The Prayers of a "Good Child"

Oswald Chambers is one of my favorite writers/speakers. “My Utmost for His Highest” is the only devotional book I’ve stuck with over the years, as it truly causes me to plunge into God’s Word and think and ponder the truth.

I read an excerpt this morning that was really profound. The subject was prayer. How often do we get confused about prayer, particularly about requests? Listen to Chambers, reflecting on Matt. 7:9 (“Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask break, will he give him a stone?”)

“We talk about prayer as if God heard us irrespective of the fact of our relationship to Him. Never say it is not God’s will to give you what you ask, don’t sit down and faint; but find out the reason, turn up the index.

Are you rightly related to your wife, to your husband, to your children, to your friend–are you a “good child” there? ‘O Lord, I have been irritable and cross, but I do want spiritual blessing.’ You cannot have it, you will have to do without until you come into the attitude of a good child….

Have I been asking God to give me money for something I want when there is something I have not paid for? Have I been asking God for liberty while I am withholding it from someone who belongs to me?…I am a child of God only by
regeneration, and as a child of God I am good only as I walk in the light….It is no use praying unless we are living as children of God.”

It’s that deliberate mind that the modern church says “phooey” on…the new “Christianity” says “I’m OK, your OK…Jesus loved the grungy; the grungier I am, the more I’m loved.” And we stay there, and trample on the grace of God.

No…He says , “Once you were in darkness, but now you are light; walk, therefore, as children of light”.

God can bless in obedience or disobedience. But let me not think that I can come to Him flippantly, without regard for my heart’s attitude, and ask anything expecting to receive.