The School of Prayer: The Love of a Father

Do You hold fast to God's Promises?

Jesus assures us in the Sermon on the Mount that we have a Heavenly Father who delights in us needing Him and who fulfills our needs out of a deep love that He has for His children.

"Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" (Matt 7:9-11)

This means that if we are children of Christ, and we stand in a loving, dependent, obedient relationship with Him, we can be sure that the Father will hear our prayers and that He will provide for our needs in the best possible way.

The value is in the relationship of God knowing you and you getting to know Him more and more...

Jesus calls the little children to come to Him and He says "for such belongs the kingdom of God" (Luke 18:16), not because of their perceived innocence, but because of their ability to have total faith and dependency in their Father.

If you have ever walked past your child standing on a step, you'll know that he will take a flying leap into your arms in total faith that you will catch him. God the Father wants us to trust Him in the same way.

We are all sinful and God wants us to run to Him like a child with open arms when we have done wrong and ask His forgiveness, because He is the same Father in the parable of the Lost son that comes running towards us first.

Just as little children are completely dependent on their parents for love and fulfilling their needs, God wants us to be dependent on Him for our every need. No matter how big or small, He wants you to come to Him, because behind the asking and receiving lies a relationship of trust and love that grows between you and the Father.

How do we know that He listens when the answer to our prayer is not yes?

Being the All-knowing, All-powerful God that He is, He sees a much bigger picture than we can ever dream to see. We need to come to a position where the promises in His Word should be enough for us to cling to. Our Father is a God who keeps His promises throughout the scriptures and Jesus comes to assure you today that God the Father wants you to ask and to trust Him to provide the best for you as His child.

Please pray with us:

• For us as a church to be deeply moved by the Holy Spirit through God's Word and that we will be obedient to His Word.
• That we will honor God with our money and that we will be faithful in giving Him our best.
• For God to bless the pastoral ministry that is about to be started. That He will raise leaders and that He will restore the broken through His Holy Spirit. Please pray for wisdom and obedience to God as we start this ministry.
• That we will have full faith in God's provision and power for the new church building.
• Please pray for the Elders as they will spend this coming weekend away on a retreat. Pray for each elder as they prepare to hear what the Lord has install for them in the church and for wisdom and obedience as to what the Lord has planned for this year.

If you have the need for prayer or if the Lord puts it on your heart to come and pray, won't you come and join us on Wednesday mornings at 10h00 or Wednesday evenings at 17h30 at church. You can also contact us on prayer@pvfc.org.za or SMS08332600629009.