Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 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!

Matthew 7:9 -11

Prayer Points

Thank God that he is a loving, living and caring father to you.

Many people do not have a good experience of their fathers and are suffering from the effects. Pray for someone you know (yourself?), who needs to be freed from the effects of bad fathering. Pray that they (you) will be able to forgive and discover freedom from the bondage they live with.

Pray for the many fathers, especially young ones, who do not have a good role model of fatherhood and yet are now fathers themselves, that they will do good to their children.

     DAY 1 : PROTECTING

I remember the laughter. We were on holiday playing with an airbed on a lake: pulling, splashing and pushing each other in the water. Then came a howl of pain and blood. My sister’s and my brother’s heads had collided and she was bleeding profusely. My father immediately took charge and we swam back to the shore. Strong arms of both my father and elder brother carried her back to the tent where we were camping and quickly help was summoned and the injury managed.

Fatherhood. As I remember that childhood incident it was a good picture of the protection and the care of a father (and an elder brother). Strength and security gave confidence that it was going to be all right. Not all of us have experienced that from our earthly fathers, nevertheless this is the role God intends them to have. This image is what God wants us to have of him: not only present in crises, but watching over our lives in protection and love. We have a Father in heaven, as the Lord’s prayer says. He longs for us to experience confidence, love and power in our relationship with him as we work our way through this life.

In the Old Testament God reveals how he feels about people. In Jeremiah, for example, he speaks to the Jews who were ‘idol- ing’ around. He says how gladly he would treat them as sons and give them a desirable land. He says “I thought you would call me ‘father’ and not turn away from following me.” In the New Testament Jesus speaks of our Father in heaven observing, rewarding, caring and loving.

Here we have 40 days to get to know God better. ‘Father’ is waiting, watching, listening, longing for you .....

Pray

*    Pray for your ‘big issue’

*    Pray for your ‘three friends’

*    Pray for a new wave of revival.