Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“And this is the boldness we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of him.”
NL Daily Devotion for Monday, July 29, 2024
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Key words: “According to God’s will.” This doesn’t mean it’s not God’s will that we get some specific material item or particular outcome in a given situation, but it does mean (to me, anyway) that these aren’t the types of things we’re supposed to pray for. We’re supposed to pray for God’s will for our lives. Not in the horrific “it’s God’s will that your child died tragically” way (it is never ever God’s will that someone die tragically). But in the “What would you have me to today, God, to live out your call to sacrificial love and service to you, my neighbor, and myself?” Anne Lamott says the only prayers are “help me” “thank you” and “wow.” This prayer, above, falls into the “help me” category. “Help me be who and how you want me to be.” I pray this because I know that God will help me to do just this and that, when I do it with God’s help, I will experience peace and serenity around what is (even if I don’t like it), courage and motivation to act where necessary (even if it’s hard) and discernment of my next right action. I’ll have acceptance of others and myself. I’ll feel accomplished. And I’ll experience the presence and action of God in my life and all of creation in ways I hadn’t thought possible. These outcomes lead to the prayers of “thank you” and “wow.”
I am bold each morning to ask God to show me what it is God wants of me, and for the willingness to do what that requires. And frankly, that takes a fair amount of boldness!
What does boldness in prayer look like to me?
