DATE POSTED: Friday, 2023-03-03
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 11:2-4; 9-10;
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: ² So Jesus told them, “Pray in this way: ‘Father, help us to honor your name. Come and set up your kingdom.
³ Give us each day the food we need. ⁴ Forgive our sins, as we forgive everyone who has done wrong to us. And keep us from being tempted.’ ”
⁹ So I tell you to ask and you will receive, search and you will find, knock and the door will be opened for you. ¹⁰ Everyone who asks will receive, everyone who searches will find, and the door will be opened for everyone who knocks.

OBSERVATION: I find it intriguing when a young child asks for an adult to ‘dumb down’ their response to a question, or to better explain their advice or information. They need help in a certain area, and unless they receive clear and understandable information, they still won’t be able to do what’s needed or expected of them. Imagine a young Christian, they too need clear, concise and understandable direction. Jesus knew that, like His disciples, young Christians need direction on how to pray, and seasoned Christians need a refresher every so often. As applicable to you, so let today’s Scripture apply.

APPLICATION: When we are hungry, often we have been without food for a while, but we know where to go to satisfy that hunger. The disciples felt they were missing out on the benefits of prayer (communication with God), so they went to Jesus and asked how they might accomplish that. You may be approached by a new believer asking the same question, or you might benefit from the tips that Jesus gave to His disciples, to help you in your journey of communicating with God. Here are some key points that I found helpful:

• Honor the name of Jesus – to address a judge of our court system, he will insist that you recognize his position and approach him as ‘your honor’. Therefore, we must not just barge in on Jesus with your demands, but instead recognize Him for who He is and for all He has done. Give Him honor and glory and praise for who He is.
• Acknowledge His kingdom rule – He is King of all kings and Lord of all lords. He has charge of everything He created, and although God allows earthly men and women to rule here on earth, it’s only until He returns to take His bride (the born-again church) home to the Father. After experiencing so much turmoil here on earth, no matter what country you’re in, aren’t you ready to have the Prince of Peace assume His sovereign reign here on earth, as He is doing already in heaven? In your prayers. let Jesus know how you feel about that. You will not only reassure Him of your desire to see Him rule and reign eternally, but it will also give you opportunity to acknowledge your state of readiness for His rule, His return and His reign.
• Forgive us, as we forgive others – Interesting how Jesus uses the same concept as He used about our giving. He said He would give us in the spirit that we give. Both in our giving and in our request for forgiveness, we must always be reminded that God’s Word declares that He will treat us like we treat others. Our actions set the stage for God’s reaction.
• Temptation – I believe that Satan considers it his full-time job to temp humans – especially believers in Jesus Christ. While we hate our reaction to temptation, it does act as a test if our commitment to our Lord and our dependence on Him is at a level where it should be.

I especially included verses 9&10 so that we might rejoice in the blessings promised to those of us who sincerely communicate with, and honors God for, His promised blessings. Everything God does, and everything He asks of us, is from a heart of love, as He strives to make us the best children possible for Him to work through.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Praise God that He cares for us! In spite of knowing our wicked heart, yet He calls us to Himself, loves us, and desires to see us be usable vessels for His glory!

PRAYER: Praises to our wonderful, all-powerful and awesome God, who knows us, yet He loves us anyway and will always be ready to accept us into His kingdom, if we so desire and acknowledge Him as Lord. Thank You Father for teaching us the basic principles of prayer. We realize that it is open and unfiltered communication with You, but in following Your principles, we have a better idea of what you expect when You hear from us. please forgive us Lord if we have ever been too trivial in our prayers to You. We have been reminded that You deserve our utmost respect and honor as we seek Your face in worship and prayer. Please keep our hearts and minds fixed on You and may Your commands always come to mind when we communicate with You. Please speak to the hearts of those who need You as Lord and Savior, and may Your words be made clear for them to follow You in a spirit of holiness. Please continue to bless us Lord, as only You can. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!