November 25 - An Obedient Son Prays

“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him." Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.” John 14:7-12 

“If you knew me…” Jesus said that to the Jews (John 8:19) and now He is saying the same thing to His disciples. You would think that after about three years together that the disciples would know who Jesus was. Knowing Jesus is knowing the Father. Like Father, Like Son. Jesus speaks what His Father tells to say. He is an obedient Son. Do you speak what pleases your father and mother? Do your children speak what you would have them say? Have you taught them to be polite and obedient? Children must be taught to be obedient—they don’t just do it on their own. One instruction in the Bible says…Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Ephesians 6:1. Also read 2 Corinthians 10 for a discussion of obedience and disobedience. It is best to consider scripture in the context it is written, rather than pulling out a verse, or part of a verse, that has a particular word or phrase in it.  

Jesus says for us to believe in Him and in the works, the miracles, that He did, we will be able to do, too. I haven’t calmed a storm, raised any lame, given sight to any blind, or raised anyone from the dead. Is my faith not strong enough—or have I just not asked? Jesus tells us in Luke 11:9 (and Matthew 7:7) "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.” So, we need to ask, believing, that miracles will be done IN JESUS’ NAME. In John 14:14, Jesus said, “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.” We certainly cannot do them on our own.  

Last July when it was hot I was watching my three year old grandson play in his backyard. I had just given him a drink of water and he was standing on the back porch. He looked up at the sky and shouted at the top of his lungs, “Give us some wind!” I asked him if he was praying to God and he nodded. So I said, “You can whisper and Jesus can hear you.” So he whispered, “Please, Jesus, give us some wind.” I didn’t want him to be disappointed if God didn’t answer his prayer, so I said, “Isaac, sometimes we don’t always get a quick answer from God—He hears us, but He may not want to answer our prayer right away—He has lots of prayers to answer.” Well, I no sooner had stopped speaking than we could see the leaves in the trees in the neighbor’s yard moving gently—and then right over the fence came the breeze, rustling the leaves on the trees in Isaac’s yard. Oh my—that kid has the power of prayer! I turned to him and said, “Well, Isaac, what do you say to Jesus?” He just nodded and said, “Thank-you Jesus.” And then he went on playing, refreshed by the gentle breeze that was cooling him off a bit. 

Ask and you will receive. Believe with the faith like a child.

Thank You Jesus for hearing our prayers. We believe in You.

© 2012 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).