Luke 11:3-4
Find a place and time free of distractions for the next 7-10 minutes. Take a moment to settle into your surroundings and then begin to recognize your breath. As you breathe in, call on the name of Jesus and become aware of his presence with you. As you breathe out, open your mind and heart to receive whatever Jesus has for you today.
Recall our last meditation on the opening words of the prayer Jesus taught his disciples:
“[Our] Father, may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.”
Then read Luke 11:3-4.
It is good to focus on who God is when we begin to pray. Remembering God’s greatness and “otherness” reminds us that we are finite creatures who are NOT God. After contemplating God’s nature and character we can honestly evaluate ourselves, and when we do, we will begin to understand that without God’s help, we are lost.
Using the next phrase of the Lord’s Prayer as a starting place, and recognizing that everything you have - your life, your breath, your food - is a gift from our Good Father, share your needs with God now.
“Give us each day the food we need…”
Now stop to remember what Jesus has done for you. He took upon himself the consequences of human rebellion and opened a way for us to be reunited with God and re-formed into the people we were meant to be.
Pray the next phrase of the prayer and spend some time naming the ways you have veered from God’s path in the last few days or weeks. Then, with the help of the Holy Spirit, offer mercy to anyone who has offended or hurt you recently.
“…and forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.”
Take a moment to recognize that even your ability to withstand the lures and snares of a world gone wrong are a gift from God through Jesus. Then ask Jesus to give you the power to stay on his path.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation.”
As you end this time of mediation, get quiet and let your thoughts settle. Then listen to Jesus.
What might Jesus want you to learn or do today?
Will you?
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The Everyday Jesus Follower’s Guide ebook can help you learn how to recognize God's voice, how to read and understand the Bible, how to develop deep spiritual friendships, and how to become the person you were meant to be. Use it alone, with a friend or in a small group.
