⁵ Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, ⁶ ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ ⁷ And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ ⁸ But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.

⁹ “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

¹¹ “You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? ¹² Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! ¹³ So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”

Luke 11:5-13

Dear God, as I look at these parables and try to decipher what it is I can learn about you through them, this one puzzles me. I can change you?!? I can change your will?!? Who are you that you should even listen to me, much less relent and change your mind?

As long as I am on this earth, I do not think I will ever understand this part of your nature or exactly how this works. But I know there are some things on my heart this morning. The one that is really on my heart is a friend and his wife who are going through a huge health issue. Oh, Father, I’m not only asking for her life. I’m asking for an easy path forward for them…for her. Oh, please, Father, heal her. Holy Spirit, move in her body and give her a sense of your peace and hope. Guide her. Love her. Love him. Give him strength to love her and serve her. Help this pain to count. Draw them closer to yourself through this. And help their children. Comfort them. One of their children has a young and rich faith in you. Use this to draw him closer to yourself, and protect him from being drawn away from you because of any disillusionment he might have. The same for their two daughters. Use this in their lives. Don’t let this pain and fear be wasted.

Lord, there are so many other things. I had lunch with some dear people yesterday, and there is a lot of pain in their lives. Don’t let their pain be wasted. Heal their pain and use the healing to bring them into complete relationship with you. With each other. With their extended families. One of them is staying with a sister tonight. Use that time, Holy Spirit, to heal both of them.

Oh, Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, you know I’m not as good at intercessory prayer. I need to be better. But from international things like Ukraine and Israel, to national things like congress and the presidency, to local things in our state and local governments, to personal things in our community, to individuals, we need you. Lord, use my life as soil for a tiny mustard seed and, even if it only provides a branch for one bird, let my life be a source of your hope and joy in the world.

I pray all of this through the grace of Jesus,

Amen