"The Father that you approach is eternally loving and abundantly generous. Brothers and sisters, don't ever think that God is reluctant to answer your prayers no matter how long you wait. He is generous and He is lavish with the gifts and the grace that He gives us. There is no hint, in the heart of God, of reluctance to give you good gifts. He is gracious and He is generous to us. He is loving. He is generous. And oh, He is powerful. Folks, God does not just have good intentions when He says "ask and seek and knock." No! He will actually give you what you are asking and seeking and knocking. Remember the God that you are speaking to, He is the omnipotent and the most powerful God of the universe. He created with a word the very universe you exist in. He is abundantly and eternally powerful to help you in any situation that you are asking for and seeking and knocking. Don't think for a second that God's arm is too short to answer your prayer. Listen to the voice of God saying "Child, is my arm to short to save that relative you love so much? Is my arm to short to restore the broken relationship you have with your spouse? Is my arm to short to give you freedom to the sin you feel so bound to? Is my arm to short to give you the child you have been praying for for years?" Is my arm to short to come and meet you in that test and that trial, that sickness that you have been enduring for years? The answer is NO! For He is eternally loving. He is abundantly generous. And He is ultimately powerful. And this passage says to us that He is GOOD!" … "We come to a loving God when we pray. We come to a generous God when we pray. We come to a powerful God in the morning when we pray. We come to a good and gracious Father who loves to give good gifts to His children. Does that not inspire you to daily and consistently pray? - that you get to be with Him! You get to actually speak with Him. And here's the miracle - He listens! HE LISTENS! And he doesn't just listen, He's leaning forward, ready to bless. Ready to comfort."
Luke 11: 9-13
And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
If you're interested, the sermon link is on the Na blog at http://www.newattitude.org/blog/entry.php?category=Theology&id=370
Luke 11: 9-13
And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
If you're interested, the sermon link is on the Na blog at http://www.newattitude.org/blog/entry.php?category=Theology&id=370