Twelve Apostles, Blessings and Woes

 

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

Luke 6:12-49

REFLECTION

The Spirit-Empowered Life

by Katie Borden

Let’s talk for a moment about pride and shame. (I promise it eventually connects to today’s passage!)

 

Pride and shame are two sides of the same coin—both tend to focus us on ourselves. These are imperfect definitions, but go with me here for a moment: pride tells me that “I’m good, and I’m entitled to respect and adoration”; shame tells me that “I’m bad, and I’m worthless and unlovable”. Either way, the focus is on myself.

 

When I read what Jesus says in this passage, I am often tempted to read his words as simply variations on a theme of moral list-keeping that I then assess if I’ve lived up to (in which case I pridefully pat myself on the back) or failed to live up to (which spirals me into a fit of shame). But what I forget so often is that, in either case, in my mind and heart I have put the onus on myself to accomplish all that Jesus is commanding here. And that’s just not going to turn out well, because apart from Jesus I am a very broken and sinful human.

 

What if, instead, we saw Jesus’ words here as a vision for the Spirit-empowered life? It is freeing to remember that though we are incapable of living this good, true, and beautiful life when left to our own broken and sinful devices, we know the One who can! The Holy Spirit empowers us to move our gaze off of our own selves (and the pride and shame that comes with that self-focus) and instead find our life and identity in Jesus. His invitation is one to a life of dependence on him and obedience to him, a life empowered by his Spirit. This is good news: that Jesus is not just giving us a list of spiritual “to-dos”, he is inviting us into a life with him!

 

Holy Spirit, help us to turn our eyes to Jesus and receive, again today, the gift of life with him. Amen.

 

 

Twelve Apostles

PRAYER PRACTICE

Prayer Journal – To begin your daily worship today, grab a pen and paper and write out a prayer to God. Not sure what to write? Try using ACTS to frame your prayer. Begin with adoration for who God is. Then move on to confession – being real about where you have fallen short in the last day or two. Give thanks to God for all that He gives (including forgiveness for the sin you just confessed!). And then finish with supplication – with your prayer requests to God. When you are done, tuck this away somewhere (so you can read it later and see how God has answered your prayers) and then move into hearing from God through His Word.

DAILY SCRIPTURE

Luke 6:12-49

DAILY REFLECTION

Prayer Power

by Judy Webb

12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. 13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: 14 Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15 Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, 16 Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Jesus accomplished so many things during His short stay on earth, and many of them were life-changing. The decisions He made had an impact for millions of lives. The actions of this one man impacted others throughout the ages; and will continue to do so until He returns. Have you noticed how His actions, even the little ones, are begun in prayer? "...Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray..."

Oh, if only we all practiced this one discipline - prayer. I know from personal experience the power of prayer. I know from daily sitting with God, just how prayer changes things; how it changes life. Actually, my word for 2021 is PRAY. I was a little disappointed with when I discerned this word after 5 weeks of asking God for it. I am ashamed to say that I didn't think it flashy enough. I didn't consider it would be a word I would write about for a year. But look where we are now.

Only God, through our prayer, can rescue us. Personally I can see how we need to be praying about everything, including ourselves. Nationally, prayer for a revival in this land is huge, and just what my prayer life is all about this time around. God also gives me a scripture verse to contemplate on which will accompany my word. Ephesians 6:18 is that verse. "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests"

I think you might agree that we need prayer, individually and corporately. We need to pray for one another, we need to pray for our nation and we need to pray that all who don't know the Good News of Jesus will hear it...maybe because of a prayer we prayed on a mountainside one day.

Dear Lord,

If ever we needed you, we need you know. Come Holy Spirit and fill our hearts with words of Worship and contrition and forgiveness. Use us and our prayers to change the world. Amen.