November 6
(Psalm 119:169-173 NIV) “May my cry come before you, O Lord; give me understanding according to your word. {170} May my supplication come before you; deliver me according to your promise. {171} May my lips overflow with praise, for you teach me your decrees. {172} May my tongue sing of your word, for all your commands are righteous. {173} May your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen your precepts.”
(Matthew 7:7-11 NIV) “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. {8} For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. {9} Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? {10} Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? {11} If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
In some Christian circles, it has become a virtue to pray for everyone but ourselves. Some even feel like personal prayer is selfish; that all of our prayer energy should be focused outward. But this is not the pattern we have seen in the Psalms. In our passage for today the words “my” and “me” are used nine times in just five verses. The Psalm writer had no qualms about offering up personal prayer asking God to help him and bless him. Jesus told His disciples to pray for themselves at times. He noted that the Father wants to give good things to His children, but He wants them to ask Him… ask, not demand. James 4:2 tells us that, often, we do not have because we do not ask God. Of course, not all prayer should be personal. We need a balance of inward and outward focused prayer. But Christians who refuse to pray for themselves are being less than fully obedient to the Lord. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day