Grow in Love through Prayer
The text is Jesus saying, “Do you think the suffering of these Galileans proves that they were more sinful than all the other Galileans? No, I tell you, but unless you change your hearts and lives, you will die just as they did. What about those eighteen people who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them? Do you think that they were guiltier of wrongdoing than everyone else who lives in Jerusalem? No, I tell you, but unless you change your hearts and lives, you will die just as they did.”
In this text, we hear the parable of the fig tree and the gardener. We hear God calling us to change and grow, reminding us that there is always time for repentance and response. One of the ways we respond to God’s call to change and grow is through prayer. In prayer, we ask the question: “God, who are you calling me to become?”
This week’s Lenten devotion is calling us to pray. Prayer is another practice that helps us respond to God’s love and grace and gives us a tool that we can use to stay in relationship with our loving creator. God loves us and calls us into relationship. Prayer is talking to God and this is one way we can respond to God’s offer of love. It is important to remember that prayer is not a tool used to change God, but instead is a discipline that helps change the one who’s praying.
There are many ways to talk to God: 1) We can sit quietly and meditate; 2) We can sing a song; 3) We can write a letter; 4) We can sit quietly and listen; 5) We can listen to music.
Our prayers come in many different forms. This discipline keeps us connected to the one who created us, reminding us that that we are loved and called into relationship with God and with others.
Prayer: Loving God, You are always with us, guiding us and loving us. We know you hear us when we pray, and you listen to us whenever we talk to you. Thank you! Amen.
Luke 13:2-3 – Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”
Author: Tommy Herndon
