Asking to Give
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your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the
Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?”
In order to strengthen our confidence in God, Christ teaches us
to address Him by a new name, a name entwined with the dearest
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associations of the human heart. He gives us the privilege of calling
the infinite God our Father. This name, spoken to Him and of Him, is
a sign of our love and trust toward Him, and a pledge of His regard
and relationship to us. Spoken when asking His favor or blessing, it is
as music in His ears. That we might not think it presumption to call
Him by this name, He has repeated it again and again. He desires us
to become familiar with the appellation.
God regards us as His children. He has redeemed us out of the
careless world and has chosen us to become members of the royal
family, sons and daughters of the heavenly King. He invites us to
trust in Him with a trust deeper and stronger than that of a child in his
earthly father. Parents love their children, but the love of God is larger,
broader, deeper, than human love can possibly be. It is immeasurable.
Then if earthly parents know how to give good gifts to their children,
how much more shall our Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to
those who ask Him?
Christ’s lessons in regard to prayer should be carefully considered.
There is a divine science in prayer, and His illustration brings to view
principles that all need to understand. He shows what is the true spirit
of prayer, He teaches the necessity of perseverance in presenting our
requests to God, and assures us of His willingness to hear and answer
prayer.
Our prayers are not to be a selfish asking, merely for our own
benefit. We are to ask that we may give. The principle of Christ’s life
must be the principle of our lives. “For their sakes,” He said, speaking
of His disciples, “I sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified.”
John 17:19
. The same devotion, the same self-sacrifice, the same
subjection to the claims of the word of God, that were manifest in
Christ, must be seen in His servants. Our mission to the world is not
to serve or please ourselves; we are to glorify God by co-operating
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with Him to save sinners. We are to ask blessings from God that we
may communicate to others. The capacity for receiving is preserved
only by imparting. We cannot continue to receive heavenly treasure
without communicating to those around us.