Magic Gumball Machine

The teen came home from school, passed by his father on his way to the refrigerator. " Hi son, how was school?" the son doesn't bother to acknowledge his father as he gets his favorite cola out of the fridge and reaches for a package of cookies out of the cupboard. Slamming into his room, the boy sees a note from his dad on the pillow, he tosses it into a drawer to read later. In the drawer is a stack of unread love notes from his father. This behavior goes on for days, weeks, months. The son acts as though he is ashamed to be a child of his loving father. He spends no time with him, never speaks to him, all the while his father waits patiently for his son to notice him or the roof over his head, the clothes on his back, the education, the food everything the father has provided out of love for the boy.

One day the boy comes into the living room. "Hey Dad, by the way, I want to borrow the car this weekend.  Just gas it up for me and put the keys on the kitchen table".

If this were you and your son treated you this way, what would you do? Would you just hand over the car keys? After all, this is your child and he asked for them. He is a good kid, goes to school, doesn't hurt other people, all he does is ignore his dad, shouldn't he get anything and everything he asks for? why or why not?

This is how many of us treat our Heavenly Father. We don't talk to Him unless we want something, we don't read His love letter to us, we just can't be bothered to spend time with Him, but we sure do expect Him to answer our requests how we want them when we want them don't we?

Sometimes we act as though we think God is a Magic Gumball Machine. We expect if we put a penny  in the machine, a miraculous answer to our prayer should come back in return. Gods Word tells us there are requirements for successful prayer.

We are to come to God with a humble heart
2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land

We are to Believe  He will answer
 Mark 11:24
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

We are to Obey Him
1 John 3:22
And we will receive whatever we request because we obey him and do the things that please him.

We ask what is in His will

1 John 5:14
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

Think about these verses the next time you go to God to ask for something. Would you answer if you were God? Are you in obedience with a humble heart? If He isn't answering, maybe the answer is no or maybe it is not His will.

Our Father in heaven,
Holy is your name.
Your Kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom,
the power and the glory are yours.
Now and for ever. Amen.