"Give us this day our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11 KJV).
Jesus taught us to pray to God saying, "Give." Seems a little bold though, doesn't it? I mean, shouldn't we say please first or something? But no, Jesus teaches us to boldly ask the Father to "give."
I'm reminded of how my children asked for what they needed when they were younger. As babies, they just cried. And the longer we took responding to their need the harder they wailed. Did you ever try to put a bottle in an enfant's mouth when it had been crying for a while? They seem too desperate to even take the bottle when it's offered, their little mouths working quickly from side to side, searching for a firm grip on the nipple.
Many is the time that I've witnessed my wife whispering to one of our hungry babies, "OK, OK, here it is honey, take it, hold still little darling, ahhh, there, there..." As the child finally calms down to a rhythmic sucking motion.
Of course, when they learn to speak, they are no less bold. "Mommy, I'm hungry. Give me a cookie!"
"Say please." We say, as we hand them the object of their desire. We are good parents. We give when our children ask.
"How much more will your Heavenly Father give to those who ask!" Jesus says to his disciples. If we know how to be good parents, doesn't God exceed our goodness?
So, we can ask our Heavenly Papa boldly to "give." I suppose that is why He boldly expects us to be givers too.
Will you join me in boldly asking the Father to give to us and meet our needs? Will you also join me in being bold givers out of the provision He supplies?
We're offering a number of ways for our WCCers to be bold givers this year: 1) Work with the Hope Station Food Drive to help feed the hungry in Wilson, 2) participate in "Operation Christmas Child" to bring the love of Jesus to an international child, 3) make a donation to the Benevolence Fund to help hurting families in our church, and 4) make a donation to the "Advent Conspiracy" offering to help provide clean water to a child in a third world country.
I'm thinking that if God supplies what we need for "this day," then we should have enough to boldly give for someone else's tomorrow.
Maybe that's how God answers prayer sometimes... He gives through us.
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