Listen:
“For a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him.” (Luke 11:6)
Reflect:
There were three actors (friends) on stage in the scene portrayed in Luke 11:6. The unseen friend who was weary and hungry after a long journey, the host who had nothing to serve his friend but knew someone who could help, and the friend who had the means to help but was already in bed.
The host was the bridge between the friend who had and the one who was hungry. He was in need, not for himself but on behalf of his friend. He didn’t say to his travel-worn friend, “I have nothing to serve you”. He summoned the courage to go out in the middle of the night to beg another friend for help.
I have found myself at this crossroad countless times. Seeing a need and yet not having the means to respond to it. When we got married, my husband and I prayed that God would make our home a haven of peace where others would come and find rest and succour. We have lost count of the number of people our guest room has accommodated. Many times, we have had to trust God to supply what we need to support them.
I find it difficult to ask for help for myself, but running the Feet of Grace Foundation has pushed me to become bolder, more creative, and more courageous in asking for help on behalf of the amputees who seek our support every day. I have nothing to give them, but I reach out to others and plead for support, even when it is inconvenient for me and those whose doors I am knocking on in the middle of the night.
This verse encourages us to be persistent and audacious in prayer, not just for our own personal needs, but also on behalf of others, trusting God to provide solutions beyond our resources. It serves as a reminder to intercede when others are in need.
Prayer of Response:
Dear Lord, grant me confident boldness as I approach Your throne of grace at every time of need, not only for myself but also on behalf of those You have located in my sphere of influence. Help me to be sensitive to the needs around me and to persist in praying about them.
Questions to Ponder:
- As a follower of Jesus, are you modelling selfless friendship by bringing urgent needs before God, persisting in prayer and loving actions, and trusting that God will move, even when resources seem lacking?
- On whose behalf can you come before God this week with boldness and courage to make audacious requests, knowing that God, like a caring friend, will respond to persistent prayers as we seek to help others?
Breath Prayers:
Join us in praying breath prayers each day. We invite you to write your own as well.
Inhale (Breathe in): God, You are gracious and kind.
Exhale (Breathe out): I trust You to provide.
Inhale (Breathe in): God, You are attentive and willing.
Exhale (Breathe out): I trust You to answer.
—Submitted by: Irene Olumese
Irene is a lung transplant survivor and bilateral amputee who speaks and writes to inspire hope. As a certified Faith-Informed Transformational and Trauma Coach, Irene helps those wounded by life’s adversities heal the pain of their traumatic experiences and transform it into power, purpose and purpose that will serve eternal value. Irene is the Founder of the Feet of Grace Foundation, a charity organisation that provides prosthetic rehabilitation services and opportunities for a better life for indigent amputees. She lives in Geneva with her husband, Peter and two adult sons.