"Lord, teach us to pray[.]" Luke 11:1
I continue to lean on DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today looks at how God seeks for us to pray. John Piper helps us see that the focus is not that we should pray - we of course know this - but it is that our prayer should first and foremost recognize our sinful nature and pray for our own forgiveness. Piper highlights Luke 11:3 and shares that "Jesus assumes that we need to seek forgiveness virtually every time we pray." He then shares that "God does not turn away the prayers of sinners when they pray like this." Piper also uses Luke 11:13 where Jesus calls out the disciples as "evil," to highlight the call to pray for forgiveness. Piper then continues by saying that in Luke 11:13, "[Jesus] meant that as long as this fallen age lasts, even his own disciples will have an evil bent that pollutes everything they do, but doesn’t keep them from doing much good as they rely on his grace and power....We are sinners and we are beggars. And if we recognize this sin, renounce it, fight it, and cling to the cross of Christ as our hope, then God will hear us and answer our prayers." Humility and repentance are core attributes of faith. God to Jesus daily recognizing not just that we come empty handed (with nothing to offer but our life as a living sacrifice) but that our hands and lives are stained with sin.
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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are so good to me - forgiving my sins not just once but every time I ask for it - thank You Jesus. I am not deserving of how You forgive and sanctify me as I turn towards You. These blessings are overwhelming and I don't deserve them as my sin continues...daily. Please forgive me Jesus for my sins of commission and omission...help me turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength. Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.
