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Bible Reading Plan

Reading Plan:  Luke 18:1-8

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’

“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”

And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? ⁸ I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

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Daily Devotional: Asking God’s Way

And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

John 14:13-14 

When I was a new believer in my early twenties, I started to attend church. My Bible teachers told me to believe what the Bible says and to apply it to my life. They told me that Christians always end our prayers with “in Jesus’ name,” based on the promise in John 14:13-14. 

So I took their word for it, and the next day I did what John 14:13-14 says to do: “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” I prayed that when I got home from work, a luxury car would appear in my driveway. Well, guess what. When I got home from work, the car I had been praying for was not in my driveway. I was disappointed. I had taken John 14:13-14 literally. I asked and prayed in Jesus’ name. 

I shared my disappointment with my Bible teachers. After a brief chuckle, they explained a few things to me. The first part of John 14:13-14 says that whatever we ask for must glorify the Son. Did my prayer for a luxury car glorify the Son? I had to admit, probably not. Next, they explained to me that God is not our genie in the sky who is obligated to grant us our three wishes. Furthermore, they said we must study Bible verses related to a topic to gain a better understanding. They showed me that 1 John 5:14 teaches us that our prayers must be “according to His will.” 

As I prepared for this devotional, I thought that what this website had to say about it was helpful:

“Praying in Jesus’ Name means praying with His authority and asking God the Father to act upon our prayers because we come in the Name of His Son, Jesus. Praying in Jesus’ Name means the same thing as praying according to the will of God… Praying in Jesus’ Name is praying for things that will honor and glorify Jesus.”

I found that as I have walked with God over time, my requests tend to naturally align with a desire to bring Him glory rather than myself. Give yourself grace as you walk in your faith journey. We’re all growing and learning. 

Next Steps

It is not bad to ask God for what we want. After all, He is our Heavenly Father, and we are His children (John 1:12). In asking, let us make sure our prayers honor and glorify Jesus.