Today’s scripture: Luke 11:1-4 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Cheryl Stonestreet):
Here we read the condensed version of the Lord’s Prayer. Throughout time, people have asked their religious leaders, “How do we pray?” By learning what we are supposed to ask, we learn more about how God wants us to live with each other.
It was the sentence, “And do not bring us to the time of trial,” that stuck out to me. Perhaps it is because the holidays are near and we just finished a particularly venomous election that this seized my attention. There are some loud voices in my family that love to talk about politics and religion at our gatherings. It might be a more pleasant visit for me if my opinions were aligned with theirs, but they rarely are. I get angry and resentful talking about these subjects with them. I often walk away wondering why I bothered going. So what does this prayer tell me I can do?
Of course, I could skip the events altogether, but that’s not a good option. They are, after all, my tribe. (And I would never hear the end of it from my mother.) So I’m making a list of things I can do if the subjects come up.
- Bring up a different topic.
- Go play with the children.
- Go to a different room.
- Go for a walk.
- Pull out my phone and talk to a friend.
Most of the solutions on my list have something to do with removing myself from the conversation, and removing myself from the temptation of making a bad situation worse. While I’m away, I can also pray. I can pray that I’m not drawn into hot button topics. I can pray that we forgive each other for our differences. I can pray that I be a vessel of grace. And I can pray for a safe drive home.
Thought for the day: God wants us to somehow get along with each other. I can either make things easier, or I can make them worse. Abba, guide me, please!
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.