He added, "Suppose one of you has a friend who comes to him in the middle of the night and says, 'My friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine on a journey has turned up at my house at my house, and I have nothing to offer him'; and he replies from inside, 'Do not bother me; the door is shut for the night. My children and I have gone to bed; and I cannot get up and give you what you want.' I tell you that even if he will not provide for him out of friendship, the very shamelessness of the request will make him get up and give all [his friend] needs. And so I say to you: Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
"Is there a father among you who will offer his son a snake when he asks for fish, or a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you, then, bad as you are, know how to give your children what is good for them, how much more will the heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him!"
3 comments:
Catching up on Luke:
Luke 11.1-4
Luke 10.38->
On this text. Ask. I think there’s more truth here than I can imagine. I got myself into a tangle of anxiety during the events and work that led to my recent absence. I stewed in bed one night worrying. Not about my own stuff. About matters involving others. I finally cried out about 3:00 a.m. while I tossed and turned. “God, You fix this stuff. I can’t. I don’t know how.” I fell asleep into a deep peace. I slept through my alarm clock. I got up around noon. I had a message on my answering service saying that the particular problem I worried about had been solved! I guess that many caveats apply. But asking is asking is asking. Even if it just gets me in the conversation.
I've been going through a micro-rout lately, probably with far less reason!
"Awake worrying" is a great opportunity for meditation, as in 'just watch and/or count breaths and let your thoughts do their thing without you.' Not always pleasant meditation. But yes: "God, You fix this stuff!!!"
Somewhere I read a bit by Daniel Synder about a night when he got thoroughly ticked and told God off, finding that God really did appreciate his caring and chutzpah.
Does this mean: "God won't know what to do unless we tell him"? People who want to dismiss prayer will tend to see things in that bad light, and indeed it's a confusing consideration.
But I think Julian of Norwich got closer to the mark with her talk about God's 'courtesy,' His way of inviting humans to participate in what He intends. That's where prayer fits in; our given role in the process. To be done with due respect for God's greater wisdom, as in arranging things to work this way in the first place...
Awesome comments. I confess that I’m partly addicted to speculation (knowing it’s speculation) from the open/process theology perspective that posits God does not know some of our future contingent choices and acts. This means that prayer informs God (and ‘in-forms’ us) and that God responds in dialogue that could go any which way. It’s all speculative. And way out there. Julian of Norwich feels far closer to the probable truth regarding prayer and God’s courtesy. Perhaps a little of both/and?
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