Are you going to open the door?

I take a nap almost every Sunday.  It is something my family can predict like clockwork.  John knows not to mow the grass between 1:00 and 2ish on Sunday afternoons nor do the children ring my phone during that time.  Selfish....absolutely, but truthful!  This past Sunday, like clockwork I was zonked out and the doorbell rang.  Uuuggghhh!  No one else was home and as I lay there pondering who it could be and if I was going to wait for them to go away or go to the door, the bell rang AGAIN!  Ok, alright, I'm coming!  As I peered through the glass pain there stood a young girl with a stack of books.  A solicitor while I'm napping?  Did I mention selfish?  But, I asked through the glass what I could do for her and she raised up one of the books which I recognized immediately.  She explained she provided Bibles for doctor's offices.  You know the blue one where you can tear out the postcard......

 

I opened the door and began to listen to her story.  She is a seminary student and through donations was providing these Bibles and also offering other magazines with a donation.  I truthfully never have cash but thanked her for what she was doing and wished her well.  Then she began to ask another question, but not in a million years was it what I assumed it would be: can I leave you with an envelope or some reading material....it was nothing like that.  She asked if she could pray with me.  I was very much taken aback.  I explained some concerns facing me and my family this week and she began to pray for us eloquently, poignantly, sincerely, but simply.

In Luke's Gospel, the disciples ask, "teach us to pray."  Were they expecting magic words; were they expecting a formula or specific steps to the most effective way to pray in order to achieve the greatest outcome?   Jesus meets them once again where they are on this journey.  Through His parable he teaches them about boldness and persistence in prayer.  He teaches them to trust Him as a divine parent to give them what they need and more.  

He teaches us the same thing.  It is not the mechanics of our prayers, it is that we speak them into existence, not hiding them in our hearts and trying to "fix" things on our own.  Not allowing Satan to keep his hand over our mouths.  It is standing on His promises to answer us and to give us what we need in accordance with His will and what is best for us.  Read the parable Luke 1:10-13.  Maybe the friend isn't asking for anything for himself, but for his visitor.  He teaches us to pray for others too.

I will forever be grateful that I opened that door last Sunday and for the lesson of being bold in prayer.

 "Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.
And do not bring us to the time of trial." (Lk. 11:2-4)