Coming Home to Freedom: Pray Boldly!
Devotional Reading: Luke 11:1-13
Do you have the audacity to ask God for the desires of your heart? Do you have the audacity to ask God for a miracle or for the impossible? Do you have the audacity to be real with God and to share with God what is really on your mind?
A woman went to her friend's home at midnight to ask if she could borrow an air mattress for an unexpected guest to her home. The friend and her entire family were asleep and the doorbell woke them all. "Why are you bothering me? Do you realize you just woke up the toddler?"
"I'm sorry, but we have unexpected guests and I knew you had an air mattress and could help."
What is the friend to do, but dig the air mattress out of the closet and loan it to the woman at her door?
Have you ever had a friend put you in a position like that where you had no choice but to say, "yes"?
Or perhaps you've had your adult child ask you to make a sacrifice on his behalf and you did it because you love him so much.
When Jesus was asked to teach about prayer, he shared stories and questions like these. "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?" Jesus explains, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." Jesus gives us permission to pray boldly!
In modeling how to pray, Jesus keeps it simple. He addresses God with a name of personal affection, "Father." Then Jesus recognizes that God is different from Creation, by saying "Hallowed be your name." He gives God the glory! And then he requests that God's kingdom come.
I think it is an acceptable boldness to pray and to ask God to provide a more permanent space for our church to meet in for worship and ministry. I think it is acceptable to ask God to help us to build a space that will help bring God's kingdom to earth.
Jesus continues by asking his Father to provide for each of them their daily needs. And then he prays not just for himself but the community, asking for forgiveness and saying that they will also forgive others.
It seems this is a popular formula of the Bible - recognizing God's glory and asking God to forgive both the prayers of the one praying and the community that person represents. As we go boldly before the throne of God asking for a new building, let us not forget to also come to that throne room with a repentant heart also seeking God's mercy. Let us pray not only for ourselves, but also for our church, our city, our nation, and the world!
Finally, Jesus concludes his model prayer by asking God to not lead them into temptation or to deliver them from the evil one. This recognizes that temptations and deception may still come and asks for God's protection.
The woman goes to her friend's house at midnight knowing that what she is doing is audacious, but surely her friend will supply. Her friend will help her so that she can provide adequate hospitality for her unexpected guests.
May God provide for us a new home so that we can provide adequate hospitality for unexpected guests.
Do you have the audacity to ask God for the desires of your heart? Do you have the audacity to ask God for a miracle or for the impossible? Do you have the audacity to be real with God and to share with God what is really on your mind?
"I'm sorry, but we have unexpected guests and I knew you had an air mattress and could help."
What is the friend to do, but dig the air mattress out of the closet and loan it to the woman at her door?
Have you ever had a friend put you in a position like that where you had no choice but to say, "yes"?
Or perhaps you've had your adult child ask you to make a sacrifice on his behalf and you did it because you love him so much.
When Jesus was asked to teach about prayer, he shared stories and questions like these. "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?" Jesus explains, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." Jesus gives us permission to pray boldly!
In modeling how to pray, Jesus keeps it simple. He addresses God with a name of personal affection, "Father." Then Jesus recognizes that God is different from Creation, by saying "Hallowed be your name." He gives God the glory! And then he requests that God's kingdom come.
I think it is an acceptable boldness to pray and to ask God to provide a more permanent space for our church to meet in for worship and ministry. I think it is acceptable to ask God to help us to build a space that will help bring God's kingdom to earth.
Jesus continues by asking his Father to provide for each of them their daily needs. And then he prays not just for himself but the community, asking for forgiveness and saying that they will also forgive others.
It seems this is a popular formula of the Bible - recognizing God's glory and asking God to forgive both the prayers of the one praying and the community that person represents. As we go boldly before the throne of God asking for a new building, let us not forget to also come to that throne room with a repentant heart also seeking God's mercy. Let us pray not only for ourselves, but also for our church, our city, our nation, and the world!
Finally, Jesus concludes his model prayer by asking God to not lead them into temptation or to deliver them from the evil one. This recognizes that temptations and deception may still come and asks for God's protection.
The woman goes to her friend's house at midnight knowing that what she is doing is audacious, but surely her friend will supply. Her friend will help her so that she can provide adequate hospitality for her unexpected guests.
May God provide for us a new home so that we can provide adequate hospitality for unexpected guests.
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