Daily Devotions

Continuing the counter cultural nature of being a disciple of Jesus, Bonhoeffer claims, “The child asks of the Father whom he knows. Thus, the essence of Christian prayer is not general adoration, but definite, concrete petition. The right way to approach God is to stretch out our hands and ask of One who we know has the heart of a Father.”

In Matthew 7 we find Jesus confronting his dissenters with these words, “Supposing your son asks you for bread—which of you is going to give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish—which of you is going to give him a serpent? Well then: you may be evil, but you still know how to give good gifts to your children; how much more will your father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”

The Jewish rabbis used say: ‘Human beings can hardly hear two people talking at once, but God, if all the world talks to him at the one time, hears their cry’.  That challenges our imagination. Parent-child is only a metaphor for what happens in prayer. 

I know, Lord, that you always hear my cry, but I do not always understand your answer. I will still go on praying to you, happy to fall back on the ‘Our Father’. In the very act of praying we receive something from God. As we open our hearts to God in prayer, God's hands are open to give us good gifts. We leave a time of prayer with an increase of faith, hope and love, which is the consolation of God. No time of prayer is wasted; all prayer is in the service of love, and prayer increases within us our capacity to love.

The poet John Gowans paraphrases Jesus teaching this way:-

If human hearts are often tender,

And human minds can pity know,

If human love is touched with splendour,

And human hands compassion show,

If sometimes men can live for others,

And sometimes give where gifts are spurned,

If sometimes treat their foes as brothers,

And love where love is not returned,

If men will often share their gladness,

If men respond when children cry,

If men can feel each other’s sadness,

Each other’s tears attempt to dry,

Then how much more shall God our Father

In love forgive, in love forgive!

Then how much more shall God our Father

Our wants supply, and none deny!