Faith Daily | 9 October 2021

PRAYER of the DAY - PENTECOST APBA p588

Generous God,

whose hand is open

to fill all things living with plenteousness:

make us ever thankful for your goodness,

and grant that we, remembering the account

that we must one day give,

may be faithful stewards of your bounty;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

GOSPEL for the Day: Luke 11: 5-13

5 And he said to them, ‘Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, “Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.” 7And he answers from within, “Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.” 8I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

9 ‘So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 10For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 11Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? 12Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? 13If 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!’

GOSPEL Reflection: Contributed by: Anne MacRonald

Intercession is the act of interceding between two parties. Jesus was our intercessor taking on the worlds sins to protect us.

But as we read in Luke 11 Jesus reminds us of the importance of intercession -of asking for what we need and this is evident in many readings .

But have we the courage to ask and to accept the response to our request.

Asking for something for ourselves does not always come readily to us. It may be easier to ask for a favour for someone else.

Asking , searching and knocking are evidence of a person in need but it is not always easy to believe that God will give if we ask. There have been times in my life when I believed my prayer had not been answered.

Prayer is always heard by God but not always answered as we might want. Jesus said to persevere in our requests and he will give us what we need but not always what we want.

I ask Jesus to teach me to pray better, to have a childlike trust in God and his love for me. And for the ability to trust him when my prayers are not answered as I expect them to be.

FINAL PRAYER: An Intercessory prayer from Burrswood Community in UK

Let us by an act of will place ourselves in the presence of our Lord, and with an act of faith ask that He will empty us of self and of all desire that His most blessed will may be done, and that it may illumine our hearts and minds. We can then gather together all those for whom our prayers have been asked, and hold them silently up to Him, making no special request-neither asking or beseeching, but just resting, with them, in Him, desiring nothing but that our Lord may be glorified in them.

Amen.