Passage of the Day:
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ 4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’” 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 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?” – Luke 18:1-8
Reflection:
One of my former co-workers reminded me of the woman in the Parable of the Persistent Widow. When this woman got behind a core principle, she didn’t back down or give up until a desired outcome was obtained. As for the persistent widow, she was outspoken about the need for justice against her adversary. Despite being denied numerous times over a series of rulings, this woman demonstrated the mind of a prayer warrior until justice was achieved.
Prayer Action:
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened,” Matthew 7:7-8.
Renewing Your Mind:
Jesus winds down His Sermon on the Mount with a call to wrestle with God in prayer. This desire separates those who are just following the crowd from Christians who are willing to climb, cut a hole in a roof or run up to Jesus in prayer, eagerly believing that a miracle is possible. Although God does call believers to be obedient and not always successful, developing the mind of a prayer warrior will take your faith to the next level in 2024.
Song of the Day:
Final Thoughts:
Coaches can’t teach desire as it’s merely a byproduct of free will. Like Bill Murray’s speech at the end of Scrooged, “you have to be hungry for the Christmas Spirit and want it more and more each day.” May today’s devotion inspire you to develop the mind of a prayer warrior in 2024.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 