Friday after Exaudi
Posted on June 3, 2022 by under
Scripture: St. Luke 11:5-13 (NKJV)
11:5 And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’? 8 I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.
9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, 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!”
Devotion
Though we trust in Christ as our Savior, it seems we often have difficulty trusting that God will hear and answer our prayers in the way that is best for us. We often fail to go to God in prayer over our needs, and then leave matters in God’s hands. In today’s reading, Jesus points out that even earthly friends and parents, though selfish and sinful by nature, will give us those things we ask of them, whether from genuine love and concern, or for selfish and sinful reasons. Jesus urges us to pray with confidence that our heavenly Father, who loves us more than any earthly friend or father can, will hear and answer our prayers in the way best for us. It is as Jesus said: “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (Matt. 7:11). And, as Jesus said, He will surely give the Holy Spirit as well: “…how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:13).
Prayer: Almighty, Everlasting God, make us to have always a devout will toward Thee, and to serve Thy Majesty with a pure heart; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
