PRAYER PRACTICE
Lectio – Read today’s passage through once. Then spend some time praying and asking God to show you what you need to pay attention to in the text. Read it again. Now ask God to help you see what this text, and the part that has stood out, may mean for you. Don’t expect to get a clear word every time but always be ready to really hear from God through His Word.
DAILY READING
When I was a new believer, I would take my questions about scripture to some of my Sisters in Christ. As I matured in faith, I took pride in being the one to dispel my well thought out insights to enlighten others. Now I am sophisticated enough to contribute to this church blog for the membership to study as daily meditation. My, but haven’t I come a long way?!
Actually, I am really no
further along than when I started this walk except that I may have developed a
sense of pride and self-sufficiency; both very bad things to possess. It is
because of these characteristics that I may not ask others for help. I may
not ask Jesus to teach me to pray. I might just keep saying my blessing
before dinner and repeating the Lord’s Prayer during church service without
truly meaning the words that I pray.
Jesus teaches us to pray for
our daily bread, not because any one of us really has trouble getting enough to
eat, but because we are to ask God for our most basic needs. It is good to
remain aware of how God cares for us. We aren’t to call upon God only when we
have a big ASK. Instead, we can focus on the incremental changes we need
to make to be more useful to Him (or in service to those we love). Ask Him to
increase our desire for such things. Ask Him to equip us to grow in ways
that don’t simply protect and promote ourselves first.
Consider: Prayer isn’t a tool
to get what we want from God. It is a way to get God’s will accomplished
in us and all around us. It requires faith because we must see God as Our
Father. It requires hope in His love for His Kingdom Come.
“When you pray, say:
“‘Father, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily
bread.
Forgive us our sins,
for we
also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.’” Luke 11:2-4
1 comment:
Nancy:
Thank you for today's lesson and sharing your thoughts. We all all need Jesus as our "attacker" to defeat the "Strong Man". So often the devil comes into our lives disguised as harmless and ineffective. Being in daily prayer is a safeguard against his deceptions equipping us to discern his hidden agendas. I am praying for better discernment so that my response to his deception and lies are in accord with how the Holy Spirit is best glorified.
Robin Lorms
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