CONVERSATIONS WITH JEFFREY #7

FATHER KNOWS BEST!

“Grandma, it was such fun to go into the studio at “Uncle Rick’s radio station” and record a promo!”

“That was a very important thing to do. You reminded those who listen to our Christian radio station to join in prayer at 8:55 every morning.”

“Yeah, and maybe MILLIONS of people heard me on WTRM-fm, and MILLIONS will be praying together for whatever problems people phoned into the radio station.”

“Well, that’s possible. Not only does our strong signal reach the surrounding four states but by satellite uplink anyone can listen anywhere in the world through their computers on the Internet.”

“Wow! Even in China and Africa? What do you call that, Grandma?”

“That is called ‘streaming audio’ and people can listen to the live programming and Christian music day and night. Do you remember what you said on the promo?”

“Cindy on the staff wrote it for me and I just had to read it—with expression, she said. We practiced a lot in the studio and I wore a big headset and sat on a tall chair in front of a big desk with lots of push buttons and levers.”

“I took your picture, remember? And another picture when the on-air announcers Rich and Sam lifted you in the air and made you as tall as they are.”

“Yeah, and I told the listeners to tune in everyday and pray for the people whose prayer requests Sam reads just before 9 a.m. That was exactly the time when you used to take me to school, Grandma, and we listened and prayed. Well—you had to pray with your eyes open ‘cause you were driving!”

“And the station gave you a CD with your promo on it. Didn’t you take it to show at school? The station aired it several times a day for quite a few weeks to remind everyone.”

“Grandma, God doesn’t answer every prayer, does He? I prayed for Aunt Nellie and she didn’t get well. She died.”

“Jeffrey, God hears every prayer and answers every prayer. There are many verses in the Bible that tell us that. Jesus taught us to ask His Father, God, for what we need and to use His name.”

“What does ‘use His Name’ mean?”

“Do you remember how the prayer starts that Jesus taught us to pray?”

“Yes. ‘Our Father who art in Heaven….’”

“Do you go to ask your friend’s father or some stranger for something you want?”

“No, I ask my own Daddy. My friend’s Daddy doesn’t know me and isn’t responsible for me. He wouldn’t give me anything.”

“Right. Now that you have Jesus in your heart and have been baptized, Jesus’ Father, God, is your Father too. And you can say ‘Our Father’ too. God is Jesus’ Father and your Father. You are a member of His family. Your Father God is responsible to take care of you. And you have the privilege to ask whatever you need as if Jesus Himself was asking for it. That’s what ‘in Jesus’ Name’ means. God would always give Jesus what He asked because Jesus did everything to please His Father.”

“I think I understand. But still, it doesn’t seem like I get everything I ask God for when I pray.”

“Your Daddy doesn’t give you everything you ask for either, does he?”

“Well, no.”

“Look at it this way, Jeffrey. I said God always hears our prayer, and since He hears us, He always answers. But he answers in any of three ways, just like your Daddy does. He can answer YES, or NO, or WAIT. Has your Daddy ever told you to WAIT when you asked him something?”

“Lots of times.”

“And has Daddy ever said NO?”

“Lots and lots and LOTS of times!”

“God has good reasons for how He answers you, just like your Daddy does. Sometimes it is just not the right time for you to have something or to go somewhere or do something. Sometimes you don’t understand that what you are asking for is really not the best thing God has for you, and that He has something better. Sometimes God is so happy to say YES just like the verse that Jesus’ follower, John, wrote, ‘…whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.’”

“Hm. Daddy is more likely to say YES if I’m doing what he asked me to, or if I stop doing what he told me not to do.”

“There’s a lot more to learn about praying that we’ll talk about some other time. Praying is more than asking God for stuff. Or asking that everything would turn out nice. It is also telling God how much you love Him, telling Him how much He means to you, and thanking Him for everything. Oh Jeffrey, I am always so happy to listen to you pray at mealtime! You thank God in your own words for so many things most people don’t even notice—like the sunshine, the crops that grow, the seeds, the flowers, the birds—everything you can think of. I can just imagine God smiling at you when you pray and loving on you!”

“So when we prayed for Aunt Nellie to get well, God said NO because He knew that it would be better for her to go to Heaven and be with Him and get really healed there, right? We should be glad for that answer and thank God that she doesn’t have any more pain, right?”

“Oh Jeffrey, you understand things a lot better than many grown ups. When we pray, let’s just trust God to answer our prayers in the way He knows is best, ‘cause He knows everything.”

# END