Nature of Prayer

A Broken World

READ: PSALM 27:10; ROMANS 8:28-29, 38-39; HEBREWS 13:5 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=PSALM%2027%3A10%3B%20ROMANS%208%3A28-29%2C%2038-39%3B%20HEBREWS%2013%3A5&version=NLT] I don’t remember how my parents told me the news. I don’t remember what words they used or even where I was standing when they told me. But I remember what happened next. My world was torn apart when my parents announced their divorce. It was like all my dreams of a happy, close family were shattered into a thousand tiny pieces. I felt betrayed and forsaken. During that incredibly difficult time in my life, I decided to cling to the truths of God’s Word. That’s when I found Psalm 27:10: “Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close.” You may have already learned this in your life, but people will fail you. As humans, we’re all born sinners (Psalm 51:5). And every time we choose sin, it doesn’t just affect us, it affects everyone around us. Sin destroys. It can wound and scar us. It hurts. But in the Bible, we find an amazing truth—yes, sin is bad, but God’s love is greater. Our perfect Heavenly Father loves us so much that He sent Jesus. God the Son lived among us. He died on the cross and rose from the grave to defeat sin and death and make the way for us to be with Him forever. People may hurt you, and you may hurt other people, but God has the power to restore and forgive. He has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us. Our hope is found in Him. • Jessica McFarland • Have you ever felt betrayed or deeply disappointed by someone close to you? In these moments, we can look to Jesus, who was willing to endure betrayal and rejection out of His great love for us. He has so much compassion for you, and He invites you to find healing and restoration in Him. Consider taking some time to bring any hurts or betrayals to Jesus in prayer. • Can you think of a time you betrayed somebody you love—whether intentionally or accidentally? God’s mercy and forgiveness are so abundant. Consider taking a moment to confess any sins that come to mind and rest in God’s sure forgiveness. Can you think of any ways you could make things right with the person you hurt? • If your family is experiencing divorce, who is a trusted Christian you can be open with about what you’re going through—someone who will listen with compassion, pray, and remind you of God’s nearness? For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” Hebrews 13:5 (NLT)

Nature of Prayer

READ: JEREMIAH 29:12-13; JAMES 5:13-16 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=JEREMIAH%2029%3A12-13%3B%20JAMES%205%3A13-16&version=NIV] As a teen, I learned about the practice of prayer: simply communicating with God—both talking to Him and listening to Him. One warm afternoon, I decided to embrace the privilege of prayer. I walked down our family’s dirt driveway and ducked into a cluster of trees and vines. Away from my large, bustling family, I’d found a quiet spot to fellowship with Jesus. Decades later, I recall the intimacy of that time with the Lord, when I prayed for any requests that came to mind—family members, sick people at church, doctors and nurses caring for the ill. With childlike faith, I trusted that God heard me and cared, that my simple prayers connected with the Creator. When I pushed past tree branches and emerged from my little hideaway, I knew I’d spent meaningful time communing with Christ. I also wanted more of it. In Colossians 4:2, Paul reminds believers, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Jesus exhorted His disciples to “pray and not give up” in Luke 18:1. I wanted this devotion to prayer, the heartfelt prayer life we read about in James 5—prayer in times of happiness and trouble, sickness and confession. As a new believer in Jesus, I delved into “the prayer offered in faith” that day among leaves and limbs (James 5:15). Throughout my life, God has drawn me into prayer, even when I’ve expressed anger at Him or questioned His love for me. Whenever God’s love seems uncertain, we can look to Jesus. God came and lived among us. He died on the cross and rose from the grave to forgive us and make us holy, all because He wants to save us and welcome us into a relationship with Himself. As we pray, believing He listens to our prayers with love for His children, our faith in God will be stretched. Yet through our prayers, God grows our faith, and our growing faith results in a rich prayer life. • Allison Wilson Lee • Can you think of a time you had a desire to talk to God? What was that like? • Have you been angry with God for not answering prayers in a certain way? Feel free to pour that out to the Lord. He already knows how we feel, yet He invites us to be totally honest as we open our hearts to Him. Remember, He can truly empathize with all our pains and struggles because Jesus experienced life in this broken world alongside us. He sees, He understands, and He cares about our every hurt and sorrow—He even weeps with us. And He promises to wipe away our every tear, and right every wrong, at His return. How could remembering Jesus’s empathy and love for us make it easier for us to be open with Him in prayer? Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Colossians 4:2 (NIV)

The Finish Runway

READ: ACTS 20:22-24; 1 CORINTHIANS 9:24-27; HEBREWS 12:1-3 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ACTS%2020%3A22-24%3B%201%20CORINTHIANS%209%3A24-27%3B%20HEBREWS%2012%3A1-3&version=WEB] Tau entered his coordinates into the dashboard computer, and his location popped up on the screen. He did some calculations and plotted the last leg of his flight. Only 1,312,569 more miles and he’d be home. He could see Earth in the distance, a miniature cobalt crescent. He yawned and rubbed his tired eyes, then programmed in a new series of coordinates, and engaged autopilot. The Perseverance had been a reliable ship for his first Steel Bones Space Marathon, a biennial, interplanetary race. The craft was well-named, as the ever-changing route always encompassed at least five planets. He’d spent the last eight weeks alone in this tiny pressurized cabin. A cheeseburger and a hot shower had never sounded so good. At fifteen, Tau was this year’s youngest contestant. He couldn’t hope to win against the field of more experienced flyers, but he had trained hard, preparing his mind and body for the rigors of the race. He hoped to finish within the qualifying time for membership in the prestigious Zenith Academy, where he could study space exploration. That prize had kept him well focused. And Jesus’s steady, loving presence had sustained him. As he neared home, Earth’s beautiful blues and greens filled his windshield. He throttled down and adjusted his angle to reenter the atmosphere. As he did, the ban on communications lifted. His sister Jedda filled his screen. “Tau, you did it!” she exclaimed. “You’re within five hours of the deadline!” Tau grinned. The camera shifted and his parents appeared. “Tau, we’re so proud of you!” Mom shouted. Dad beamed his agreement, too choked up to speak. Australia loomed large. Sydney came into view, and then the finish runway. The Perseverance’s wheels touched down. Tau taxied toward the terminal and disembarked into a huge crush of spectators. He gasped, recognizing friends, neighbors, and schoolmates. They were all shouting! Congratulating him! Welcoming him home! With a wide grin, he embraced his family. The hard work and long weeks were suddenly forgotten. The sacrifices had all been worth it. • Michelle Isenhoff • Today’s allegorical story is inspired by Bible passages that compare the Christian walk to a race. Hebrews 12:1-3 says we can persevere in this race—resisting sin, seeking God’s kingdom and His righteousness, and “looking to Jesus”—because He has already persevered for us, on our behalf. Verse 3 says, “For the joy that was set before him [Jesus] endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” On the cross, Jesus was looking forward to what His death and resurrection would accomplish. He was looking forward to the joy of restoring us, His people, to Himself and restoring His creation! Why do you think Jesus calls us to keep our eyes on Him as we wait for His return? (Matthew 6:33; Romans 8:31-39; Revelation 21:1-5) • In what areas of your life do you need perseverance and endurance today? Maybe your patience is wearing thin, or your struggle against a certain temptation is feeling more and more difficult, or you haven’t felt like reading the Bible or talking to God lately. Consider taking some time to tell Jesus about whatever comes to mind. You can be totally honest with Him—He already knows it all, and He is eager to show you His love and His help. • In addition to talking to God, who are trusted Christians in your life you could talk to—people who will listen to you, pray with you, support you, and remind you of God’s steadfast love and forgiveness? Therefore let’s also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2 (WEB)

Our Responsibility Toward the Government

READ: PSALM 118:9, PROVERBS 29:2; 1 TIMOTHY 2:1-4 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=PSALM%20118%3A9%2C%20PROVERBS%2029%3A2%3B%201%20TIMOTHY%202%3A1-4&version=NLT] Where I live in the United States, the 4th of July tends to be a holiday dominated by fireworks, parades, patriotic renditions of songs like “God Bless America,” and family picnics. It’s a time to commemorate our nation’s independence. However, it can also be a time when the divisiveness of politics is on display, splitting families and friendships between polarizing opinions and harsh interactions with each other. No matter which side of the political aisle you support, if any, 1 Timothy 2 gives us specific instructions about how we should view and interact with government: prayer. Paul instructs us to pray for “all who are in authority” and says we should “ask God to help them” (verses 1-2). But help with what? And why? We are to pray for all of these authority figures to put their trust in Jesus and experience Him personally. We can pray for them to be drawn to God’s Word and rely on Him to guide them, to be convicted by the Holy Spirit and repent where needed, and to walk humbly before God. We can pray that God gives them a heart to serve the greater good of those under their authority—not just their own good. We should ask God to give them wisdom, discernment, and insight, so they can know what is right and have the courage to act on it. We should pray for these things, in part, because wise leaders will allow us to live in safety and peace, letting us share Christ freely with our neighbors in whatever creative ways He has called us to. But we should primarily pray for our leaders because God wants everyone, even our politicians, to be saved and understand the truth of the gospel—the good news of Jesus. No matter how difficult it feels to pray for politicians and people of authority that you don’t agree with, like, or respect, this is what God calls us to do, and He will empower us to do it. And we can know that, ultimately, we get to submit to the perfect Authority, Jesus Christ, who laid down His life out of love for us. And one day, He will return to destroy every earthly kingdom, and we will flourish as we live under His perfect Kingship. • Abigail Aswegen • Sometimes it can be hard to pray for our government leaders, especially when they make decisions we think are wrong. In these moments, it can be helpful to remember how we all fall short and we all need Jesus. Consider taking some time to bring all of this to Jesus in prayer. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. 1 Timothy 2:2 (NLT)

For Good

READ: GENESIS 37:17-28; 50:15-21; PSALM 23:4-6 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=GENESIS%2037%3A17-28%3B%2050%3A15-21%3B%20PSALM%2023%3A4-6&version=NIV] Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. They sold him! I have younger siblings. And I admit there have been times I’ve thought this sounded like a good idea. But these guys actually did it! Can you imagine the betrayal Joseph must have felt? The outrage? The terror? Overnight, Joseph became a slave. Sometimes our lives take a turn for the worse too—disappointments, illnesses, tragedies, or any number of other unwelcome surprises. In those moments, we often forget God is still with us, and He is still sovereign. When that happens, we can be well served to look at Joseph’s life. Joseph’s next thirteen years were an amazing story of hard knocks, unfair treatment, and prison. Yet, “the LORD was with him and…gave him success in everything he did” (Genesis 39:3). Eventually, God raised Joseph to a place of power and worked through him to save countless lives from famine, including his own family. Yet his brothers were still terrified Joseph would exact his revenge. But look how Joseph responded to them—with forgiveness: “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:19-20). Joseph understood God had a plan all along. From our historical vantage point, we can also see God was doing much more than just saving Joseph’s family. He was preserving the line through which He would one day redeem the world—the line that would lead to the birth of Jesus. Jesus faced hard knocks and unfair treatment—even death on a cross—because He loves us and wants to forgive us. And when Jesus was raised again, He accomplished the saving of many lives! When we end up in one of life’s dark valleys, we can remember Joseph, and how his story points to Jesus. We can trust God is so good, and He loves us so much, that He promises to work through even the worst of situations for the good of His people—and to be with us every step of the way (Matthew 28:20; Romans 8:28, 38-39). • Michelle Isenhoff • Can you think of any examples, in your own life or in the lives of others, when God worked through a bad situation and brought good? Whenever we suffer, God has so much compassion on us. He can truly empathize with us because Jesus stepped into our suffering with us, and even now He grieves our hurts alongside us. How could it be comforting to know that God grieves suffering, and He also promises to bring something good out of it? [Joseph said to his brothers,] “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Genesis 50:20 (NIV)