If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? Matthew 7:11.

A wise and loving father knows that not everything a child asks for would be a good gift. A wise father must know when to say no! Many times children ask for things which are not good for them. Likewise the Lord knows when to say no. We must not take that Scripture to mean that we will get everything we ask for; it is only the good gifts He will give to us.

Often privileges which are otherwise enjoyed, must be withheld for correction or to teach restraint. Most loving parents know this and use it. Likewise the Lord does this. Sometimes the Lord withholds something we have prayed for and does not grant it when we think He should.

We may learn later to see that it was for the purpose of correction. He is teaching us restraint; there is a sin in our lives that has come between us and God. He may return to His mercy seat and send the lion to tear the flesh to teach restraint.

The fact that God often delays answering or granting what we ask does not cheapen the meaning of "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you," but it enriches it because He will only give good gifts. The fact that He will not give us things which are not good for us enriches the promise.

"How much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" ROM 8:28 says, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God..." We may often beg for something that the Lord will never grant because it is not for our good.

Now let's analyze some of the good gifts which our loving heavenly Father does grant as we read in ROM 8:30, "Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified." The good gifts our heavenly Father is looking upon is our call out of darkness unto the marvelous light of the gospel, our sanctification from the pollution of sin, and our justification before the bar of God's justice!

God has predestined these things for those whom He has loved from before the foundation of the world; the things we pray for which come against God's will will not be granted. We may pray for a lot of things He will never grant, such as prosperity in this world that would not be good for us spiritually.