The Power in Prayer

The Power in Prayer
Matthew 7:7-11

Yesterday we learned why prayer is an awesome privilege for believers. Today
we will study the power we plug into when we pray. An omnipotent God, for
whom nothing is impossible, hears our petitions. We access the greatest
force in the universe when we enter the presence of the Father. It is within
His power to give us anything we ask, although He does not always choose to
do so. God answers "no" to some of our prayers because He can see the
negative consequences of our wrong desires. He will give us anything we ask
if He recognizes-in His perfect wisdom and love-that it is good for us.

In today's passage, Jesus draws a comparison between human fathers and the
heavenly Father. If a human father, who is flawed and limited, can offer his
child good things, then it stands to reason that the heavenly Father, who is
all-powerful and all-knowing, will give awesome gifts to His children. It is
an amazing experience to receive what we requested-or something even
better-from a holy, omnipotent, loving God.

What surprises many believers is that God's purpose for prayer is not to
give extravagant gifts. The Father's goal is to build intimacy between
Himself and His children in order to conform us to His likeness. When our
attention is wrapped up in the Father and we are eager to be in His
presence, He can move quietly to transform our hearts. The greater profit of
prayer is not that we can gain something, but that we can relate to the One
who supplies all our needs.