FOCUS ON THE VISION
DENISE WALTON
“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” Luke 11:9-10
The summer has quickly come and (almost) gone, children will soon return to school, and the fall will take its rightful place among us. It seems that the seasons, like the events of the world, are moving at increasingly faster speeds. And yet there is a tremendous need for the church to slow down, calm down, and remember to pray.
Luke 11:1-13 offers the church an intimate look at a brief conversation between Jesus and his disciples. The disciples ask, “Lord teach us to pray.” Many scholars suggest this was a specific request to know what to say as disciples of Jesus Christ. Jesus shares with the disciples a way but not the only way to pray. Then Jesus shares two stories that encourage us to remain persistent in prayer.
While the church continues to engage in making disciples, prayers for salvation, peace, reconciliation, and justice remain critical to kingdom building. As a disciple of Jesus Christ, will you continue to pray with persistence for the needs of the church, the community, and the world?
Dear Lord…teach us to pray.
Rev. Denise Walton serves as the Assistant to the Bishop for Connectional Ministries. Contact her at denise@sgaumc.org.
