Daily Devotions
Thursday, July 24, 2025
Luke 11:1-4, 9a, 11-13 – Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” And He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be Your Name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.’ … “And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you … What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
Over the years, I’ve met some people who are worried about making mistakes in prayer. They worry that they might accidentally ask for the wrong thing, and God will say yes—resulting in some sort of disaster. One of my friends worried that she had caused a death this way, even though what she asked for was good.
Jesus shows us that we don’t need to worry about this, ever. God will not take our innocent prayers and turn them into something we regret ever asking for. Jesus gives the example of a hungry child asking for a fish or an egg. His father will not give him a snake or a scorpion! Good fathers don’t do that sort of thing.
We can extend that logic a little further, too. What if the child actually asks for a snake or a scorpion, because he was young and didn’t understand the danger? Would the father give him what he asked for, to teach him a lesson? Of course not! Only an abuser or a murderer would do such a thing. A good father would say, “No, you can’t have that,” and then give him something good—like a doughnut.
Of course, for those of us who have experienced abuse, it can be hard to trust the invisible God—hard to remember that He is not an abuser. But whenever we worry, we can look at Jesus—because “He is the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15a). Jesus is God become a Man, so that we can see everything He says and does, that it is good and holy and loving. He would never abuse anybody! In fact, He lay down His life for us, to rescue us from the power of evil, and to give us everlasting life. Now that He has risen from the dead, we have Jesus forever to care for us and bring us safely home to His Father in heaven. We have His Spirit, to teach us how to pray. And if we make mistakes? We have the mercy and love of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, to comfort us and give us the good things He knows we need, whether we understand or not. Because He loves us.
WE PRAY: Thank You, Lord, that You don’t hold my mistakes against me. You love me. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reflection Questions:
- Do you ever worry about accidentally making a mistake in prayer?
- How does Jesus give you comfort and confidence?
- Can you show that same mercy to someone else who makes a mistake about you? How?
Today's Readings:
Psalms 89, 92Philippians 3