Confident Prayer

Hello friend, and thank you again for joining me for this Thursday edition of the Our Daily Bread devotional.

I'm Sheraton Voisey and I wrote today's reading titled Confident Prayer. Having tried for years to have a child, Richard and Susan were elated when Susan became pregnant. Her health problems, however, posed a risk to the baby. And so Richard lay awake each night, praying for his wife and child. One night, Richard sensed he didn't need to pray so hard, that God had promised to take care of things. But a week later, Susan miscarried.

Richard was devastated. He wondered, had they lost the baby because he hadn't prayed hard enough? On first reading, we might think today's parable from Luke chapter 11 suggests so. In the story, a neighbour, sometimes thought to represent God, only gets out of bed to help the friend because of the friend's annoying persistence. Read this way, the parable suggests that God will give us what we need only if we badger him. And if we don't pray hard enough, maybe God won't help us. But biblical commentators like Klein Snodgrass believe this misunderstands the parable. Its real point being that if neighbours might help us for selfish reasons, how much more will our unselfish father? We can therefore ask confidently, knowing that God is greater than flawed human beings. He isn't the neighbour in the parable, but the opposite of him.

I don't know why you lost your baby, I told Richard. But I know it wasn't because you didn't pray hard enough. God isn't like that. Today's scripture reading is from Luke chapter 11 verses 5 to 13. Then Jesus said to them, Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, Friend, lend me three loaves of bread. A friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.

And suppose the one inside answers, Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can't get up and give you anything. I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity, he will surely get up and give you as much as you need. So I say to you, Ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find.

Knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?

Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him? Let's pray. Father, today we bring you our needs and the needs of others. You're not the annoyed neighbour who only helps because he's badgered. You're the loving Father who knows what we need before we even ask. And so we're confident that you'll hear and answer because it's your goodness and not our words that count. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.