Throughout 2021, we are praying for the Church to thrive, grow, and multiply. This month, we are praying for our families. We set our alarms for every day at 11:09am to pray – encouraged by Luke 11:9: “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.”

Kids are Uniquely Gifted at Asking

Kid’s are uniquely gifted at asking.  Those of us who have cared for young children know the pacifier routine.  Kids seem to love that thing but they also seem to drop it a lot.  They know what they want: that pacifier back in their mouths.  And they also realize their inability to get it on their own and so they ask.  Some use words, others point and still others scream and cry but we know what they want.  Their lack of ability to get it on their own makes it easy for them to ask.

This pattern continues.  My kids are teens now.  They can do most things on their own and now contributors to the family.  But while they both have typical teen jobs, they don’t have much money and can’t yet drive themselves anywhere (legally at least).  So I get asked a lot.  Dad can you take me to practice.  Dad can you drop me off at a friends house.  Dad I need money for new shoes or food or a clothes or yikes that’s a long list.  Let’s stop before I get anxious.  But the point is they know they can’t do these things on their own and so they ask.

A Life of Fuller Independence or Dependence?

Something strange happens as we become adults.  As parents we teach our kids to be independent.  We want them to be able to do all these things on their own and honestly to not have to depend on us or anyone else for that matter.  And so we enter adulthood with this myth that we can do it all on our own.  And when we need something, rather than ask we just work for it ourselves.  Now that’s not all bad.  I’m looking forward to the day when we add a third driver to the family.  However, that independence has its limits.  When it comes to our relationship with Jesus, we aren’t called into a life of fuller independence but a life of fuller dependance.  The more mature we are in our faith, the more we resemble that baby asking for the pacifier.  We realize our limitations and understand more fully how dependent we are on Jesus.

At Stadia we are praying for churches to thrive, grow and multiply.  If we aren’t careful, we will see this as our work alone.  We will lean into that cultural value of independence and just work hard to manufacture churches.  But planting new churches that thrive, grow and multiply is a fruit that Jesus produces.  And so we recognize our dependance on Jesus for this important work and every day at 11:09 we stop to ask, seek and knock.  And in that act of asking, we are formed by Jesus.  We are acknowledging our dependance on Him to see the vision of Every Child Has a Church realized.

Child-like Faith

It’s easy to stop asking and just work hard.  But when we stop asking we stop depending on Jesus.  I think that’s part of the reason Jesus told us to have the faith of a child.  They know they need Jesus.  Let’s be people of prayer and together ask Jesus for churches that thrive, grow and multiply until the day that Every Child Has a Church.