Call to Gather, Pray and Worship God
1 Peter 1:1-2
To God’s elect… who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
You are a child of God, part of what the bible calls the elect. listen to this blessing through that identity: You have been chosen in God’s foreknowledge to be holy and obedient (both by faith), and – having been sprinkled with the blood of Jesus – have grace and peace being offering in abundance. Thank God! say this aloud to yourself to hear it in your ears:
Grace and peace are mine in abundance!
Thank you Jesus! Thank you Father! Thank You Spirit!
Amen! I praise and worship You! Amen.
Friend Visits at Midnight
Today’s story is a parable of Jesus known as The Friend at Midnight or The Persistent Neighbor. Neighbor “A” turns to neighbor “B” for help in being hospitable to a late-night drop-in visitor. The story follows on the heels of Jesus sharing the Lord’s Prayer with His disciples. It is followed up with the Ask, Seek, Knock lesson in Luke. If you have not read the story yet, use the prayer below first.
Prayer
Father God, let my primary Discipler (the Holy Spirit) teach me about persisting in praying for others until you meet needs for them that I am not capable of meeting on my own. I am willing to partner with You. Show me the way and give me all I need for my friends. In Jesus I pray. Amen.
Luke 11:5-13
5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.
9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”