Today’s story comes from the book of Luke. Luke is one of the four Gospels and is the third book in the New Testament. It was written so all would know that Jesus came to seek and to save the lost.
More To Explore
Print off this week's "More to Explore" sheet and use it all week!
Find it in the Bible: Luke
OT–NT Connection
In the Old Testament, King David praised God for listening to his prayers. Take a look at Psalm 145:18 and see if you can answer the following questions.
What does the Bible say God will do for those who call on Him?
King David writes that we should call on God in truth. How can you be honest with God when you talk to Him?
What does prayer really do?
One thing prayer does is get us focused on God instead of ourselves. When circumstances around us feel overwhelming, we can be honest with God about everything. More often than not, prayer is about acknowledging who God is and what He has done, and then choosing to submit to His purpose and plan.
Does it even matter if I pray?
Reading the Bible and praying regularly is the best way to grow your relationship with God and become who He created you to be. There may be more than 7 billion people in the world, but God knows all of your ways. (Psalm 139) God cares for you and cares about you. He knows every word you pray, every thought you think and every emotion you feel. He cares about all of it.
Journal
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God wants us to be honest with Him when we pray. After all, He already knows everything we are thinking and feeling. Spend time writing out a prayer. Use words, pictures, complete sentences or just thoughts.
Ideas to get you started:
What can you thank God for?
What do you need God to help you with?
Write out how you are feeling and what you are thinking about.
Read
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Look up Matthew 6:5-15. Jesus tells us that when we pray for others to see us, we are hypocrites who are rewarded with the esteem of others instead of the esteem of God. Jesus also tells us how we should pray in verses 9-13.
Think about a place where you can go to spend quiet time praying to God.
Here are some ideas:
Your bedroom
A spot in your backyard
A chair on your deck or porch