TUESDAY, November 29

Matthew 21:12-22. Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.

Here’s a promise from the mouth of Jesus that has perplexed people. I’m probably not the only one who, having heard these words as a youngster, thought to myself: If I just pray and believe hard enough, I’ll get whatever I ask for. Some adults may have thought the same way. To do so is to ask to be disappointed or disillusioned. Just what did Jesus mean when he said those words?

The key word is faith. Faith isn’t just believing something (or, as Mark Twain said, “believing what you know ain’t so”). It’s not about what you believe, but a relationship based on trust and surrender. Sometimes people of faith believe things that are mistaken, including things about God and the ways of God. But their prayers are acts of trust and surrender to a God whom they may understand only slightly. A faithful prayer is one that accords with God’s will and aligns the will of the pray-er to the will of God. When such a prayer includes a request (and it is appropriate to ask God for things), it is a request that God bring his purposes to fruition and that nothing in us will stand in the way.

Ps 5, 6 * 10, 11; Amos 3:1-11; 2 Peter 1:12-21

View the daily Lectionary Readings at http://satucket.com/lectionary/

Or view the Bible passages at Biblegateway.com or Oremus Bible browser.

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