Study it in the app“So if you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father who is from heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!””
If you know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more the FatherPrayer
Soοὖνifεἰyou,ὑμεῖςbeingὑπάρχοντεςevil,πονηροὶknow howοἴδατεto giveδιδόναιgoodἀγαθὰgiftsδόματαto your children,τοῖς τέκνοις ὑμῶνhow muchπόσῳmoreμᾶλλονwill the Fatherὁ πατὴρwho isὁfromἐξheavenοὐρανοῦgiveδώσειthe HolyἅγιονSpiritπνεῦμαto those who askτοῖς αἰτοῦσινhim!”αὐτόν
be
To exist, or to be already in a condition.
Where else “hyparchontes” appearsevil
One who does or desires evil, opposed to God and the good.
Where else “ponēroi” appearsknow
To hold a fact as certain, to be aware of it.
Where else “oidate” appearsgive
To hand something to another freely, as a gift.
Where else “didonai” appearsgood
Being as it should be and doing others good; in the full sense, God alone.
Where else “agatha” appearsgift
Gift.
Where else “domata” appearschild
Someone born of parents, or of a family or people.
Where else “teknois” appearshow much, how many
How much, how great; how many.
Where else “posōi” appearsmore
To a greater degree; how much more, when comparing.
Where else “mallon” appearsFather
God, who gives life and cares for his own; the Father of Jesus.
Where else “patēr” appearsheaven
God's dwelling, above all that is created.
Where else “ouranou” appearsHoly Spirit
God's Spirit, who is his own and sets people apart for him.
Where else “hagion” appearsSpirit
God himself at work, giving life and dwelling in believers.
Where else “pneuma” appearsask
Ask, ask for.
Where else “aitousin” appearsOther books that tell the same thing or quote these words.
Ask, seek, knock
A similar saying; scholars discuss whether it is the same saying in another setting or a repeated one.
Luke 11:9-13
9And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11And which of you fathers, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? 12Or if he also asks for an egg, will he give him a scorpion? 13So if you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father who is from heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
7“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9Or which man is there among you whose son will ask him for bread— he will not give him a stone, will he? 10Or if he also asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? 11If then you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
12Or if he also asks for an egg, will he give him a scorpion?
13 · This verse (above)
14And he was casting out a demon that was mute; and it happened, when the demon had gone out, that the mute man spoke; and the crowds marveled.
1. What it says
When the disciples ask to be taught to pray, what does Jesus tell them to say, and what stories does he add? (vv. 1-13)
2. What it means
Jesus says “ask, seek, knock” and compares God to a father who gives good gifts. What does that teach about what God is like? (vv. 9-13)
3. How I live it
What concrete thing would you like to ask God today, with the trust a child has when speaking to a father?
