As we look at the Parables and Miracles of Jesus recorded by Matthew, I’m including the colorful metaphors Jesus used to teach people about relating to God.
I’m calling this “The Parable of Stones and Snakes,” because Jesus paints the preposterous picture of a son asking his father for bread and a fish, and instead his father gives him a stone and a snake.
You’ve probably heard the question, “Why did the chicken cross the road?” Somebody sent me some humorous answers to that question given by famous people.
“The problem we have here is that this chicken won’t realize that he must first deal with the problem on ‘THIS’ side of the road before it goes after the problem on the ‘OTHER SIDE’ of the road.” — Dr. Phil
“Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road; but why it crossed I’ve not been told.” — Dr. Seuss
“Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together–in peace.” — John Lennon
“Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?”— Albert Einstein
“I invented the chicken!” — Al Gore
“Did I miss one?”— order drugs without prescription Colonel Sanders
“I did not cross the road with THAT chicken.” — Bill Clinton
“Why did the chicken cross the road?” really isn’t an important question. But there is a question. I’ve been asked hundreds of times since I’ve been a pastor, “Why aren’t my prayers being answered?” If you stood before Jesus and asked Him that question I think His answer might be, “Because you stop praying too soon.” We’re going to learn from Jesus’ words recorded in Matthew 7:7-12 that there is great power in persistent praying.
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 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! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
I’ve always been fascinated by prayer and I’m still a student in God’s school of prayer. I’ve accumulated hundreds of great quotes about prayer and these are some of my favorites.
“You can do more than pray AFTER you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray UNTIL you have prayed.” — A.J. Gordon
“Satan laughs at our toiling, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.” — Watchman Nee
“Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance, but laying hold of His willingness.” — Martin Luther
“Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?” — Corrie ten Boom
Jesus was a great teacher and a wonderful healer, but we never read that His disciples ever said, “Lord, teach us to heal, or teach us how to teach.” But we read that they asked Him, “Lord, teach us to pray.” There was something about the prayer life of Jesus that caused his disciples to want to pray the way He prayed. Let’s learn three lessons Jesus teaches us about prayer:
Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” The New Testament was written in the Koine Greek language, which has many more nuances than English. The tense Jesus used for “Ask, seek, and knock” is called the present imperative which literally means: “Ask—and keep on asking; Seek—and keep on seeking; Knock and keep on banging on heaven’s door.”
The reason more prayers don’t seem to be answered is that people stop praying. A little boy named Bobby asked his dad if he could pray for God to give him a puppy. His mom was expecting a new baby, so his dad said, “Not now, son, but why don’t you pray and ask God for a little baby brother? That’s a prayer that God will answer in a couple of months.” Bobby prayed for a couple of weeks, but nothing happened so he stopped praying. A couple of months later Bobby’s mom went into the hospital. Bobby came to visit his mother after she had delivered and his dad pulled the cover back to reveal not one baby brother but two—twins. The daddy said to Bobby, “Son, aren’t you glad that you prayed and asked God for a baby brother?” Bobby said, “Sure, dad, but aren’t you glad I stopped praying when I did!”
I can honestly remember my first experience with prayer as a child. I went to first grade Sunday School and my teacher taught us that if we asked God for something He would give it to us. That got my attention, because it sounded like a good deal. At this time my family was living in Dothan, Alabama, which is located just a few miles from Fort Rucker where the army trains all their helicopter pilots. So every day dozens flew over our house. Whenever I heard one I would run outside and wave my arms for them to land and take me for a ride. My favorite television show was “Whirlybirds,” which was a show about policemen who used a
helicopter to catch criminals.
More than anything else I wanted to fly in a helicopter, so after I heard that Sunday School lesson, I decided I would see if prayer really worked. One night I got on my knees and said, “Okay, God, my teacher told me I could ask you for something and you’d give it to me. I want a real helicopter to land behind my house in the empty field, and I want to get in fly it over our neighborhood. My buy cheap cialis online teacher had said to be specific in my prayers, so I even described what kind of helicopter I wanted it to be. “God, make it one of the small ones with the glass bubble that carries two people.” I can tell you with all honesty that I got into bed that night with simple childlike faith fully expecting God to answer my prayer. The next morning, I got up and dressed to go on a helicopter ride, because I totally expected there to be a helicopter in the field behind my house. I ran out my back door and looked at the vacant field. Would you believe that earlier that morning an army helicopter had made an emergency landing and was sitting in that field?

I didn’t say there was one there, I just asked you if you would believe it: Don’t. At first I remember thinking, “This prayer thing isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.” But as I grew older God used that first prayer experience to teach me lessons about how to pray.