But His Brother Stayed

Most everyone knows the story of the lost son in Luke 15, or as it is most commonly known, "The Prodigal Son".  

You know, the one who took his share in his inheritance, squandered it, and was so poor that even his low-end job of feeding pigs wasn't enough to buy him food (he longed even for the pods he fed the pigs).  In that moment he realizes his misfortune and decides to return to his father's house, where he will ask his father to hire him as a servant because he's unworthy, etc., etc.  And upon his return, his father sees him coming, and prepares a lavish feast for the lost son who now is found.

But I don't really want to focus on the prodigal son.
I want to focus on the son who stayed.
The brother who, hearing of the celebration, becomes angry. 

After all, he hadn't gone and squandered all his wealth on "wild living".  He stayed with his father, obeyed all his commands, worked hard.  I'd venture so far to say he probably had a family of his own, and had it pretty good  in the family business.  He probably enjoyed fellowship with his father, too.  

When his brother returns, he is so angry he won't even see his brother.  So his father pleads with him, invites him in to celebrate with everyone.  

And he replies, "Look, all these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders.  Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.  But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!" (Luke 15:29-30)

I love his father's response. 

"My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours." (v. 31, emphasis mine)

Most people who read this story relate to being the lost son.  And let's face it, even those of us who have been believers all our lives were lost - or are lost - at some point.  

But, in being a believer all my life, I relate more to the brother who stayed, and I don't often see or hear much about him, except the usual, "His attitude was totes in the wrong place.  He was so selfish.  What did he ever need a party for?  He never wanted a party until that point."

Well...ok, sure, maybe he was being a little selfish, and I'm not at all condoning his arrogance in regards to his lost brother.  

The point I want to make is that, for those of us who have been believers, been "with the father" all our lives, it can often seem like our faith, works, choices, whatever, go unnoticed by our Father. 
It can often feel like such a big deal is made over new believers, but for us, it's just, "Oh, you know the drill."  And we should rejoice with those who were lost but now are found.

But here's what I want to say to those of us who feel like the brother who stayed:

We have more authority than we realize.

The brother was angry with his father for never giving him a party.  He was jealous.  

But he could have asked at any time.  

I'm sure there must have been hundreds of reasons for celebration in his life.  If he was married, well...the wedding.  That's reason to celebrate.  His children another.  A successful year.  An answer to prayer.  Good grief, didn't they have birthdays back then?!  

What keeps us from asking?

"Ask, and it will be given to you..."(Matthew 7:7).

"And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.  You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it," (John 14:13-14).

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests," (Ephesians 6:18)

You know what I think?
I think, for those of us who have "always been with the father", we feel like we shouldn't have to ask.  We assume everything we want/need/desire will just be handed over to us.  

And when it doesn't happen, we wonder why.
We ask, "Does our Father truly love us?  Are we really His children?"

Well, first off, those are lies, because the Word says that those of us who believe are children of God, meaning we share the inheritance (Galatians 6:26-29; 1 John 3:1-2).

The brother who stayed probably assumed that, being with his father already, things should have just been given to him.  

But there's so much power in asking.  
Yes, God knows our thoughts, desires, actions, innermost being (Psalm 139:1-16).

But if our assumptions were true, that things will just start happening, coming our way, then...why would God tell us to ask?

What is in your heart?  What do you truly desire?  What do you want to see God doing in your life?  Do you need healing?

Ask Him.  
I know that sounds like a band-aid phrase, and I'm sure you're imagining an air-headed, high-pitched voice saying these things.  

But seriously.
What keeps us from asking our Father for anything, when we are with Him, and all He has is ours?

(I really hope this made sense, and isn't taken out of context.)

To Hear His Voice

So, this has been on my mind.

Well, actually, a lot of things have been on my mind, but this is one of them:

That I wish to walk closer with God, learn to hear Him when He speaks, to listen to Him.
I want to know Him more intimately.

I always struggled with prayer, and I want to pray more.  

Just as Paul says in Ephesians 6:18:

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests."

I mean, we're supposed to pray all the time, be in constant union with the Lord.  

If He desires this unity, I want that to be my desire.

So, here we are.  
I've decided to challenge myself, and with it being the first of October, sounded like a good starting place.

I want to spend more time with my Savior.  
I want to walk with God, and hear His voice, pray with the intention to hear and listen.

"The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep.  The watchman opens the gate for him and the sheep listen to his voice.  He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice."
John 10:2-4

Hope this makes sense.  My brain is a little foggy, but I think I got across my main point.

Peace.