The Everyday Prayer

Re:Verse passage – Luke 12:13-21 (day two)

But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ ²¹ So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” vs. 20-21

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; ²¹ for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:20-21

Two sides of the same coin. The old adage states that you can’t take it with you, and if you look only at the passage from Luke, it holds true. If, however, you look to Matthew’s words there is a different message. It comes down to what “it” is. Money, real estate, possessions – things things will all disappear. The business of heaven deals with how you have invested in Kingdom work. How have you loved well? This will carry a heavenly reward. How have you ministered to the needy, the lost, the widow, and orphan? This will be measured against a life, and celebrated. Invest well.

Re:Verse passage – Luke 11:5-13  (day seven)

“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” vs 9

Nowhere in scripture can you find a verse that says, “If you become a Christian, your life will be easy. You will be given blessings just for being a Christ follower.” Most committed Christians would argue that this life takes sacrifice and work, but unbeknownst to us, this message of easy living gets passed down in evangelism as we attempt to sway people into Christianity. This is what happens when we prioritize converts over disciples. In discipleship, new believers get to see a participatory faith. They get to see that life does become easier, but only after things got harder first. They do receive blessings, but they are not materialistic. When we our faith becomes participatory (asking, seeking, knocking), we will see how God is working and how that work is always for our good!

Re:Verse passage – Luke 11:5-13  (day six)

If you have checked theeverydayprayer.com more than once this morning for my blog post, then I think that qualifies as persistent. Being the kind of person that I am, I wouldn’t want to disappoint you or allow your persistence to go unrewarded.

Each time you checked you came with expectation, I’m sure. Along with a sincere desire for spiritual encouragement, a little spiritual nudge as you start your day.

For many of you, an early Saturday morning read of the every day prayer blog is part of a consistent pattern or rhythm in your life. An effort to connect to the heart and purpose of God through the musings of one of your pastors.

Some Saturdays are better than others I’m sure! But today, today your persistence pays off, because I too value the blog, and the small part it plays in your life; not to mention I feel a sense of obligation. It is here though, on this digital page, that I can give, whether at midnight, or 5 am, or even 9:15 (or later of course).

As you persist, may you receive. It is with God, as it is with me.

Oh, and Happy New Year!

Re:Verse passage – Luke 11:5-13  (day five)

“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”  

Bold promises given by Jesus at the end of the parable. We understand these verses are not a blank check to ask for whatever we want.  They are an invitation to an honest dialogue within a vibrant and growing relationship with the Lord.

Then He said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves’”.

The persistence described in this parable is no doubt the result from previous encounters and experiences between the two “friends”. There was familiarity, “You know me. You know my heart”.  There was certainty, “I know you have what I need”. There was honesty and vulnerability, “This is why I am asking, I have nothing to give”.

The end of the year provides a good time to evaluate our relationship with God. Is our relationship with the Lord vibrant and growing?  Is there familiarity between us and the Lord?  Byproduct of time spent together. Is there certainty?  What do we know and understand about the Lord and His character and nature?  Is there vulnerability? Confession and repentance are crucial.

Lord, help us have that kind of relationship with You!!  Let’s be persistent in that kind of prayer!

Re:Verse passage – Luke 11:5-13  (day four)

Jesus was teaching His disciples to pray.  As was His custom, He used parables to drive home the point.  This week’s parable uses a contrast to paint the picture of prayer.  Jesus is not advocating asking over and over until God is worn down…He is saying if this friend will finally respond to the need, how much more will the loving Father answer our prayer.  God stands ready in His love and mercy to pour out His Spirit upon us.

How has God answered prayer for you recently?  Have you stopped to thank Him for His answers?  We may still remain consistent and persistent in prayer, but we learn to recognize when God has given His answer.  We have a hymn in our hymnal that was written nearly one hundred years ago.  The chorus sings:

Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God hath done;
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.
(Hymn #644)

Re:Verse passage –Luke 11:5-13 (day three)

Just before this parable, the disciples ask Jesus to teach them how to pray. He gives them what we now know as the Lord’s prayer, and in the same breath, he begins this story of a man persistently asking for bread.

We shouldn’t be surprised when persistence is needed in our prayer life – Jesus lays it all out for us. It’s one of the first things he teaches his disciples about prayer. If we’re going to have a healthy, thriving prayer life, then we’re going to have to pray with persistence. Not because God is like the grumpy neighbor, moved to fulfill a request only out of annoyance, but because it creates godliness in us, it helps us overcome our lack of faith.

The Lord doesn’t tarry or lose track of time when answering our prayers – in fact, he’s always operating in perfect time. The more we become persistent in prayer, the more we can understand that. We can do this because whatever the outcome, we know that the One we pray to is faithful.

Re:Verse passage – Luke 11:5-13 (day two) 

I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. vs. 8

You do not have because you do not ask. ³ You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. James 4:2b-3

To be clear scripture is not saying that you are always going to get whatever you ask, but it also recognizes we don’t often bring our whole hearts to the Lord. Perhaps we feel like we don’t deserve whatever we are desiring, or we feel a sort of guilt. Why would the Lord think to bless me more than someone else? That kind of self-talk will only lead to a spiritual angst and anxiety that no-one needs. Be in constant dialogue with the Lord, always. You can be sure that he isn’t going to sell all the cattle on a thousand hills just because you ask, but if you are in a never ceasing conversation with the Lord of creation doesn’t it stand to reason that you will start to desire the things he desires? Spend more time with Jesus, and see how that begins to shape your prayer life.

Re:Verse passage – Luke 10:25-37 (day seven)

Go and do the same. vs 37b

This is not a challenge to help the poor (though we should). This is not a cry for more social justice (though justice is good). This is a challenge for heart change.  While we often see ourselves as the Good Samaritan in this story, we are more accurately the lawyer wanting to know, “Have I done enough?” Jesus wants our actions to be based on a feeling of deep concern and love for other human beings regardless of what that person has done for (or to) us. When we “love [Jesus] with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind,” that love will not just overflow on those in our immediate circle, but it overflows on every person who comes across our path.