Luke 11:1-13

"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!" (11:11-13 NIV)

I spent this afternoon with a new friend. Through our discussion, we realized we have both experienced profound grief. Within the last few years, each of us has lost the man we loved to a sudden and tragic death. We had both prayed for the health and safety of these men, but God had another plan.

I finally said to her, "I will never be thankful for what happened to me, but I will always be thankful for what I've gained from that experience."

In prayer, we ask for things that we want and, in faith, we believe God will provide. Jesus himself says "... Ask and it shall be given to you..." (11:9 NIV)

But sometimes, we don't get the answer we would like. We pray for a promotion, but it is given to someone else. We pray for our marriage, only to have divorce papers arrive in the mail. We pray for help with an addiction, only to have a relapse.

Today's reading reassures us that God is always working in our favour. If we ask for good things, we will never be handed a 'deadly snake'. Sometimes, the answer to our prayers is not what we asked for. But God will never do us evil. He will always provide what we need most. Sometimes, those blessings are practical. And sometimes, they are the deeper, more profound blessings of peace, love, compassion, trust, strength, joy, or understanding.

Question: Look back at a time when you felt your prayers went unanswered. Can you now see other gifts God was giving you?


Tomorrow's reading: Luke 11:14-36

(Today's post written by Allison Lynn.)