Our Heavenly Father Gives Good Things to Those Who Ask

This word is recorded in Luke as follows:

Luke 11:13 “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”

Thus, by saying “your Father who is in heaven,” that is, “your heavenly Father,” Jesus taught us that God is our Father. Also, through the prayer which Jesus taught us, saying, “After this manner therefore pray ye,” that is, through the Lord’s Prayer,

Matthew 6:9 “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.”

He clearly revealed that the One who receives our prayers is “our Father who art in heaven.” Furthermore,

Matthew 23:9 “And call no man your father on the earth: for one is your Father, even he who is in heaven.”

Jesus said that our Father is only One, He who is in heaven. Of course, when He said before this, “Call no man your father on the earth,” He certainly did not mean that we should deny our earthly parents. If that were the case, it could conflict with the fifth commandment among the Ten Commandments, “Honor thy father and thy mother” (Exodus 20:12). Rather, we should understand this word to mean that, fundamentally, because the One who made man is God (Genesis 1:26-31), the Father of us all is only our Father who is in heaven. Therefore, naturally, our Father who is in heaven must be far greater than our earthly fathers.

Hebrews 12:9-10 “9 Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to chasten us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed good to them; but he for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness.”

Therefore, we must obey our earthly parents in the Lord.

Ephesians 6:1 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.”

Therefore, through this understanding, we can now better understand what Jesus meant when He said, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” It means that our Father who is in heaven is far greater and more perfect than our earthly parents, and therefore He gives us what is better, namely the Holy Spirit, for our true profit. Therefore, with this understanding and faith, we must now “ask” God. Since Jesus said that “your Father who is in heaven” will give good things to those who ask Him, we ought surely to ask our Father who is in heaven with this faith.

Matthew 7:7-8 “7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”

And what we ask for should not be centered on fleshly things, such as, What shall we eat? What shall we drink? What shall we wear? (James 4:2-3), but should first be to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

Matthew 6:30-33 “30 But if God doth so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Be not therefore anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Thus, when we first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, our Father who is in heaven will surely add all these other things to us. We can clearly understand this blessing of addition by seeing how God added blessings to Solomon in the past when he asked God for a wise and understanding heart (1 Kings 3:9-14). Therefore, we must seek spiritual things, that is, the truth, rather than fleshly things; and when we ask, we must now ask Jesus “in the name of Jesus.”

John 16:24 “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be made full.”

John 14:14 “If ye shall ask anything in my name, that will I do.”

According to these words, when we now ask Jesus in the name of Jesus, we can receive. Therefore, as the following word says,

Psalm 34:10 “The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger; But they that seek Jehovah shall not want any good thing.”

truly, even if young lions lack and suffer hunger, those who seek God will lack no good thing. Therefore, we must be anxious in nothing, but pray to Jesus in the name of Jesus. Then our Father who is in heaven will give the Holy Spirit to us who ask Him.

Philippians 4:6-7 “6 In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.”

Amen.