PRAYER 4 – God’s provision: The necessity of Prayer

The aim of this devotional study is to encourage you ask for God’s provision in order for His purpose to manifest in your life.

Scripture 

Luke 11:9-13

9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  10 For everyone who asks receive, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11 If a son asks you for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone?  OF if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”

Observations & Reflections

Note how Jesus encourages prayer by reminding us of the nature of the One whom we are praying. The person of God is indeed the foundation of prayer. Note also how Jesus uses what is familiar to us – earthly fathers and children – to point us toward a revelation of who God is.

1. What are the things that the children ask their fathers in this passage?
2. What does He promise that our heavenly Father will give those who ask Him?
3. How do the words “How much more” reassure us concerning our daily spiritual AND physical needs?
4. Jesus instructs us to ask AND seek AND knock in order to receive. What does this imply about our prayer life?

Personal Application

1. How often do you pray for or thank God for daily provision?
2. Have you ever trusted God for specific provision – physically or spiritually? What happened?
3. Is there something you believe God wants you to do but you do not have the resources to do it?
   1. Take some time and ask God to ‘feed where He leads’. Ask Him to provide for you in that specific area.
   2. Ask and wait on God for guidance concerning this in the next two weeks. Ask Him to make you sensitive to the opportunities He might be sending your way.

Thanks again to Ester Venter for this series of devotional studies on Prayer.