Eternal Life for All Who Believe

   Prayer Practice

Breath Prayer – Take 2-3 minutes today to pray a simple breath prayer. Get somewhere quiet and relaxing. Breathe in deeply, and then breathe out fully. As you breathe in, ask God to fill you with His presence, grace, love, peace, etc. Consider using the list of spiritual fruit in Galatians 5:22-23. As you breathe out, offer to God the things you need Him to take from you – sin, doubt, shame, anxiety, fear, etc. Pray this way for just a few minutes, trusting God to work, and then begin reading today’s Scripture.

DAILY READING

Luke 18:1-30

REFLECTION

Kingdom Stories

 by Kelsey Bacon

So many of our readings, of Jesus' teachings, have been telling us more about the Kingdom of God and today's passage is no different. Today we look at four stories, two parables, and two stories of true interactions with Jesus. Let's look at each story and what it says about the Kingdom of God.

The parable of the persistent widow - this story tells us that the Kingdom of God brings justice. The widow experience injustice and unfairness in her life. People didn't listen to her, they devalued her, but God saw her worth and promised her more. He promised her justice because of her faith, because of his goodness as a just God who cares for those who love him.

The parable of the pharisee and the tax collector - this story tells us that it takes humility to enter God's kingdom. Sometimes, I identify with the tax collector in this story, coming to God on my knees, knowing I've sinned and feeling the deep need for his grace. But sometimes, I am the pharisee. Sometimes, we are the ones looking out on the world from our religious pedestal, thinking we know it all and we are better than others because of it. We can be blinded so easily that we don't see the deepest sins of our hearts, which is why we must continually ask for humility.

The little children and Jesus - this story tells us that the Kingdom of God is for everyone. Jesus clearly loved and blessed these children, but people were astounded that he even bothered to pay attention to kids, apparently unworthy of his attention. But Jesus taught that not only is the Kingdom of God for all, even the little children, but that the appalled adults had something to learn from the children. Jesus taught that the Kingdom is for everyone, and we cannot put parameters on who is permitted or not.

The rich and the Kingdom of God - this story tells us that there is nothing more important than God's Kingdom. How difficult would it be for us if Jesus approached us and asked us to sell every single possession and give everything we have away? We love God, but we also love our lives, our stuff, our comfortable living. Or if Jesus asked, like he did to Peter and the other disciples, to leave our families and follow him? While we don't face quite those extremes in most situations these days, how important is God's Kingdom to you? How open are you to his calling? Open enough to give up something precious, or to up and move across the country, or to give away a lot of money or time? Jesus teaches that nothing is more important in our lives than God and his Kingdom--being a part of it, sharing it, working for him to build it. Does your life reflect that?

Reflect Further: Pray through each of these stories, reflect on the challenges that they present, and pray and ask God to build the Kingdom further in your heart and in your life.