“Okay, Sister. After you peel the potatoes, put them in this,” my daddy said pointing to a metal gadget with a handle. “Then turn it and they come out sliced ready for the frying pan. Fried potatoes and onions for breakfast—I’ll think I’ve died and gone to heaven!” Dad shifted his head, faced me, and smiled.
My eight-year-old-self couldn’t help but smile back. When it’s Saturday morning, you get to watch cartoons and make breakfast with your Father–well, what’s not to smile about?
In fact, just thinking about those Saturday mornings make me smile now and I’m well into my 50′s. I remember the crusty fried potatoes and onions covered with ketchup, and a side of buttered toast.
Delicious. But you know what I loved more? The time I spent with my daddy.
So when I read Beth Moore’s study of 2 Thessalonians 3:1, and her definition of prayer, I beamed and warmed at the same time. Here’s a quote:
“Prayer is accepting a royal summons to the King for breakfast with your dad.”
Munch on that for a while.
Here’s another quote:
“God loves you. He loves your company. He loves to search the depths of your soul and hear the dreams of your heart. He knows what troubles you when you crawl into bed and what awaits when you crawl out. He knows why you’re scared and where you’re unprepared.”
You know, as great as my earthly father was, sometimes he was too busy for me, or too far away, or maybe just too preoccupied to listen.
But not my heavenly Daddy.
I can enter into His presence any time. But often, I don’t. Mostly because I’m too busy, or tired, or lazy, or just too wrapped up in myself.
I’m ashamed to admit it, but it’s the truth.
Maybe you have the same problem.
It’s kind of like being invited to Buckingham Palace for a private dinner with the Queen with all that delicious afternoon tea stuff, and turning it down.
Except better. Because God is not just royalty, or an earthly leader, He’s our heavenly Father, and King of His universe. He not only owns the cattle on a thousand hills, He made the cattle and the hills.
And He cares about me. And He cares about you.
Jesus said in Luke 11:9-10, “So I say to you: 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; the one who seeds finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
The good gifts God has for us are eternal. James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
Not the gifts you get at Christmas and enjoy for a time. His gifts are rich and meaty and eternal. They are good gifts. Sometimes they are hard gifts, but they always produce eternal dividends.
Recently, in our church home group, we discussed prayer. One man I admire in our church prays this way.
Father, we come to you by the blood of Jesus, and through the power of the Holy Spirit. That’s a mouthful of eternal blessings.
And meeting with our Father isn’t just for Saturdays. We can come anytime we want.
And have breakfast.
And you can skip the cartoons and enjoy the feast.
