Key Thought

Prayer begins with two realities. The first reality is that the Almighty God, holy and majestic, eternal and all powerful, longs for us to come to him as his children. The second reality is that God our Father calls us to enter into a relationship where his will and his way set the direction and the meaning of our lives as we voluntarily offer ourselves as subjects of his Kingdom. This means that our hearts' deepest yearnings are to come into the presence of our Father and to see the dawning of his unrestrained and untainted rule over all things. Prayer is the perfect place to experience his presence and to anticipate this great day of his complete reign over all things. Prayer is also the place where we affirm to the God we love that he is our Father, that we want his name and character to be honored in all the earth, and that we live in anticipation of the day when Christ brings all his glory to full view. Such few words to express awesome truth; yet these words, this relationship, and this future are ours in Jesus!

Today's Prayer

Get WJD by EMAIL!

Enter your email address above to subscribe to the email edition of What Jesus Did! Follow along FREE every day as we go through Luke in a year. More Info on Mailing Lists

Holy and tender Father, it breaks my heart to hear your name so violated by profanity and by mere flippant exclamations. Please bring about a deeper reverence for your name by bringing the rule of your Kingdom into full and glorious view with the return of your Son. Until that day, dear Father, please empower your church, that island of your Kingdom in view, to more powerfully display her reverence for your name, her desire to draw close to you, and her passion for the day of your Son's return. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

One time Jesus was praying in a place. When Jesus finished praying, one of his followers said to him, "John taught his followers how to pray. Lord, teach us how to pray too." Jesus said to the followers, "When you pray, pray like this: 'Father, we pray that your name will always be kept holy. We pray that your kingdom will come. Give us the food we need for each day. Forgive us the sins we have done, because we forgive every person that has done wrong to us. And don't let us be tempted (tested).'" Then Jesus said to them, "Suppose one of you went to your friend's house very late at night and said to him, 'A friend of mine has come into town to visit me. But I have nothing for him to eat. Please give me three loaves of bread.' Your friend inside the house answers, 'Go away! Don't bother me! The door is already locked. My children and I are in bed. I cannot get up and give you the bread now.' I tell you, maybe friendship is not enough to make him get up to give you the bread. But he will surely get up to give you what you need if you continue to ask. So I tell you, continue to ask, and God will give to you. Continue to search, and you will find. Continue to knock, and the door will open for you. Yes, if a person continues asking, that person will receive. If a person continues looking, that person will find. And if a person continues knocking, the door will open for that person. Does any of you have a son? What would you do if your son asked you for a fish? Would any father give his son a snake? No! You would give him a fish. Or, if your son asks for an egg, would you give him a scorpion ? No! {You are like all other people}--you are evil. But you know how to give good things to your children. So surely your heavenly Father knows how to give the Holy Spirit to those people that ask him."

— Luke 11:1-13 (ERV)

Easy-to-Read Version copyright © 2001 by World Bible Translation Center. All rights reserved.