Word:

Then he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.’

“Then the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man’s boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs. (Luke 11:5-8, NIV)

Meditation Thought: God loves to grant us favor! The plea of the man with houseguests is a plea of want, not of need. And to ask God for anything is a request made with boldness — and God loves that!

Prayer: God, when I say You are the source of everything, help me remember the truth of that statement. There is nothing I have built with my own hands. There is no success I have gained on my own. You have supplied all that surrounds me. Thank You, today, for listening to me. I need to rearrange my requests before Your throne, though. To ask anything of You, God, is an act of sheer bravery, for I am literally asking the Creator of the universe for favor. And yet, God, You are gentle enough to bend to my requests, to listen to them, and honor them. My requests are plenty, and even today, I have things to ask of You. Today, God, let me see my requests as not just a list of wants, but as an act of grace You provide to me. You allow my approach, and listen to my pleas. That is grace! Thank You, God!