Day Thirteen

Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” And he said to them, “When you pray, say:

“Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins,
   for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.” - Luke 11:1-4

Luke 11:1-4 brings us into a special moment in the faith journey of Jesus' disciples.  These verses explain that the twelve disciples were watching as Jesus completed His time of prayer.  His daily dependence on God the Father is impressed upon them, and one of them utters the famous words, "Lord, teach us to pray."

It is often easy for us to forget that Jesus drew His obedience from a relentless pursuit of the Father’s presence.  The same faith that enabled Him to finish His course of bringing salvation was nourished and tended in quiet moments of prayer and fasting.  It was in prayer that the man, Jesus, allowed His heart to align and realign with that of God the Father.  The very lines of the Lord's Prayer in this passage echo this sentiment:

You are holy - may everything within me and around me reflect it
You are King - may all within my influence surrender to it
You are the daily provision for my body and spirit - may I seek it
Keep me in right relationship with you and those around me

Jesus did not depart from a posture of surrender before the throne. As we move into what the Lord has next for us, He invites us into the same relentless pursuit.  As we fast and pray before a move of God in our lives, may we not move further than the posture that Jesus frequented. Instead of feet that run, let us begin with knees that bow in the presence of a Holy God.  As you fast and pray, let not your focus be on length of time in prayer or study, the difficulty or detail of the fast, or what you hope the Lord will do, but let your heart resonate with this prayer…

Lord, this is my surrender.  Lead me forward into an obedience that is fueled by your Presence, and through that, take the part that I play in your Kingdom and turn it into what only you can. Jesus, we love you.  Thank you for inviting us to pursue you into what you have next for us.  As we pursue, let our hearts beat for your holiness and align with your kingdom.  Be our manna in the wilderness, our water from the rock, the Word of Life over all that is dead, and our God for whom all is possible. Amen.  

‍

‍

Thanks for being part of our NEXT Devotional journey. If this resource has encouraged you, help us share it. Others can join the journey by texting DEVO to 77069 to receive the daily devotionals throughout the month of February.