Luke 11:9-13: a reflection

As Jesus encourages his disciples to pray, he grounds their confidence in the goodness of their heavenly Father, who is more ready to give good gifts than any earthly father. Which of you fathers, he asks, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? Even flawed earthly fathers know how to give good gifts to their children; how much more, Jesus says, will your heavenly Father give good things, even the Holy Spirit, to those who ask him. The Father is not reluctant, not stingy, not waiting to be persuaded to bless; he is a good Father, more ready to give good gifts to his children than any earthly parent. If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts, how much more your heavenly Father. God is a good Father who delights to give good gifts to his children who ask. We can ask him with confidence, for he is far more willing to give good things than we are to ask.

Notice the comparison Jesus draws: from good earthly fathers to the far greater goodness of the heavenly Father. Even earthly fathers, flawed as they are, do not answer their children's requests for bread with a stone, or for fish with a snake; they know how to give good gifts. And if flawed human fathers give good gifts, how much more will the perfect heavenly Father give good things to his children who ask him. The argument moves from the lesser to the greater: if imperfect fathers are good to their children, the perfect Father is far better. This tells us how to regard God as we pray: not as a reluctant or stingy giver who must be persuaded, but as a good Father, more ready to give good gifts than we are to ask them. His goodness toward his children far exceeds the best of earthly fathers. We can come to him with confidence, knowing he delights to give good things to those who ask. The Father's readiness to give good gifts is greater than any earthly father's, and we can ask him confidently.

That is worth resting in, for our heavenly Father is more ready to give good gifts to his children than any earthly father, and we can ask him with confidence. We can approach God in prayer as though he were reluctant or stingy, needing to be persuaded to bless us; but Jesus shows him as a good Father, far more ready to give good gifts than the best earthly father, delighting to give good things to his children who ask. We can come to him with confidence, knowing his goodness toward us. When you pray, remember that your heavenly Father is more ready to give good gifts than any earthly father, and ask him with confidence. Ask your heavenly Father with confidence for good things, knowing he is more ready to give good gifts to his children than any earthly father, as Jesus said that if flawed fathers know how to give good gifts, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him; for God is not a reluctant or stingy giver who must be persuaded, but a good Father who delights to give good gifts to his children, more willing to give good things than we are to ask, so that we can come to him in prayer with confidence rather than doubt.