---

Bible Reading Plan

Reading Plan: Luke 11:1-13

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

He said to them, “When you pray, say:

“‘Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.’”

Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

•••

Daily Devotional: Lord, Teach Us to Pray

“Pray like this: ‘Our Beloved Father, dwelling in the heavenly realms, may the glory of your name be the center on which our lives turn.” 

Matthew 6:9 (TPT) 

George Mueller, a devoted man of prayer and leader in the care of orphans in 19th-century England, wrote:  

The welfare of our families, the prosperity of our business, our work and service for the Lord, may be considered the most important matters to be attended to, but according to my judgement…it is of supreme and paramount importance that you should seek, above all other things, to have your souls truly happy in God himself.  

Given the extraordinary impact on thousands of children George Muller had in his lifetime, as well as the remarkable testimonies of God’s provision for them, I take his wise counsel to heart. It would seem that his perspective captures Jesus’ instructions when his disciples asked him how to pray. Jesus answered them saying, “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name’” (Matthew 6:9). Before anything else, look at God!  

God wants to be known. Throughout the Bible, He reveals who He is through his names. Jesus begins with our Father, our perfectly loving, caring, strong, self-sacrificing Father. No matter how well or unwell you were fathered, Jesus wants us to know that His Father, and therefore ours, is entirely better. He is so much better that we should not compare the two.   

From that starting point, God has given us numerous names that reveal Himself to us: Jehovah Jireh, our Provider; Jehovah Rapha, our Healer; Jehovah Shalom, our Peace; El Roi, the God who sees; Immanuel, God with us; Jesus, the God who saves; Elohim Chayim, the Living God. Who do you need God to be to you today? He has given us his names. Which of them do you most need to remember right now? Receive Him. Meditate on Him. Carry Him with you as you go about your day. The prophet Isaiah wrote, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” (Isaiah 26:3, NLT).   

Next Steps

Do a word study on the names of God found in the Bible. 

Choose one of God’s names to return to in a breath prayer, a pocket reminder, or a post-it note, and ask God to convince you that He is who He says He is.  .