It is an incredible promise which Christ makes to His Church “Whatever you ask the Father in My Name He will give to you.” Now, of course, this doesn’t mean that God will give us evil things. It means that everything we ask for according to His will which is revealed to us in Christ He will assuredly give. No good thing will your Heavenly Father withhold from you, His dear child. What then stifles our prayers? In part, we don’t believe the promise that God will give because we are neither worthy of the things for which we ask, neither have we deserved them. But what has Christ revealed to you in His cross? Your sins are forgiven? The other hindrance to our prayer is that we act as though we are bothering God and so ask for so little. The Father gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask! He gives forgiveness, life, salvation, and daily bread. And did you know that when you pray for the gifts of the Holy Spirit and faith you are praying that God would provide you with the public preaching of His Word; you are praying for the sanctified life of the Baptized; and you are praying that you would have the opportunity to receive the Lord’s Supper? You know from Holy Scripture that these are the ways in which God gives you His grace and so to ask for the kingdom of God to come is, in part, to ask for the celebration of the Divine Service and that God would drive you to it. Ask God for life and salvation and then come, gather with your brothers and sisters in Christ, so that together we may receive the answers to our prayers! I look forward to seeing you this coming Lord’s Day.
Pastor Ulmer