January 2 – Devotional

Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:5-15

Key Verse: Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. – Matthew 6:10, KJV

Jan Karon wrote a series of books set in Mitford, a fictional town in North Carolina. The main character in the books was Father Timothy, an Episcopalian priest, who, along with his wife, Cynthia, lived in community with the many quirky residents of the small town. Father Timothy and Cynthia often spoke of “the prayer that never fails.” What prayer were they talking about? Anyone who has hung around a church for very long will recognize it immediately. The prayer that never fails is Thy will be done. We pray these words every Sunday in church as we join together in the Lord’s Prayer, but do we really understand what we are asking?

Pray:

• • What does Thy will be done truly mean? What does it mean for our church?
  • If your will for our church and God’s will for our church are different, where would the pain points be?
  • What steps do we need to take to accept and submit to God’s will even when it is different than, or even the total opposite of, our will?

Listen: With open eyes, ears, and heart, listen for God to speak to you now and throughout the day.

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