Daily Devotion for Lent - Day 18

Scripture Reading: Luke 11:1-26

How does your prayer life influence your behavior?  There are likely a variety of answers to this question depending on who is being asked!

The fact that you are reading a daily devotion probably skews the answers though.

Sometimes we learn to keep
our house in order at a very 
young age!

Our understanding of God is largely benevolent but that was not a universal understanding in Jesus' day.  One factor would have been the co-mingling of religious ideas of other deities worshipped in the region.  The imagery of a good parent present in the Lord's Prayer and in the example of persistence in prayer show us a God that is predisposed toward providing us blessings.

Within the worldview of that day, the spiritual realm was seen as having more sway than it does in 21st century America.  We would speak of psychological or sociological factors when they would couch the same things in terms of spiritual factors.  

The idea of the unclean spirit returning with more of his buddies has a feel of relapse to our ears.  When we break a bad habit and disrupt the system (even when that system isn't healthy), there are always pressures to return to what we know.

This may be why the prayer that Jesus teaches us is so important on a regular basis.  It reminds us that God is for us as a heavenly parent.  It reminds us that we want to extend God's influence.  It reminds us to not overreach for our needs (as we may be tempted to do if we read verses 9-10 out of context).  It reminds us that forgiveness is a daily part of life as we both receive and offer it.  It reminds us that opportunity for trouble can come easily if we are not careful.

So, as we persevere in prayer, we continue in healthy boundaries, and we gain energy spiritually as we remember our priorities.  I hope this prayer influences your behavior daily!

Prayer for the day:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Photo by David Dean via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.