When I was growing up, there was a plaque hanging on a wall in our house that read, “Don’t worry. It may never happen.” I passed that saying many times each day, and those words became branded on my brain. So, of course, I never worry. (I wish!)
Daily Devotion
Engage
PRAYER: He Provides
Some of you are reading this at a difficult economic time. Your business has shrunk. Your sales are down. Your customers are cutting back. Your salary has been reduced. Your position has been terminated. Many jobs in your company are gone, and the rumors are flying that more downsizing is coming. For some, the tough times have hit hard. For others, the tough times have hit home. Listen to the words of Jesus.
ENGAGE: Dependent on the Father
Prayer is a personal conversation with our Father. It should not be filled with clever Christian clichés or worn-out prayer phrases. It is fresh, real, and uninhibited—like any meaningful conversation in our lives. Using the Lord’s Prayer to learn how we are to pray, we see the principles of revering the person of God not only in quiet prayer time but also in the car on a backed-up road when we are in a hurry and in the interactions with our children at the end of the day when we are tired. We have considered our need to submit to the Father’s will. Now, we will focus on dependence.
ENGAGE: Talking to God
When Jesus taught us how to talk to the Father in what we call the Lord’s Prayer, he instructed us to pray, “your kingdom come.” Why did Jesus tell us to include this in our prayers? 1 Corinthians 15 helps us answer that question.
ENGAGE: First Things First
Most people live for the stuff. Not always bad stuff, but stuff nonetheless. The career. The home. The school. The activities for the kids. The social group. The retirement plan. The weekend activities. The getaways. All the right stuff … just in the wrong order. When we live for stuff, at the end of the day, that’s exactly what we have—a bunch of stuff. Jesus says to flip the order.
ENGAGE: Humility
When we pray for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, we are putting forth a risky offering. We are asking that God’s perfect will be worked through our lives. And we are placing ourselves in submission to that perfect will. For Jesus, that meant death—even death on a cross! What will that prayer mean for you? I don’t know what it will mean, but here are some things it could mean.
ENGAGE: Real Talk
When Jesus talked to his Father, the conversations were real and, and sometimes, raw. Check out today’s passage. Jesus prayed under the shadow and dread of the cross. He prayed with “loud cries and tears.” He didn’t recite prayers. Jesus shared his heart with the Father.
ENGAGE: Your Will Not Mine
Some people approach prayer with a list of demands. “God, I want you to do this. And when you get that done, here’s another thing. And sorry for the reminder, but you forgot to do the thing I asked for two days ago. I needed it … yesterday. In Jesus’ name. Amen.” Some even teach that praying with real faith is telling God what you want, when you want it, and that you will not take “no” for an answer. So…is praying, “Your will be done,” a cop-out? Let’s learn from Jesus.
ENGAGE: Glory to God
Self-promotion and self-absorption are signs of the times. From the excesses of infamous executives to the chest-beating celebrations of quarterback sacks and touchdown passes (isn’t that what they get paid a lot of money to do?) to those who must have things their way, many live their lives in the headlines, on the jumbotrons. Someone has said that those who are wrapped up in themselves make for a very small package.
ENGAGE: A Consuming Fire
The writer of Hebrews describes God as a “consuming fire.” What does he mean by that?
ENGAGE: Filled with Awe
After Jesus ascended, the Holy Spirit descended, just as Jesus had promised. Filled with the Holy Spirit, the apostles began to speak in the native tongues of all those gathered in Jerusalem for the Feast of Weeks. Some made fun of the apostles, and others accused them of being drunk, but at the end of the day, three thousand people trusted in Jesus as their Savior.
ENGAGE: Down on the Mat
Thanks for joining us as we focus on thirty days of prayer. Prayer is simply talking to God. And…sometimes, we talk to God when our backs are down on the mat. Here’s what Jesus said to one man who found himself in that position.