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Requests
Brian Mashburn
October 26, 2008
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What About My Needs?
There is a program called Kids Café at a school where they provide free meals to over 200 hungry kids every single day. I asked my son if some Monday he would go with me to help feed and love these kids.
He said yes. But when Monday came, he had some competing desires that threatened our plan. He wanted to have a friend over, he wanted to play (rather than work) together, and he was hungry. I reminded him of my plan to take him to feed those kids...and it was time to go.
He submitted. Reluctantly, but he surrendered to my will.
When we got there, he saw the school and kids, and he filled up with excitement. We started fixing trays and setting them out. Shade was wide-eyed, attentive, and having a ball. He volunteered to hang with the kids in line, take out the trash, and interacted beautifully with our fellow workers and these kids. His submission to his dad's will resulted in his coming alive. But that's not all.
When we were done, the lady offered us both a tray of food. Then we went outside, and he asked if we could throw the football on the playground for a while. When we did, some kids joined us and Shade said, "I made some new friends!"
It's not a perfect analogy, but this reminded me of the message that Jesus gives us in his model prayer. Submit to His name, His kingdom, His will, (Mt 6:9-10) and then you can ask your Father for your needs -your provision, your pardon, your protection (Mt 6:11-13).
Shade wanted to hang with a friend, eat, and play. He gave all that up, submitted to dad's will, and then he got all that back.
When we have yielded fully to the Father's will, we can then, as children, ask for our needs in confidence that He knows them before we ask and can't wait to answer...every single time.