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Actor Clarence Williams’ father gave him the nickname Billy. When Clarence was a baby, his father went to the library, picked out 100 children’s books, and noticed the most common name in those books was “Billy.” He gave his son that nickname, thinking if his son saw his own name pop up while learning to read, he would fall in love with reading. Caring fathers do good things for their children. Jesus used the illustration of a caring earthly father to show how much more our Heavenly Father cares for us. Notice Jesus’ words in Matthew chapter 7: “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. ‘You parents – if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.’” Since our Heavenly Father cares so much for us, we can be bold and persistent in our prayers.
