Wednesday, January 16, 2013

The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ

(Seed Sowers Christian Book Publishing House. http://www.seedsowers.com/)

Wednesday, January 16, 2013     I Taught My Disciples about Prayer       

Page 171      Luke 11:1-13

Isn’t it interesting that the only thing the disciples ever asked Jesus to teach them was to pray? They never asked Jesus how do we raise the dead or heal the sick or how to preach. They asked Jesus, "Teach us to pray," and Jesus teaches them the Lord's Prayer. Then Jesus added a parable to help them understand how to pray.

Israel had a covenant relationship with God who taught them it was an honor to help their neighbors. This covenant responsibility to serve one another applied to strangers, even if they knocked on your door at midnight. Jesus says that while a neighbor may not open his door at night, even for a friend, he would open his door when his neighbor came seeking assistance in fulfilling his covenant responsibility. Within this covenant relationship, there is no shame in asking for help. Because the man in Jesus’ parable is without shame, he has no difficulty persistently asking his neighbor for help.

Jesus says this is what God is like. Jesus says you can have this same relationship with God. We have no shame as we go to God in prayer. We are not imposing upon God. The foundation of our relationship with God is not based on our tithe or perfect attendance or praying every day or reading the Bible every day. None of this improves our right-standing with God. Our right-standing before God is not helped by saying, “God if you'll just do this, I'll be good. I'll give more, I'll pray more, and I’ll do more if you'll just hear my request.” The man in the parable did not condition his request by saying, "If you will just give me some bread this one time, I will never ask you again."

The basis of our relationship with God is rooted in grace. God longs for us and desires a relationship with us, more than we could ever dream of longing and desiring a relationship with Him. Jesus says God delights in fulfilling our needs: “For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened” (Luke 11:10).

I believe the writer of the epistle to the Hebrews fashioned our response to Jesus’ promise: “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (Hebrews 4:16).

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

What word or phrase in today’s reading attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are available by email. Contact me at Amkrom812@gmail.com to be added to the email list.

This BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription

The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ

(Seed Sowers Christian Book Publishing House. http://www.seedsowers.com/)

Thursday, January 17, 2013        I Raised My Friend Lazarus from Death 

Page 175-177         John 11:1-54