Upper Room Daily Devotional "Sock It!" Thursday, 27 February 2014 - Read Luke 11:9-13

Upper Room Daily Devotional "Sock It!" Thursday, 27 February 2014 - Read Luke 11:9 “I tell you, keep asking, and it will be given you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened.
11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he won’t give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, he won’t give him a scorpion, will he? 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?”
One of [Jesus’] disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray.”--Luke 11:1 (NIV)
Last spring, my parked car wore two white socks, one on each side-view mirror. I put them there to discourage a persistent sparrow that, seeing its mirrored image, would daily exhaust itself in fighting its reflection. The bird was trying to protect its territory by driving away the “other” bird. When it comes to praying for my family members, I often mimic that feathered friend. Anxious and fearful that evil forces might steal God’s blessings from my loved ones, I attempt to defend their turf with fretful prayers. I struggle and fight, rehearsing before God my worrisome concerns. But I have found that such fear-based prayer is tedious and exhausting. It also produces further anxiety: Are my prayers strong enough to overcome the obstacles endangering those I love? Whom or what situations have I forgotten to pray for? Sometimes when I slip into this unhealthy mode of praying, I recall the sparrow and the effectiveness of my sock-solution. Remembering this motivates me to “put a sock” on my anxieties and fears and cover them with positive and effectual prayer, such as the Lord’s Prayer. Praying in this way for my loved ones is not exhausting and assures me that God, whose love far surpasses mine, knows the needs of my loved ones and cares for them.--The Author-Virginia Jelinek (Pennsylvania, USA)
Thought for the Day: When in doubt, pray the Lord’s Prayer.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, keep us free of anxiety and fear. As you taught us, we pray, “Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.”* Amen. *Luke 11:2-4 (NIV).
Prayer focus: My family
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