Pastor Ralph Posted December 20, 2007 Report Share Posted December 20, 2007 Q3. (Matthew 7:9-11). What do these verses teach us about God's relationship to us? What do they teach about God's characteristic response toward us? How does this differ from a cynical view of God? Why is a positive understanding of God important to be able to pray with faith? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabatha Posted March 20, 2008 Report Share Posted March 20, 2008 Q3. (Matthew 7:9-11). What do these verses teach us about God's relationship to us? What do they teach about God's characteristic response toward us? How does this differ from a cynical view of God? Why is a positive understanding of God important to be able to pray with faith? Jesus instructed His disciples to pray to God as their Father. He now picks up the theme of God as Father in His second illustration. Earthly Fathers love their children and delight in giving good gifts to them. Human fathrs do not give their children " bad "things when they have asked for something good. Put it a little differently, earthly fathers do not give their children gifts which will harm them when they ask for those things which will help them. Fish and eggs are both helpful. They strenthen the physical body. Snakes and scorpians are both harmful to the physical body. God, as a Heavenly Father, does not give us those things which will be harmful to us , when we ask for those things which are beneficial to us. To often I find myself asking God for snakes and scorpians, rather than fish and eggs. I discover that I am inclined towards things which are detrimental to my spiritual life. In such cases, I may ask for a snake, But God gives me a fish. I may wish for a scorpian, but God gives me eggs. If God does not give me evil gifts when we ask for good, He does give us good gifts even when we seek those which harmful to us. Because God is a good God, a loving Father, He cannot only be expected to answer our petitions, but to do so in a way that is for our highest good. From our Lord's first story we learn that God answers our prayers. From the second, we learn that His answers are good ones. The highest good which God gives to His disciples who petition Him in prayer is summed up in the gift of the Holy Spirit. What better gift could our Lord give to His disciples. And we know from the first chapters of the book of Acts that the Spirit of God the Father's gift to the church, in answers to their prayers. Christ is showing us the heart of God the Father. God is not shelfish, begrudging, or stingy, and we dont't have to beg or grovel as we come with our requests. He is a loving Father who understands, cares, and comforts, if humans can be kind, imagine how kind God, the Creator of kindness can be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustJeff Posted April 8, 2008 Report Share Posted April 8, 2008 God wants to treat us as would any father who loves and cares for their own. He seems to desire that we demonstrate our love of Him by our faith. In turn, He gives us His very best for all of our needs. Early on I was wrongly taught that if you ask God for patience He will bring you tribulation. That was wrong. What He gave me was greater understanding and people to witness to and to teach. He is a wonderful Father. Seeing this only adds depth to my prayer life and confidence that He will comply, in His time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charisbarak Posted April 13, 2008 Report Share Posted April 13, 2008 God's relationship to us is a loving, good Father. He Will answer our prayers. We need not be afraid of God's answers. He wants only the best for His children. We need to really know Him & pray believing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elwood C O'Dell Posted April 14, 2008 Report Share Posted April 14, 2008 Our Heavenly Father truly cares about us and what is happening in our lives. His response always has our best interest at heart. He can be trusted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swordwoman Posted April 15, 2008 Report Share Posted April 15, 2008 Q3. (Matthew 7:9-11). What do these verses teach us about God's relationship to us? What do they teach about God's characteristic response toward us? How does this differ from a cynical view of God? Why is a positive understanding of God important to be able to pray with faith? The verses teach us that God is loving toward His children. His characteristic response is that He gives us good gifts...that He sees the ENTIRE situation and it is from His perspective that the gifts are given. He is a good God, and He can be trusted. To be able to pray with faith, one needs to trust that the Lord is good and that He can be trusted fully to bring good no matter what we (think we) want....God is good all the time, everytime...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanMary Posted April 15, 2008 Report Share Posted April 15, 2008 Q3. (Matthew 7:9-11). What do these verses teach us about God's relationship to us? What do they teach about God's characteristic response toward us? How does this differ from a cynical view of God? Why is a positive understanding of God important to be able to pray with faith? 1)They teach that He's a perfect and generous Father, whose motive is always Love. God IS love. 2)His characteristic response from His heart of love, is one of giving...of rewarding those who seek Him, with, "good and advantageous things". 3)A cynic says, God wound up the world and started it and we're on our own...anything that we get is of our own doing.....or He gives to favorites and not to others.....or you can't depend on Him, I prayed and nothing happened, so He must not care, or must not be listening...etc. 4)Without a clear understanding of Him, it would be easy to become cynical or diappointed, or to feel unloved by God, especially when answers are delayed for long periods of time. A closed door to a person with a positive understanding of God causes a faith response to persevere in prayer until a door opens...to one with cynical understanding, the same closed door, seems like rejection or abandonment, and a reason to give up and stop praying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dar Posted April 15, 2008 Report Share Posted April 15, 2008 Q3. (Matthew 7:9-11). What do these verses teach us about God's relationship to us? Father God is just who He says He is, a Father to us. A Father full of love, mercy, and grace, who has our best in mind. What do they teach about God's characteristic response toward us? As we go to our Father with our requests, we know, He will give to us what is GOOD. How does this differ from a cynical view of God? Why is a positive understanding of God important to be able to pray with faith? I never thought of God as being anything other than a positive God; Because He sent His Son, who made it possible for me to go to Him in prayer. Yes, He has shown me He is a positive God, and He delights in giving to me that which is good; the most important part being, that I grow in His grace and in His righteousness. I use to think the answers to my prayers depended on MY "faith." If the answer wasn't what I asked for, it was because I didn't have enough "faith," when all along, it had nothing to do with me, it has everything to do with Him, because He knows what is for my "good." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masika Posted April 16, 2008 Report Share Posted April 16, 2008 Q3. (Matthew 7:9-11). What do these verses teach us about God's relationship to us? What do they teach about God's characteristic response toward us? How does this differ from a cynical view of God? Why is a positive understanding of God important to be able to pray with faith? These verses teach us that Our Heavenly Father is a loving Father. We should have a close relationship to know Our Father better, then we will know what to ask for. Our heavenly Father, is not selfish, begrudging, or stingy, and we don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa Rupert Posted April 16, 2008 Report Share Posted April 16, 2008 Q3. (Matthew 7:9-11). What do these verses teach us about God's relationship to us? What do they teach about God's characteristic response toward us? How does this differ from a cynical view of God? Why is a positive understanding of God important to be able to pray with faith? These verses teach us that God is our Father and He loves us and we can trust in Him. His response to us is one of a Loving Father who gives His children good gifts. A cynical view of God is a view without faith. They don't understand the power of prayer and faith and the belief in our FATHER"S love for HIS children. That is why it is important for us to understand and know our Father and to do all things in Faith. Knowing we can Trust In Him and knowing that He loves His children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
June Posted April 17, 2008 Report Share Posted April 17, 2008 He is truly our Father and loves us very much. He only wants the very best for us , and His desire is to provide us with our needs. We must believe that what we ask will be given or there would be no need to ask to begin with. FAITH, knowing that God will answer when the time is right for us. Trusting God to give us what we need daily... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stan Posted April 17, 2008 Report Share Posted April 17, 2008 Q3. (Matthew 7:9-11). What do these verses teach us about God's relationship to us? What do they teach about God's characteristic response toward us? How does this differ from a cynical view of God? Why is a positive understanding of God important to be able to pray with faith? 9 "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" (7:9-11) That as Father, He is all caring about our needs and desires. That He would only give good gifts and not things that we as His children do not need or would harm us. His responces is to give us our needs and not necessarly our wants. He is a loving Father looking out for our best and that is not always what we want. It is quite differant from the cynical view of God uses His control over us to give us what He wants and when He wants and sometimes punishes us for asking for things, like patience. Understanding God is a reinforcement of our faith as we believe in God and continue to pray our faith becomes stronger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mags Posted April 18, 2008 Report Share Posted April 18, 2008 What do these verses teach us about God's relationship to us? God is as a parent - He only wants good for us and won't give us something useless and dangerous. God loves us and wants the best for us - often what we think is best is not right - God knows better, just as a parent can see that bigger picture ~ how much more of the picture God sees What do they teach about God's characteristic response toward us? God's response toward us is love - love of a parent who created us. He will never leave us. How does this differ from a cynical view of God? Why is a positive understanding of God important to be able to pray with faith? If we know that God loves us and wants the best for us then we can pray with faith that He won't let us down. We will know that God loves us, can see the bigger picture so we can pray that God will answer and trust that His answer is the right one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia A Posted April 18, 2008 Report Share Posted April 18, 2008 Q3. (Matthew 7:9-11). What do these verses teach us about God's relationship to us? God's relationship to us is one of a loving Father. What do they teach about God's characteristic response toward us? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eudora Posted April 20, 2008 Report Share Posted April 20, 2008 Q3. (Matthew 7:9-11). What do these verses teach us about God's relationship to us? If the children had asked for a poisonous snake, a wise father would not give this to his children. We have to be wise in what our requests are too but realizing that nothing is impossible for God. As we get to know God and His attributes, we learn to understand Him. Once we begin to even get a hint of what He is like, we can then be motivated to ask for things that are pleasing to Him and that have a good aroma. He is very understanding in that sometimes we ask for foolish things that we think we need, when He has already provided for our every need , even before we ask. What do they teach about God's characteristic response toward us? God is holy and we are not, so when we ask a Holy Father for something that he may think is foolish, it isn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roxanne Posted April 20, 2008 Report Share Posted April 20, 2008 Q3. (Matthew 7:9-11). What do these verses teach us about God's relationship to us? What do they teach about God's characteristic response toward us? How does this differ from a cynical view of God? Why is a positive understanding of God important to be able to pray with faith? THAT IF WE REALLY LOVE HIM WE HAVE TO BELIEVE IN HIM AND KNOW HE WILL GIVE US THE DESIRES OF OUR HEART..AND WE KNOW IN FAITH LET YOUR WILL BE DONE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
love.serve.know Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 God's relationship to us is that of a loving, caring Father. God's response to us always has our best interest at heart. A cynical view of God says that He will hurt us or trick us when we ask unwisely. When we understand that God loves us we can trust that He will provide the very best for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmaus Posted April 24, 2008 Report Share Posted April 24, 2008 This is telling us God wants a relationship with us where we are connected, one where we are talking and praying to him for our needs. We can count on God giving us what is best for us. We don't have to be afraid to pray that his will be done. There is no fear in love and God loves us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sahala p.s. Posted April 27, 2008 Report Share Posted April 27, 2008 Q3. (Matthew 7:9-11). What do these verses teach us about God's relationship to us? What do they teach about God's characteristic response toward us? How does this differ from a cynical view of God? Why is a positive understanding of God important to be able to pray with faith? About God's relationship to us, these verses teach us that God is our father in heaven, and we are his sons. About God's characteristic response toward us, they teach that as a father in world will give good gifts to his children, even though he is evil, also, even much more than them, will God give good gifts to those who ask him. This differs from a cynical view of God, which views that God is unlike a father but like a abnormal or sick father that does not like to give good gifts to his children, or to see his children happy. A positive understanding of God is important to be able to pray with faith because on it we will base our faith in pray, it motivate us to pray and make us not be afraid to pray. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelOnLine Posted May 1, 2008 Report Share Posted May 1, 2008 Q3. (Matthew 7:9-11). What do these verses teach us about God's relationship to us? God is relating to us as our earthly Father. He will supply all our needs just as our earthly Dad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda bass Posted May 5, 2008 Report Share Posted May 5, 2008 What these verses are trying to teach us about God's relationship to us is, just as a human father is wiiling to give good gifts to his children, so,too, is the Lord willing to give us good things if we ask in faith. What these verses teach about God's characteristic response toward us is, we can trust Him to answer our requests wisely in a way that is good for us. This differs from a cynical view of God in that we can be cofident that God hears our prayers and will answer them in His time, according to His will. A positive understanding of God is important to be able to pray in faith because we need to believe that God will actually hear us and will actually answer our prayers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissioned Posted May 14, 2008 Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 Q3. (Matthew 7:9-11). What do these verses teach us about God's relationship to us? It teaches that God is our Father. What do they teach about God's characteristic response toward us? As the earthly father response to his children with good gifts, so God responses to His children. How does this differ from a cynical view of God? In a cynical view of God one sees God as being overbearing and not a wise and just God who knows how to give good gifts to His children. Why is a positive understanding of God important to be able to pray with faith? A positive understanding of God is important when we pray so that we have the assurance that when we ask in faith believeing He is just and will answer wisely with what is good for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iam4-1god Posted June 30, 2008 Report Share Posted June 30, 2008 Q3. (Matthew 7:9-11). What do these verses teach us about God's relationship to us? What do they teach about God's characteristic response toward us? How does this differ from a cynical view of God? Why is a positive understanding of God important to be able to pray with faith? It does no good to pray without faith. We must believe that God is Who He says He is! God actually loves us, and wants to give us good things. He knows what we need before we even ask! God's Word is His bond. How many times have we said that ourselves? If He says it, it's so! We can't see Him, and so we have trouble believing in a deity we can't see. But if we stay rooted and grounded in The Word, our faith will be built up and remain strong. We must believe! Faith without works is dead! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
servant for Christ Posted January 30, 2009 Report Share Posted January 30, 2009 Q3. (Matthew 7:9-11). What do these verses teach us about God's relationship to us? What do they teach about God's characteristic response toward us? How does this differ from a cynical view of God? Why is a positive understanding of God important to be able to pray with faith? God's relationhip to us is a good, loving, and caring Father. His characteristic response is that He wants to give to His children. His answer will always be the best one for us. From a cynical view, people say that God doesn't really care, he doesn't hear your prayers. God can be trusted, He is faithful and just God. He will not fail you. To have a positive understanding of God is to know in whom you believe and serve. Knowing that He is a true, loving, and caring Father. With this, we can pray in faith, knowing our needs and prayers are met. Knowing that it pleases our Father when we come to Him in faith. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindap Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 Q3. (Matthew 7:9-11). What do these verses teach us about God's relationship to us? What do they teach about God's characteristic response toward us? How does this differ from a cynical view of God? Why is a positive understanding of God important to be able to pray with faith? God is our Father and as such he will give us what we need. God will respond when he knows it is time, because Gods time is perfect. It differs from a cynical view because we have faith in God. We trust God to give us what we need. We trust that as a father God will be loving in his responses to our prayers. We may not always get what we ask for but God will give what is best for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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