Prayer Tip--The Only Way Forward
Daily Scripture
John 3:16, Luke 10:25-37 (CEB)
God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life.
A legal expert stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to gain eternal life?”
Jesus replied, “What is written in the Law? How do you interpret it?”
He responded, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.”
Jesus said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live.”
But the legal expert wanted to prove that he was right, so he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus replied, “A man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. He encountered thieves, who stripped him naked, beat him up, and left him near death. Now it just so happened that a priest was also going down the same road. When he saw the injured man, he crossed over to the other side of the road and went on his way. Likewise, a Levite came by that spot, saw the injured man, and crossed over to the other side of the road and went on his way. A Samaritan, who was on a journey, came to where the man was. But when he saw him, he was moved with compassion. The Samaritan went to him and bandaged his wounds, tending them with oil and wine. Then he placed the wounded man on his own donkey, took him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day, he took two full days’ worth of wages and gave them to the innkeeper. He said, ‘Take care of him, and when I return, I will pay you back for any additional costs.’ What do you think? Which one of these three was a neighbor to the man who encountered thieves?”
Then the legal expert said, “The one who demonstrated mercy toward him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Daily Reflection & Prayer
I’ve found this season to be perplexing for many people, including me. Things are changing so fast that it’s difficult to stay on top of what is happening and what it might mean (good or bad) for the people I care about and me. Pundits, talking heads, influencers, and even our friends and family on social media try to pull us to one polarized extreme or another. We hold to the middle way in so many things desiring to be a people of thoughtful peace, and we also know there’s a time where our faith calls us to “roll up our sleeves and get to work.” But when is it? How will I know? I don’t want the anxiety around me to have me jumping at shadows.
As the people of God, filled with and led by the Holy Spirit, we desire to be a non-anxious presence in the midst of an anxious world. We want to seize the opportunity to be Christ in the situation we find right in front of us-the one within our realm of influence where our actions truly matter. As we are going, as we are living our normal lives, we want to be like the Good Samaritan who responded to the need they encountered right in front of them during one of their normal days. And like the Good Samaritan, we want to be found being a true neighbor, responding from the depths of God’s mercy and making this world a little bit more like the kingdom of God.
I encourage you to pray this prayer from Ted Loder this morning:
Prayer
Remind Me of Your Steady Power
O God,
this is a hard time,
a season of confusion,
a frantic rush to fill my closets,
my schedule,
and my mind,
only to find myself empty.
Give me hope, Lord,
and remind me
of your steady power
and gracious purposes
that I may live fully.
Renew my faith
that the earth is not destined
for dust and darkness,
but for frolicking life
and deep joy
that, being set free
from my anxiety for the future,
I may take the risks of love
today.
(From Loder, Ted, Guerrillas of Grace: Prayers for the Battle (p. 69). (Function). Kindle Edition.)
GPS Insights
David Andersen
This week's prayer tip is by David Andersen, who serves as the Leadership Development and Mentoring Ministry Program Director for all Resurrection locations. He is a life-long Kansas City native. He’s been married over 30 years and has two adult sons. He loves composing music, learning new things, writing, running, and creating spaces where people can encounter God.
