Beyond Self
Following the Way of Jesus

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      Daily Devotion for June 10

Scripture:

Luke 11:9: So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. - NRSV

Abridged Meditation:
Praying for more worldly wealth, or for God to provide for the way we think things ought to be, is like a boy seeking to have a parent obey him.

Meditation:

When we pray and ask for relief from suffering or that we might receive an abundance of wealth, it is only appropriate that we are not seeking these things from life on earth, but from God. When Jesus said, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you (Luke 11:9), he was instructing his disciples to pray for gifts that God can provide rather than seeking the self-serving desires of physical appetites. Our prayer requests should always desire more of Gods love in our life and the lives of those around us. Praying for more worldly wealth, or for God to provide for the way we think things ought to be, is like a child seeking to have a parent serve his or her self-interest and appetite. The child may think that more candy and better toys will satisfy his or her deepest desire, but the responsible parent will steer the disappointed and possibly rebellious child toward food and activities that will nourish and sustain a much greater happiness. In every prayer wherein we seek relief and abundance for our heart, mind, body, and soul, it is not more of the things of this life that we need, but more of Gods eternal wisdom and love.

Prayer:
If there is any good that we are able to do in the world, it is only by Gods power in the presence of His Holy Spirit. We are grateful for those moments when we are able to go beyond human ability to participate in the Divine. We are like a tree that had withered and died because we had spent all of our energy doing things ourselves things of worthless gain and pointless value. When we stretched our hand upward, and our heart deep into the ground of God, to receive the power of the Holy Spirit, we received the nourishment of forgiveness and the comfort of love to restore our life and fill our soul with divine pleasure. With these gifts, we can now work tirelessly for the glory of God and the building of His Kingdom. Thank you Jesus. Amen