Acts of service can be a powerful way to express love and care in relationships. Taking note of the little things your loved one needs or dislikes and offering help or assistance demonstrates thoughtfulness and consideration. Paying attention to their schedule and offering support or taking on tasks they may find burdensome can also strengthen the bond. Creating a coupon book with personalized acts of service can be a creative and meaningful gesture to show your love and appreciation.
Offering to pick up their dry cleaning or assisting with repairs, cooking, or gardening can be thoughtful ways to help someone with a busy schedule. It shows that you are paying attention to their needs and are willing to lend a hand in areas where you have expertise or skills.
But how do wrap up acts of service and put a bow on it? I got that! A coupon book. You can download this printable, personalize and customize, make as many coupons as you want, bind it (binding can simply be staples) and pair it with chocolates or flowers or maybe cook a meal and present it as a complete package. This way, not only are you offering acts of service, but you are also presenting it in a visually appealing and thoughtful manner. Additionally, the inclusion of a small gift like chocolates, flowers, or a home-cooked meal adds an extra touch of appreciation and makes it a complete and well-rounded gesture of kindness.
Learn more about love languages and gain better insight about yourself through these quizzes.
If you aren’t familiar with the 5 Love Languages, pick up a copy of Gary Chapman’s book any where books are sold. Be sure to watch day one’s video on words of affirmation.
Please leave your comments, like and subscribe you’d be doing me a loving act of service : ) and I’d love to hear what you will do for your spouse or loved one and how you presented it.
It always seems like Christmas flies by. The holiday’s prep, planning and shopping is enough to create anxiety. Add that to the anxieties you’re already facing and, well if you’re like me you could be a hot mess. If there is one thing I want to do this year is not carry them into the New Year. Tomorrow, the New Year has its own worries I don’t want to carry more.
Matthew 6:34 – “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” (NLT) So what do I do with today’s worries?”
1 Peter 5:7 – “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”
This is what always has me stumped. It’s so easy to say this to someone who is struggling and facing anxiety. I know I have been guilty of this. And when someone reminds me of this verse, honestly, I am only half comforted. I always need more. I don’t consider myself a needy person per se, but I need to know why and how. That’s just how I am wired.
I worked as a Surgical Technologist for over a decade. And in my learning and training when I was being taught procedures and protocols I would always ask why, especially when it seemed like it didn’t make sense. And there was always rational behind it. If it made sense I was likely to remember why I was doing it.
So casting our cares, what does that look like? Other than praying, what else is there? For me it’s knowing why. So why? Because of Matthew 6:34, tomorrow has enough of it’s own troubles don’t go borrowing any by worrying about tomorrow. Why? Because of 1 Peter 5:7 “… because He cares for you.” God cares. He cares about the details. If He knows the number of hairs on my head, as it says in Luke 2:7, then He cares about the details and the worries in my life.
Recently, I came across this article from Desiring God by John Piper that helped me understand what casting my anxieties meant. By casting our anxieties we are humbling ourselves. Verse 5 of 1 Peter 5 says “ … you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Casting our cares is something we do to humble ourselves, not something we do after we cast our cares. I encourage you to read this article, John Piper does a much better job than I do.
Piper offers more insight with Luke 19:35, – “And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon.” The word “cast” means the same in 1 Peter. The way the garment was cast or tossed onto the donkey is the way we ought to cat our anxieties. Piper says to lay a specific anxiety on God, trust Him specifically, Job 42:2. Please click on the link above and read the article, there is so much more.
But here is something else that helps me. When I remember God’s sovereignty, Jeremiah 32-:17 – “O Sovereign LORD! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you!” When I remember He is bigger than any problem or anxiety I may have and that He knows the outcomes, He is there in the future and with me in the present and nothing takes Him by surprise. I recall times in the past when God came through for me, for His people.
For me, I want to start 2024 with casting my cares and anxieties on Him. And He knows what I am already carrying and He is already in 2024! God saved us from the biggest anxiety we could have, the debt we can never pay back and that is the debt of sin.
2 Corinthians 5:7 says – ” for we walk by faith, not by sight.”
The ability to see is a gift from God. As one of our five senses, it allows us to see the beauty of God’s creation. God is speaking to us all the time, we just aren’t listening.
I was going through an older journal and came across something I wrote, this was a while back, like before this blog, but still worth a mention. I was out walking and tried to take notice of everything I was seeing. The trees, God put this verse in my heart Jeremiah 17:8 – “He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
There were lots of robins and small birds flying and foraging for food, God gave me Luke 12:24 -“Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!”
I was admiring some of the homes with the manicured landscapes and God gave me, John – 14:2 “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?”
I noticed the cracked pavement and God gave me, Revelation 21:21 -“And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass.”
Looking at the bright and hot sun, God gave me, – John 8:12 “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” “
It was a fairly cloudless day with the exception of a few wisps, and God gave me, James 4:14 – “yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”
Just recently, my husband and I were traveling. We had booked our flights separately but were lucky enough that my husband was sitting in front of me which allowed him to board first. I had some bulky carry on bags and he could have waited to board with me, but he decided to go head of me so that he could help me with my bags. Made me think of Deuteronomy 31:8 – “It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Just as my husband went ahead of me so that he could help me, God goes before us to help us. We just have to TRUST and KNOW.
So God gives us these images and objects to remind us of Him and the words He has spoken in the Bible. He paints parables with pictures to teach us. The shepherd and the lost sheep, the lost coin, the prodigal son to name a few. We are not to worship these images. We are to learn from them, help us to remember what God is teaching us. But when we are walking with Him we can’t walk by what we see. We can’t allow how we see our circumstances to dictate to us how to respond. He asks us to walk by faith not by sight. Sounds a lot easier said than done and it is at times. We are human.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had to walk by faith to remain true to the one true God walking into the firey furnace. Noah walked by faith building an ark with no rain. Joshua had to literally take a step of faith walking into the Jordan River. When Peter stepped onto the roaring sea to walk to Jesus, he walked by faith taking that first step until he took his eyes off Jesus and looked around him and began to sink.
Our circumstances can deceive us. When we see we a low balance in our account, it’s hard not to panic or freak out. When we get a scary diagnosis or a relationship goes south, it’s so hard to not look at what we see and freak out like Peter did on the ocean. Yet God teaches us through images and tangible objects to help remind us and build our faith.
How is God speaking to you to today? Maybe He’s speaking to you while you’re sitting at traffic light? Maybe you’re just waiting in a check out line? Stop and take a moment to hear God’s voice. Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.
Grieving is hard, uncomfortable even more so when you’re not sure how to process. Any loss is a reason to grieve, a job, relocation, a home, a loved one, a break up can cause us to grieve. And many times we can experience mixed emotions. As one grieves the loss of a job one can also experience the anticipation and excitement of starting something new. Moving to a new home, we can grieve losing the one place we have, the only place know, but then there’s the excitement of a new beginning and new surroundings, meeting new people and making new friends. Loss is hard and losing someone you love is harder than anything.
My mom recently passed away. But this isn’t the first time I have experienced the vast array of mixed emotions, almost to the point I have felt psychotic. My dad passed away about 20 years ago (just a side note, I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact my dad isn’t here) and I experienced the same mixed emotions and at that time, it was all new to me. I experienced the five stages of grieving, however, it was the sadness and the joy of knowing he was in Heaven that had me stumped. How can I possibly feel both? Like I said, this isn’t the first time I have experienced these mixed emotions, I am sure I had them, this was just the first time I identified them . It’s just that when losing someone, for me, these mixed emotions seem to be ever present and very clear and here I am again experiencing the same emotions trying to remember how I got through.
These emotions I found to be most in conflict when it came to socializing or doing something I enjoyed doing. I felt guilty for feeling like I could enjoy myself. How could I? I couldn’t share life or the fun I was having with my dad. I was getting stuck and it was hard to move forward. I came across part of poem in a journal I had and it summed up what I was feeling and I realized that I wasn’t the first to feel this way and it’s ok.
Two days after my sister called me to tell me that the doctor said she needed to go to the hospital, the sooner the better, I booked a flight home. By the time I got to mom, mom was kinda out of it. But her eyes did open wide when my sister told her I was there, and we got to be by her side for a few more days. One morning getting ready to go somewhere, I don’t remember where, I dumped out a small bag of jewelry that I brought with me. My small gold scalloped seashells and silver snowflakes tumbled out and right there was a perfect image of what I was feeling; seashells and snowflakes were about as opposite of the sadness and joy I was feeling. Two very different seasons rolled into one. It is a very uncomfortable place to be. It hurts. At times I feel a little crazy and not sure what to feel or how to feel it, or process it. Come to find out, it’s ok. As uncomfortable as it is, it’s ok.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 says “… to everything there is A season…” I was experiencing two at once. Those mixed emotions are exhausting to me. The whole grieving process of raw emotion is exhausting. But this is how I cope and manage so that I can go on.
I feel the all the feels. Sad, happy, anger, and all the shades of emotions in between, I let myself feel. Cry if I have to, reach out if I have to, pray, sing, rejoice, reminisce, read scripture.
I thank God for giving me my mom and dad, the life they provided for me and my sister. I thank God for my mom leading us to Jesus, His plan of salvation and the promise of Heaven, because if it wasn’t for my mom, my family, I don’t know where I’d be today.
I think about the good times we all had together at holidays, my sister our aunts and uncles close friends, and all our cousins by the dozens.
I know that my mom and dad would want me, want us, to keep going. It’s ok that I take my time to mourn and grieve but I need to move on and live life again, it’s just going to be a little different, take some time and that’s ok too.
I recall the outpouring of love and sympathy from friends and family, their support and prayers. My husband has been a huge support to me and my sister. I don’t think he knows how much just being there helps. We have several church families that have supported us through an outpouring of prayer, texts, emails, flowers and cards. Those have been such and encouragement.
I imagine how Jesus must have felt resurrecting Lazarus. Jesus wept, John 11:35. Though the Bible doesn’t say specifically why He wept, Jesus performed a miracle for Larzarus’ sisters, by resurrecting him from the grave. Jesus may have been happy for Mary and Martha and for all three of them to be with each other again but sad that Lazarus would not just leave Heaven but die again. I don’t know. And I have more to share about how God felt when He sacrificed His only Son.
Please stay tuned, I will share more as I process. This is a lot and I hope my story can be someone’s hope.
If you have any questions or comments please comment below.
“I may not be every mother’s dream for her little girl And my face may not grace the mind of everyone in the world But that’s all right as long as I can have one wish I pray When people look inside my life, I want to hear them say
[Chorus:] She’s got her Father’s eyes, her Father’s eyes Eyes that find the good in things When good is not around Eyes that find the source of help When help just can’t be found Eyes full of compassion, seeing every pain Knowin’ what you’re going through, and feeling it the same Just like my Father’s eyes My Father’s eyes My Father’s eyes Just like my Father’s eyes
And on that day when we will pay for all the deeds we have done Good and bad they’ll all be had to see by everyone And when you’re called to stand and tell just what you saw in me More than anything I know, I want your words to be“
[Chorus]
Amy Grant has had her share of the media’s spin in her life over the decades. Back in ’86 she received some negative feedback with Christians for recording a duet with Peter Cetera; “The Next Time I fall In Love”. It reached number one on billboards, top 25 lists. It was successful. Christians attacked her for recording with a secular artist. I thought that was greatest thing that could happen. A Christian artist going out all into the world. At least that’s how I saw it. She was going into the secular world. Isn’t that what we are supposed to do as Christians? We are educators, admin assistants, medical professionals, athletes, janitors, executive officers, mechanics, sanitation workers, volunteers, etc. even the stay at home mom has go out into the world and interact at times. Amy’s job at the time was a musician, singer. Was she suppose to stay in the Christian genre, just sing at church? God gave her a talent and she was sharing with the world. Even Jesus ventured into Samaria.
There is a Christian author I follow who also received some negative feedback from her followers for sending her kids to a public school. Some of her followers couldn’t see it. “How could she,” they asked. She was and still is training her kids to go out into all the world and share Christ, to be a representation of Jesus. The public school is her kids battlefield. The point is God can use anyone anywhere, to bring them to Him, even children, even Christian musicians.
But think for a moment the people that Amy Grant may have brought to Christ through her music. The people who may not have heard of her until she sang with Cetera. This was back in ’86 we didn’t have the technology like we do today. We don’t know how God works and He can use others and things to draw people to Him.
Not everyone is going to like me as an artist, a blogger, a YouTuber, a person and I am sure as a Christian. I pray that “When people look inside my life, I want to hear them say, She’s got her Father’s eyes…” I pray that people will see God when they read my blog, watch my videos, see my art, when they see my life. Even in my imperfections, God can shine.
When it comes down it, we ALL will stand before our Father and give an account for ALL our actions and words. “And on that day when we will pay for all the deeds we have done Good and bad they’ll all be had to see by everyone…”. Romans 14:10-12 – “You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’” So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.“
So today as you go about interacting with others, look for our Father’s eyes. “Eyes that find the good in things When good is not around…”
“I would rather TRUST and KNOW God than trust and feel God.” That’s what I heard from God today. And honestly 80-90% of the time I don’t feel God. I KNOW that He is with me always His Word says so. I trust in His Word, I trust what the Bible says. (a side note here, I took a Bible study on the book of Daniel and the prophesy that has unfolded gave me shivers and there is no doubt in my mind the prophesy that is yet to come will happen. Read it for yourself, it’s amazing)
So back to back to knowing God is with me. There are 95 Bible verses about “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:8 is my favorite – “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
My feelings, feelings in general are fleeting, fickle. But if my knowledge is rooted, planted, ANCHORED in the TRUTH of God’s Word, I will be “like a tree planted by the water'” – Jeremiah 17:8 “They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.” (NLT). I haven’t found any versions that use the word anchored and I am not trying to add to scripture or change it. However, an anchor like roots has a similar purpose. While roots go deep int to the earth to stabilize a tree and draw water to maintain itself during droughts and still produce fruit, and anchor goes deep into the waters, hooks into, latches onto the earth to stabilize a boat in storm. Or in some cases, an anchor such as a Kedge anchor can be used to pull the boat to shore or move along still waters. Even in a spiritual sense anchoring in God’s Word can pull us closer to Him. James 4:8 – “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you …”. We draw near to God by reading His Word, by praying and communicating with Him so that when the droughts come or the storm rages we can be rooted, anchored in God’s Word, anchored in Hope still producing fruit.
My mother in law would tell me “ You’re so thoughtful” She was too but in her own way. Today is her birthday, (she would have been 91!)
and thinking about her and what she said made me think.
We are all full of thought. Thoughts racing through our heads all day long, sometimes keeping us up at night. Being thoughtful can mean thinking about someone and meeting a need or giving a gift that has true meaning, a story behind it, or just reaching out to someone.
But how many times are we thoughtful about our thoughts? How often do you stop to think about what you are thinking about? What was your last thought? Can you identify what lead you to that thought? What about the thought before that? Do you think about what you think about?
Proverbs 23:7 – What a man thinks in his heart so is he.
Philippians 4:8 – Whatever is true, noble, right, pure… think on these things.
Controlling our thoughts is not easy, it’s a challenge. Especially when the enemy is constantly throwing fiery darts at us to get our thinking away from God. Sometimes I think, we should be good stewards of our thoughts, like we steward our time and money.
Have you ever just been thinking and gone down rabbit hole after rabbit hole and started to feel bad and wonder why? I know I have lots of times. I might be reminiscing and start thinking about a time I did something dumb or said something dumb and starting thinking about what I could have said or should have done, then I begin to wonder what those people at the time thought of me and if I was dumb and then I feel like crap.
Then there are times I think about something I actually did right, or happy memory of a birthday or how a trinket I came across made me feel the day I someone gave it to me or I come up with brilliant idea for a present to give someone and I feel elated.
Our thoughts are powerful and we have the capacity to control them. But we can’t very well, not without God’s help. Philippians 4:13, we can do all things through Christ…. 2 Corinthians 10:5 “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make itobedient to Christ.”
According to KnowingJesus.com there are 85 verses. Our thought life is probably something we should give some attention to. Something to think about.
A cord of three strands we are with Him, He has woven us in love. With His connection and His power, we have extra strength from above.
With His help, we are given an extra measure of grace, showered down on us for good, keeping us in place.
All things are held together by Him. I’m glad we’ve become one, yet three. May we stand and forever be faithful, And to God be all the glory!
The one may be overpowered to can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NIV)
Thank you Cindy for allowing me to publish your beautiful poem.
Cindy Evans is a published poet living in the greater Atlanta area with her husband Mark. When she’s not writing, you may find her at a Christian movie, attending a church activity or volunteering at the local faith-based hospice office.
Proximity defined as: principle of art and design, spatial relationship between elements of design that can portray a sense of connection or separation. Proximity can achieve two purposes:
Create a connection between visual elements and design, organize relevance hierarchy and give shape to a piece.
Or create a disconnect by illustrating non relationship between objects or elements or to break up the organization of a structure or design. In other words proximity can help communicate a message in a design either by close relation of objects and elements or by their separation.
For example, the information on the business card on the left is all over the place. The viewer doesn’t know what to read first. Very unorganized, the hierarchy of the information isn’t clear. With the card on the right, the text in bold font in the upper left highlights a name, maybe a business name, maybe person’s name the viewer still isn’t sure what piece of information is important. The hierarchy still isn’t clear.
On the card above, the information that is relevant to each other is in proximity to each other. With center alignment, the name of the business is in a heavy bold font, the most important information. Underneath the business’ name is the business owner’s name. It is a little more clear what is more important just by it’s organization. There is clear direction where the viewer’s eye should go.
Brief overview of the design principle proximity with a brush lettering tutorial
Let’s see how this can design principle can apply to our lives. The word proximity isn’t in the Bible, so I looked up the Greek word for proximity and it’s actually a preposition; with, or para; close beside, closely along side, introduces someone as very close. Luke 18:27, “But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” We are able to do the hard things God call us to do when we are in close proximity to Him. If we are walking in the world’s way of doing things, if we are living and trying to accomplish things with what the world has to offer us, the hard things are a real struggle to do on our own. Enduring that health issue, that financial struggle, that difficult relationship, those hard seasons in life are hard to navigate when we have the world’s mentality. It’s impossible to have that peace that passes all understanding, (Philippians 4:7) in that hard season. BUT with God all things are possible when we are in close proximity to Him, We can have peace, we can have endurance. I don’t want to take the next step in that hard season without me being in close proximity to God. That means I need to be in alignment with Him and to do that I need be reading His word daily, communicating with Him daily, since He is the plan for my life.
If we live our life like a composition, like a piece of art, in proximity to God we can communicate to the world we belong to Him. Like wise when we aren’t living in proximity to God, we won’t bear fruit and if we have a discerning heart will be able to see that in others and in ourselves. John 15:5- ‘ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.’” Others can see the fruit we bear of being in close proximity to God thus “making the information (us) relevant.”
In what ways do you feel closer or connected to God? How do you connect with God? What do you do to put yourself in close proximity to Him? What are some things that can keep us from being closer to God? We talked about this a little in alignment, what are some things that can keep us apart from God. The second part of James 4:8 says, “… Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double- minded.” Impure hearts, double-mindedness are some things that can keep us from God. Let’s not forget unforgiveness and unconfessed sin.
Distractions, like not being in alignment with God, aren’t sin per se, but they can cause us to lose sight of our priorities which if not kept in check can lead us to sin.
There are a few things I have observed in my life as well as others that happen when we draw near and live in proximity and to God. 1. God draws close. James 4:8 – The king James version says “draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you.” The Greek for draw near engisate; I bring near; intrans: I come near, approach. biblehub.com. Draw near translates the same in “He will draw near to you.” God is always with us, He is omnipresent, so I wonder if we can say that when we move close to Him, He moves in closer.
We are ultimately separated from God by sin as well as separated by time and space. In God’s design for our life He desires for us to be near Him, as James 4:8 says. Sin is a no-brainer when it comes to separation from God. God had a plan to bring us closer to Him. It’s funny when you start to think about it it’s not so much about US getting closer to God, it about God getting closer to us. We are the ones who run away. He wants us under the protection of His wings. He’s the one that provided the way to salvation. We just have to accept His offer of salvation. God loves us that much to sacrifice HIS SON so that we could be closer to Him, so that we have a way to be in proximity to Him. A verse that came to mind was Hebrews 4:16 The New King James version says, “let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.“ We can live boldly in proximity to God, to His throne of grace!
2. We develop a Christ likeness. It’s common to see this amongst family members. It does have a lot to do with genetics but you typically know when someone belongs to family by mannerisms and speech, physical appearance. Adopted children can pick up habits from their adopted families, they pick up phrases and sayings. They may even develop some mannerisms over time. We repeat words and phrases of our spouses because we have spent so much time with them and it is a way of bonding. My bird has picked up some phrases, “I gotta check my email.” or “Time to go bed now” these were phrases I wasn’t saying to her, just phrases I was saying that she picked up because she’s always within ear shot. We may even develop some mannerisms or actions from spending time with a friend. Sometimes we can develop certain tastes and a fondness of things just because of friendship. So it is with our relationship with God, the more time we spend with Him the more we sound like Him, act like Him, become like Him, have Christ likeness.
3. Others will see our actions and behavior. Others will start to see how we react in certain situations. When we aren’t gossiping at work, or when they see us acting kind to someone who was rude to us they are going to think “what’s different about her,” “why doesn’t he get back at him or her for …” Others will start to wonder.
Another passage of scripture that came to mind was Mary and Martha. Mary chose to sit at the feet of Jesus. You can’t get much closer than that. Her sister was frantic in preparations and I am sure things may have been a bit chaotic. But in that chaos, Mary chose Jesus as her priority as a guest in her home and her Lord. Staying in proximity to God is what God has designed for our lives. It can be a challenge some days I know, but we have a God who comes near to us when we come near to Him.
“Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him,6 ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ 7 And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ 8 But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.
9 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
11 “You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead?12 Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! 13 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” (NLT) – Luke 11:5-13
I have read this passage so many times and always thought that my nagging or constant and incessant prayer about something, I thought that, that is what it would take for God to grant me whatever it was I was asking for. The bottom line, my prayers are almost never answered how I anticipate, no matter how persistent. I have discovered some key design principles that can apply to prayer. I will provide links to some earlier posts.
While there is nothing wrong with persistent prayer, after all, 1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to “pray without ceasing.” The parable in Luke give an example of being persistent, shameless persistence. But that’s not what gets the neighbor out of bed. It may be easy to come to the conclusion that we need to nag God for Him to hear us and answer our prayer. But this interpretation would mean that God is reluctant in providing what we need. And that just isn’t so. Persistence or boldness in the greek anaideia can be hard to translate. A more clear, literal meaning would be “without shame.” Jesus is trying to illustrate that the neighbor tucked in bed for the night isn’t motivated by his friend persistently knocking on the door. What is motivating the neighbor is his reputation. He wants and desires to do the right and honorable thing, “without shame.”
Back in the day, Israel was an honor-based community. A person’s reputation was of utmost importance and was extended to family and the community. The neighbor didn’t want to shame himself, his family or his community and this is what motivates him to get out of bed.
Jesus makes a point about about prayer that is simple: God answers our prayers not because of our reputation, but because of His. This reminds me of the Wedding at Canaa. (If you haven’t watched The Chosen yet, there is a whole episode about this) Jesus, Mary, his mother and his disciples were invited to a wedding. Wedding celebrations lasted a week. This family was friends with Jesus and his family, his own mother was there, so they had to be somewhat close. Mary comes to Jesus saying that they have run out of wine. He tells her his time has not yet come and what is he to do about it, why is she coming to him? So Jesus gives instructions to fill 12 jars with water and turns the water into wine. I believe Jesus performed his first miracle to protect this family’s reputation, his mother’s and most importantly, his. This takes the focus off our righteousness and puts the focus on God’s desire to keep His honor. It’s not about us at all. Instead prayer is received and answered because we have a holy, righteous and good, good Father. Verse 11 – 13, “You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead?12 Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! 13 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” This realization relieved me of so much pressure. If a prayer didn’t get answered, I must have not prayer right, or included something, I was doing something wrong. It’s not about me, it’s not about us. How silly of me to think I could persuade God to do anything but be a good, good, Father. Prayer is not a religious way of nagging God to answer our prayers. Prayer is simply asking God to be who He is, God.
The Kedge Anchor 
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