Jesus Christ, our Lord, gave us the example in how to pray. In the book of Luke, Chapter 11 he starts by saying, 1) "Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come." Accepting the sovereignty of God, 2) "Give us each day our daily bread, " Giving thanks to Him at all times 3) Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us" Confessing how short of the glory of God we are, " And lead us not into temptation". and finally, supplicating Him to protect us from the evil one," The Lord says to us to be in continuous prayer, helping us, through His Spirit, who dwells in our hearts, to be transformed and be more like Jesus.
Our God wants us to be like his son, Jesus Christ our Lord, and not like the Pharisees and teachers of the law. It is not about how much we know but how much we practice the word and teachings of God. In Chapter 11, verse 42, the Lords woes the Pharisees, "Woe to the Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kind of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone". Sometimes we might be like the Pharisees or do we really want to please God in everything that we do and say?
Our Lord continues on His teachings, by warning us in Luke 12:15, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kind of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions". He wants us to be more like Him, caring, loving and fully focused on the unseen, the spiritual life, than the things of his creation.
"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourself that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where our treasure is, there your heart is also" words of Jesus in Luke 12:32-34.
What a great way to pray, asking God to forgive us for hoarding what has no eternal value and guiding us daily to a life filed with His Spirit.
Armando Perdomo
March 12
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I too was struck by the verses on prayer in this reading. I've been convicted in the last week or so that I have not been praying specifically enough...with enough expectation for God's answers to my prayers. So I'm going to change that...pray some very specific prayers...and stand back to watch what God does!
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