Daily Gospel Reflection for October 9, 2024

Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.

Today's Gospel: Luke 11:1-4

It never occurred to me to ask Jesus to teach me to pray. I thought I should just know how to pray. I don’t think I understood what it is to pray until a friend shared that the Lord's Prayer is the perfect prayer. It comes from Jesus Himself and offers a plan for prayer.

It begins with praise. God doesn’t need our praise, but we need to remind ourselves how good He is, how hallowed His name is. Sincere praise cannot be overdone.

We express our desire for God’s will to be done just as in heaven, where all are in perfect communion with God. We want His kingdom to come. We need that in this broken world.

We ask for that which sustains us. What do you need? An understanding friend? Patience with a challenging family member? Strength to witness God’s truth? Our Father longs to give us what we need and sometimes He gives us things we didn’t even know we need.

We ask for forgiveness and promise forgiveness for others. We trust in God’s mercy. Maybe we beg for it. We also offer it to those who hurt us. Jesus has some clear words on how important this is (Matthew 18:21-25, Matthew 6:14, Luke 15:11-32, to name a few).

Finally, we ask Him to keep us safe from the tricks and the lies of the enemy. If we keep our gaze on Jesus, strive for holiness, and run to Him in prayer, we will belong to Him and all will be well with our soul.

The Lord’s Prayer stands on its own as an excellent prayer and also serves as a framework for our personal conversations with God. Use it as a guideline for organizing your own prayer time and see what happens.

Ponder:

How can you use the framework of the Lord's Prayer in your personal prayer life?

Pray:

Jesus, teach me to pray. Help me in my weakness and guide me in Your love.

Copyright 2024 Merridith Frediani