy Spirit.

Heavenly Father, thank you for this glad welcome to come to you and ask for what we need! Parenting often brings us to the end of ourselves, and that brings us to you. So we intend to keep on asking for your help, keep on seeking your wisdom, and keep on knocking on your door, asking that you will give us and give ________ the good gift of the Holy Spirit.