Only One Thing: Luke 11: 9-10 (Week 2)



I am very good at totally missing out on prayerful opportunities. 

Take this example; when my mother says Grace:

"Dear Heavenly Father, Bless this food.  ."

(LOOOOONG PAUSE. For effect?)

"For THINE use."

(Who is THINE? It is very fancy all this thine-ing, etc.)

"And blah, something, something. "

(She has now lost me and I am salivating OR if it is 13-year-old me, I am looking around Perkins to see if any of my friends are out to post-church breakfast and are looking at me being devout and will later use it against me at school.)

"And THANK YOU LORD OUR FATHER for all our blessings. . .something, something. "

(I am now rolling my eyes. )
"And something about dead people who can't be here. . And someone who is struggling."

(OMG, I am struggling.  Might pass out if I can’t eat soon.)

“Lord be with those in service to our nation. . .something or other.”

(I JUST WANT TO EAT. )

AMEN

(Praise GOD!)

It isn’t much better when I am saying grace:

“Godisgreat. Godisgood. LetusthankhimAmen.”

Five seconds from God to Amen. (I am prone to ingestion. Coincidence?)

I simply want to race to the gift--to the receiving part. I totally want to skip the ask. 

But, you know, that isn’t really the way Prayer works, which brings be to this week’s #OnlyOneThing Scripture: 

Luke 11:9-10

9 So I say to you, Ask and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 

The thing I like most about this verse is that it is one of those bits of scripture that has seeped its way into our everyday vernacular. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened. You just have to ask! Speak up! If you don’t ask, no will know what you want. There is no harm in asking! What do you have to lose? Just ask, already! 

I love that people post prayer requests on Facebook. It is one of those amazing things about social media--your prayer request can go viral (right along with the cute cats and twin talking babies and nude Chris Christie on the GW Bridge). I know my prayer requests have been passed across continents and hemispheres. It is powerful. And God hears those prayers as they rise up. 

We ask. And we receive. 

This week, I am going to remember:

To be watchful for prayerful opportunities and take those opportunities every chance I get. 

Because that is what God wants me to do. 

And this week, when you are praying, I have a couple personal prayer requests for you to include:

  • John, who will undergo heart surgery this week.
  • Campbell, who is a little girl recovering from another brain surgery to remove tumors.
  • Stacey, who is grieving the loss of her best friend. 
  • Kate, my friend who is about to make a big move and start a new job
  • David, thanksgiving for his new home and new start. 
And please, if you have prayer requests, please include them below. I know sometimes it seems limitless--there is so much to ask for. But God is big. He can handle it. 

Do you find yourself rushing through prayer? How and when do you pray? What do you think it means to receive?

Wonder what you’ve stumbled upon? Read past Only One Thing: The Bible Study for Bad Christians, here. 

Comments

  1. Thank you for including my dad!!! Xoxo

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    1. I will make sure to send good vibes his way, too!

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    2. yes! We love you and your Dad Sarah. xoxoxo

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  2. I used to rush through all prayer. Now I take prayer for my family slowly, but I run into so many prayer requests...those are the harder ones to slow down for! I try to do it on the spot, take 2 minutes to request prayer for the ones in need I don't know so well.

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    1. Yes, I think if I don't pray on the spot, it might never happen in a dedicated sense. I have friends who write down all the prayers needed in a journal and then refer to it when they pray. (which is all very organized. and unlike me. LOL)!

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  3. What a beautiful and thoughtful post, Trish. I was just talking to my husband and son about this last night. We haven't been eating dinner together as much so we haven't been praying together often. I miss that.

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  4. Sending prayers your way! Keep us updated!

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