Where is your faith? – October 21, 2022

[Jesus said] “However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Luke 18:8

Where is your faith?

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Daily Devotion – October 21, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 18:8

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“I give up.” How long does it take for you to get to that point? You’ve tried it once. You’ve tried it a second time. And then you decide, “I give up.”

There are times when we should simply give up. For instance, if we’re attempting to dunk a basketball through a ten-foot hoop, but we’re only five-foot, two-inches tall—with a vertical leap of four inches—we can try and try and try again, but we’re never going to succeed. We don’t have the necessary gifts.

Other times, it’s a matter of training. Five-year-olds should “give up” driving a car even before they attempt it once! Not only do they not have the necessary gifts, but they also don’t have the necessary training.

Under certain circumstances, it’s appropriate and wise to conclude, “I give up.”

So, is it okay to draw that conclusion about Christian prayer? Is it ever appropriate to say to ourselves and our heavenly Father, “I give up?” Never! And the reason is simple: all things are possible with God. It is impossible to pray for something that God is incapable of giving us. When we place our faith in him, we are trusting the One who has all things under his control, even death itself.

Does that mean that God will always give us what we want? Of course not, because we don’t always want for ourselves what would be best for us. Human parents understand this. Their children might ask to eat ice cream for every meal, but good parents will deny that request—even though they could fulfill it—because they love their children and want what’s best for them.

Our heavenly Father wants what’s best for us. And, above all else, what does he want for us? Eternal life! He wants it so much he sent his own son, Jesus, to earn it for us through his perfect life and innocent death. So he’s not interested in giving us anything that would get in the way of that eternal goal.

So be persistent and patient in prayer. Then trust that God’s answer is always best for you—eternally.

Prayer:
Jesus, help me trust the answers that you give to all my prayers. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Patiently Await – October 20, 2022

And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.”
Luke 18:6-8

Patiently Await

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Daily Devotion – October 20, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 18:6-8

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We’ve come to expect instant gratification. It’s not that we want it fixed, but we want it fixed now. When we begin to feel aches and pains, we expect the doctor to offer a solution after one visit. When a home appliance malfunctions, we want it repaired that day. And when we order something online, we expect to have the item in hand within a day or two. We want it, and we want it now.

Our world of modern convenience has duped us into becoming impatient, and in many cases, sinfully so. That’s not conducive to developing and enriching the life of Christian prayer because patience and persistence are essential ingredients to having one. If we expect immediate results, we’ll become easily frustrated and give up.

Jesus understands what it takes to have a healthy prayer life better than anyone else could. Not only is he true God who hears and understands the prayers of his people with deep compassion and perfect timing. He is also truly human, who during his days on earth “offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears” (Hebrews 5:7). Yes, to this day, he continues to pray for us at his Father’s right hand. If Jesus’ prayers don’t get instant results, why should ours? And if he hasn’t given up praying and pleading for us every day. Why would we?

Why? Because we’re impatient! Because we don’t get the immediate results from our prayers that we expect. But Jesus reminds us today: the results are coming; we just need to be patient! “Will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you; he will see that they get justice, and quickly.”

When you find yourself impatient for God to answer your prayers, remember that you are one of God’s chosen ones, washed of your sins in the blood of Jesus and adopted into God’s family. Be patient and persistent in prayer. God hears you. And, in his time, he will answer you.

Prayer:
Jesus, help me to be like you in prayer, patient and persistent. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Wearing Out Your Opponent – October 19, 2022

[Jesus] said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”
Luke 18:2-5

Wearing Out Your Opponent

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Daily Devotion – October 19, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 18:2-5

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If you’re going to be victorious in an athletic contest, it helps to have more skill than your opponent. But having superior skill doesn’t necessarily guarantee victory. Other factors play into who wins and who loses.

One strategy that less-skilled players and teams employ in order to beat a superior opponent is to turn the game or match into a test of endurance. They may have better players, but if you can wear them out with your plodding game plan, you might be able to beat them.

That’s the very lesson Jesus is teaching in his parable of the persistent widow. This woman is seeking justice from her local judge. He doesn’t care about her case, but she wears him out with her persistent pleading, with the judge finally exclaiming, “Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!” Persistence pays off.

Anyone who has ever begged their parents to buy them something special, only to have their persistence pay off with the item they so desperately desired, knows of what Jesus speaks. If we nagged and nagged, wearing our parental “opponent” down, we’d receive our reward.

If an uncaring judge could be won over with patient persistence, imagine what will happen when you patiently persist in praying to your loving heavenly Father for your needs. After all, he is the one who was willing to meet your greatest need by sacrificing his own son to save you from your sins. Surely, he will respond in whatever way is best when you persistently pray to him for your needs.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, give me the persistence I need in prayer. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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The Necessary Art of Pestering – October 18, 2022

[Jesus] said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’”
Luke 18:2,3

The Necessary Art of Pestering

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Daily Devotion – October 18, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 18:2,3

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Children are masters at it, even without much practice; it just comes naturally—whining, begging, pleading, pestering.

Young children have an advantage over adults; without as many earthly cares, they can get away with having one track minds. The child who wants Mom and Dad to buy them something at the store asks and asks and asks again. And why? Because they understand the power of persistence, especially when their parents are in the habit of giving in.

But it has to make God wonder about his own children. Why don’t they utilize the necessary art of pestering him? Why is it that, if they even think to ask their heavenly Father for something, they only ask once or maybe twice and then give up?

Could it be that in their heart of hearts, they think that prayer is powerless? Could it be that in the back of their minds, they’re wondering whether they’re making their request to someone who doesn’t actually exist? Could it be that they’ve convinced themselves that, even if there is a God, he’s a miserly ogre and not a gracious and loving Father?

If God has this impression of you, can you blame him? After all, when was the last time you engaged in such unceasing, persistent prayer that you were actually concerned that your heavenly Father might get fed up with you and respond, “Enough! I’ve heard you already!” Truth be told, it’s more likely for sinners like you and me to go many days without offering up even one sincere, heartfelt prayer, much less pelt the throne of God’s grace with one request after another.

And still, our heavenly Father patiently waits and listens. Because of Jesus’ saving work, our sinful lack of persistent prayer is forgiven. It’s as if we have lived lives of perfectly persistent prayer. And we get a fresh start. Let’s take advantage of it! Live a life of persistent prayer starting today!

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, grant me the spiritual persistence and stamina I need to offer you my prayers relentlessly. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Always Pray – October 17, 2022

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.
Luke 18:1

Always Pray

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Daily Devotion – October 17, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 18:1

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How much prayer is too much prayer? If Jesus is our measuring stick, then none of us is in danger of praying too much.

Luke tells us in his gospel that “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16). Luke emphasizes more than any other gospel writer how much time our Savior spent in prayer. He’s the one, for instance, who describes most powerfully the intensity of Jesus’ prayers to his heavenly Father on the night before he died. We’re told how “being in anguish, [Jesus] prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground” (Luke 22:44). Simply put, Jesus prayed frequently and with great earnestness.

Luke also tells us that once, when “Jesus was praying in a certain place,” one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). It wasn’t as if Jesus’ disciples didn’t know how to pray. They certainly understood the process. They had undoubtedly grown up in mostly faithful Jewish families and had learned from their fathers and mothers how to pray. Like Jesus, it was their custom to go to the synagogue on the weekly Sabbath, so they could hear the Word of God and practice fellowship of prayer with their fellow Jews.

So, if they knew how to pray, what were they asking Jesus to teach them? They wanted to know how to pray like their Savior! When they compared their lives of prayer to the Savior’s, they instantly recognized that theirs paled in comparison. Clearly, Jesus knew and understood something about prayer that they did not. They wanted to taste his secret sauce for prayer.

And when Jesus did teach them and us about prayer, what point did he emphasize more than any other? Persistence! Don’t give up so easily or quickly when you don’t receive the immediate answer you want. A life of persistent, unanswered prayers is its own benefit and blessing!

How often should we pray? Jesus’ answer is both simple and profound. He urges us to pray always!

Prayer:
Jesus, grant me a rich measure of faith through your Spirit and lead me to pray continually for every good thing from you. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Confidence – October 16, 2022

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God; that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
1 John 5:13-15

Confidence

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Daily Devotion – October 16, 2022

Devotion based on 1 John 5:13-15

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“Are you sure?” Satan still asks, as he tries to rob you of your confidence.

John, disciple of Jesus, points out two things that will deepen your confidence.

First is the sure knowledge that eternal life is yours. You have this confidence because “you believe in the name of the Son of God.” His given name is Jesus, which means “savior, rescuer.” A worthwhile study would be to search out as many of the Bible’s titles and descriptive names for Jesus, you could find. His “name” includes all that he has done for you. It is a revealed fact, then, that God’s Son came into the world as true man and accomplished his mission perfectly. The payment of his life, death, and resurrection for the sins of the world was accepted by the Father as payment in full. Trusting in Jesus and everything his names tell you about him, you may know that you have the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

Next, the wise old apostle teaches you about a second key to confidence. It regards your prayers to God: “If we ask anything according to his will.” God’s will is what God wants. The Bible reveals what God wants us to believe and do as far as we need to know it. And for the things only God knows, Jesus teaches us to trust as he trusted, saying, “Not my will, but yours be done.” Since we are praying for God’s good will to be done, “We know that we have what we asked of him,” whether his answer be “yes,” “no,” or “wait patiently.”

That’s God-given confidence.

Prayer:
Lord, keep me sure. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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The Amazing Love of God – October 15, 2022

As [Jesus] was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”
Luke 17:12,13

The Amazing Love of God

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Daily Devotion – October 15, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 17:12,13

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In Jesus’ day, leprosy was a horrible illness and was incurable. If you caught leprosy, you had to move away from society and live with other lepers. That’s why in our verses today, we meet a group of ten men who were together because they had leprosy. When they realized that Jesus was close by, they pleaded for him to have pity on them.

Unfortunately, this account has kind of a sour ending. To summarize, Jesus healed all ten of them, but only one of them returned to say thank you.

Did Jesus know that would happen? Sure, he did because he knows all things.

Most amazingly, he had pity on them anyway! Most graciously, he healed all of them!

In the same way, our gracious God continues to deal with you and me today. Yes, he knows we’ll fail to appreciate his mercy and often fail to thank him for his blessings.

Yet he continues to deal with us in mercy and with blessing. What a forgiving, loving God!

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, forgive me for the countless times I’ve failed to thank you for your mercy, failed to appreciate your blessings. Remind me of your love, that I might be emboldened to live with joy and confidence and might return often to thank you for your mercy. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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The Blessing of Giving – October 14, 2022

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
2 Corinthians 9:10,11

The Blessing of Giving

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Daily Devotion – October 14, 2022

Devotion based on 2 Corinthians 9:10,11

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A seed is a small thing, the size of our fingernails at most but often much smaller. And yet from that tiny seed can come large plants and great fruits. The apostle Paul uses the picture of seed and harvest to instruct us on how to give generously. Paul tells us that God supplies the seeds to us and makes the harvest grow. When it comes time to sow again, God will provide the seeds again and again.

An amazing thing happens when Christians sow with the seeds God provides. When they give generously of their material wealth, it spreads and grows into thanksgiving to God. It’s part of a harvest of righteousness.

Maybe you’ve seen the videos of Christians receiving Bibles for the very first time. A remote tribe that never had the Bible translated into their own language before receives the gift of Bibles written in their own language. The whole village shows up dressed in their best. They rejoice, pray, sing, dance, and give thanks to God for the gifts of generous Christians who helped make it possible.

There is great power in the simplest acts of generosity. For the price of Grande latte, we can help put God’s Word in the hands of families who have never owned a bible before. That generosity produces gratitude in the recipients of the gifts. And the recipients of the gifts pray for the ones who have so generously given.

Paul reminds us that the motivation for this giving doesn’t come from compulsion but rather through the confession of the gospel—the good news that our sins are forgiven in Jesus. As God has given so generously to us, so we give so joyfully to others.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, give me a cheerful heart to be generous as you are generous to me. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Giving Thanks to Jesus – October 13, 2022

Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
Luke 17:17-19

Giving Thanks to Jesus

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Daily Devotion – October 13, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 17:17-19

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It was his Friday night ritual. He went to an old pier on the eastern coast of Florida with a bucket of shrimp. One by one, he pulled out the shrimp and fed the seagulls as they flocked around him. Most onlookers thought he was just a crazy old guy. But his name is Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, and during World War 2, he was stranded at sea. When all seemed lost, a seagull landed on Eddie’s hat, and miraculously, without a struggle, the seagull allowed itself to be caught. Eddie and the other men ate what they could and used what remained of the bird as bait. Its sacrifice saved them. His way of saying thank you was to feed those birds every Friday night.

Jesus miraculously healed ten men from leprosy, but only one of them came back to give thanks to Jesus. Perhaps the others were thankful, but didn’t show their gratitude to the one who healed them. Only one came back to express his thanks to Jesus.

His gratitude was a sign of his faith in Jesus, a faith that consisted in total dependence on God. The man knew there was nothing he could do to heal himself of leprosy; only Jesus could do that. His faith didn’t disappoint him, and through his faith, Jesus assured him that he was saved.

Faith in Jesus saves. Faith saves because God gives undeserved, unqualified, unconditional love. The proper response is the same as the leper who came back: to fall at Jesus’ feet and give thanks.

Captain Eddie Rickenbacker was a Christian. He said that he was saved to serve God and to serve others. That’s an even better way to say thanks than feeding seagulls some shrimp. It’s a way that we can all say thank you to Jesus.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for giving me faith to trust in your saving work. Help me say thanks by serving you and the people in my life. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Jesus Have Mercy – October 12, 2022

As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”
Luke 17:12,13

Jesus Have Mercy

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Daily Devotion – October 12, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 17:12,13

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When did he know? When did he know that the red, irritated skin wasn’t going to get better on its own? Was it when the lesion started spreading? Was it when he noticed it on both of his arms or legs? Maybe it was when his hair started to fall out. Or perhaps when he pinched his hand in the door and realized there was no pain. Did he try to cover it up and hide it so no one would notice? When did he know that he had leprosy?

Leprosy was worse than a death sentence. It meant you had to live like you were already dead. You were traumatically ripped away from your family and friends. You were cut off and forced out of your city or village. You existed on the fringes. It was like you were invisible.

When did you know? When did you feel the pain in this life? That you were missing something? Your condition isn’t leprosy, but it is even more dangerous, even more isolating. It’s the infection of sin. Sin corrupts everything in this life. Your relationships. Your health, mental and physical. And it separates you from God.

“Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” That’s all the ten lepers could say to Jesus. It was their only hope. All you can say to Jesus is the same, “Jesus, have mercy!” And he does. Just like Jesus had mercy on those lepers, he has mercy on you. Jesus forgives you your sins, restores and redeems you.

Jesus told the lepers to show themselves to the priests. That’s it. No big show. No theatrics. But each one went, and each one was healed.

Forgiveness comes in the same way: No big show. No theatrics. Your believing heart trusts the words, “You are forgiven.” And God sees your sins no more. You’re clean and no longer separated from God because Jesus does have mercy.

Prayer:
Lord, give me faith to trust your words of mercy and forgiveness. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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