By Adren Bivins

John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Matthew 7:7-12 states, “Ask and it will be given you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone asks receives; He who seeks finds; and to him that knocks, the door will be opened.” Which of you if your son asks for bread would give him a stone or if he asks for a fish would give him a snake?” Jesus is showing us the heart of God, the Father. God is not selfish, begrudging, or stingy.
We, as his people, do not have to beg or grapple as we come with our requests to God. I am so glad that God is our loving Father who understands,  cares  and comforts. If humans can be kind, we can imagine how good God is. The Bible clearly informs us that God is still in charge and there would never be another like him.
Matthew, this Jewish tax collector who Jesus changed into one of his disciples, told the world Jesus is the Messiah, the Eternal King, and God’s only begotten Son. He is a burden bearer and heavy load carrier.
Matthew begins his account in the Gospel by giving Jesus’ genealogy. Jesus also lived as a man, so he fully understands our struggles and our experiences. As believers in Christ, we need to show the heart of God in loving one another, trying to help one another, and also following the Golden Rule: “Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.”
Also, we need to keep our eyes on Jesus, follow him and love one another. God knows our needs already, but he still wants us to ask him, because the Bible teaches us that.
As we pray to God for our needs, we must have faith that he hears and will answer us in due time.
We must always remember to thank God for the many times he has come through for us and what he is continuing to do for us each and every day. The Bible says in him, we live, move, breathe and have our being.
We can always depend on God, because through his Son Jesus, he has provided our every need, including our salvation.  As we pray to our Father in heaven, through his Son Jesus, our communication to him is heard because he is alive and well.
He never slumbers nor sleeps. His ears are open to our prayers and he hears all of us at the same time. That is why he is considered as “our” Father. He answers us all, and does not get confused with everyone’s prayer requests.
What a mighty God we serve.  So keep on praying, asking, seeking, knocking, believing and trusting in the Lord. He will supply our needs according to his riches in glory through Christ Jesus.
Prayer:  Our Father, who art in heaven, we come to you again to say thank you for your darling son, Jesus. We thank you for loving us and supplying our every need.
Help us to keep the faith and never lose hope. Also, help us to be a blessing to others during this holiday season as we celebrate your birth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.