07/28 – Luke 11:1–13 – Prayer is a Gift from God

Old Testament: Genesis 18:17–33

The Lord said, “Should I hide what I am going to do from Abraham? After all, Abraham is going to become a great and mighty nation and through him all the nations of the earth will be blessed. I have chosen him so that he will direct his children and his family after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. In this way I, the Lord, will do what I have promised Abraham.”

The Lord also said, “Sodom and Gomorrah have many complaints against them and their sin is very serious. I must go down and see whether these complaints are true. If not I will know it.”

From there the [two] men [with the LORD] turned and went on toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing in front of the Lord. Abraham came closer and asked, “Are you really going to sweep away the innocent with the guilty? What if there are 50 innocent people in the city? Are you really going to sweep them away? Won’t you spare that place for the sake of the 50 innocent people who are in it? It would be unthinkable for you to do such a thing, to treat the innocent and the guilty alike and to kill the innocent with the guilty. That would be unthinkable! Won’t the judge of the whole earth do what is fair?”

The Lord said, “If I find 50 innocent people inside the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

Abraham asked, “Consider now, if I may be so bold as to ask you, although I’m only dust and ashes, what if there are 45 innocent people? Will you destroy the whole city because of 5 fewer people?”

The Lord answered, “I will not destroy it if I find 45 there.”

Abraham asked him again, “What if 40 are found there?”

He answered, “For the sake of the 40 I will not do it.”

“Please don’t be angry if I speak again,” Abraham said. “What if 30 are found there?”

He answered, “If I find 30 there, I will not do it.”

“Look now, if I may be so bold as to ask you,” Abraham said. “What if 20 are found there?”

He answered, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the 20.”

“Please don’t be angry if I speak only one more time,” Abraham said. “What if 10 are found there?”

He answered, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the 10.” When the Lord finished speaking to Abraham, he left. Abraham returned home.

Epistle Reading: Colossians 2:6–15

You received Christ Jesus the Lord, so continue to live as Christ’s people. Sink your roots in him and build on him. Be strengthened by the faith that you were taught, and overflow with thanksgiving. Be careful not to let anyone rob you of this faith through a shallow and misleading philosophy. Such a person follows human traditions and the world’s way of doing things rather than following Christ.

All of God lives in Christ’s body, and God has made you complete in Christ. Christ is in charge of every ruler and authority. In him you were also circumcised. It was not a circumcision performed by human hands, but it was a removal of the corrupt nature in the circumcision performed by Christ. This happened when you were placed in the tomb with Christ through Baptism. In Baptism you were also brought back to life with Christ through faith in the power of God, who brought him back to life.

You were once dead because of your failures and your uncircumcised corrupt nature, but God made you alive with Christ when he forgave all our failures. He did this by erasing the charges that were brought against us by the written laws God had established. He took the charges away by nailing them to the cross. He stripped the rulers and authorities of their power and made a public spectacle of them as he celebrated his victory in Christ.

Gospel Reading: Luke 11:1–13

Once Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he stopped praying one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray as John taught his disciples.”

Jesus told them, “When you pray, say this, “Father, let your name be kept holy. Let your kingdom come. Give us our bread day by day. Forgive us as we forgive everyone else. Don’t allow us to be tempted.”

Jesus said to his disciples, “Suppose one of you has a friend. Suppose you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, let me borrow three loaves of bread. A friend of mine on a trip has dropped in on me, and I don’t have anything to serve him.’ Your friend might answer you from inside his house, ‘Don’t bother me! The door is already locked and my children are in bed. I can’t get up to give you anything.’ I can guarantee that although he doesn’t want to get up to give you anything, he will get up and give you whatever you need because he is your friend and because you were so bold.

So I tell you to ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. Everyone who asks will receive. The one who searches will find, and for the person who knocks, the door will be opened. “If your child asks you, his father, for a fish, would you give him a snake instead? If your child asks you for an egg, would you give him a scorpion? Even though you are evil, you know how to give good gifts to your children. So how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”