Verse Highlight:
Matthew 15:29-31 “Departing from there, Jesus went along by the Sea of Galilee, and having gone up on the mountain, He was sitting there. And large crowds came to Him, bringing with them those who were lame, crippled, blind, mute, and many others, and they laid them down at His feet; and He healed them. So the crowd marveled as they saw the mute speaking, the crippled restored, and the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.”
Dear Moms,
I am in awe of Jesus for so many reasons, but the fact that He was continually interrupted and pulled on by people who needed things from Him and He never lost His mind? Well, that is certainly a wonder. At least to me. I love my kids. All of them. More than I ever knew was possible. My heart feels like it has literally grown because of them! It is almost overwhelming sometimes. But even with all of that being true, I sometimes just want to say, “Leave me alone! Don’t touch me! I don’t know! Please just be quiet!” even when they are not doing anything at all except simply trying to be with me. In those moments I know that they are not the problem, but I still struggle to respond to them with kindness. Most—if not all—moms can identify with moments like this. (I may even know a mom that used to “hide” for a moment of quiet in her closet. I know this, because it was me!*)
It can be difficult to have the unending pressure of someone else needing you—especially if they aren’t considerate of even your basic needs! That is why it is so amazing to me that Jesus would look at the crowds of people interrupting His life with such compassion and care. Always. How did He do this? And, can we be like this too?
I do think that there is a key to this: Jesus spent a lot of time in prayer. He would go off by Himself & spend time with His Father. And while I think these times contained talking, listening, and probably just being with the Father, we do have a blueprint for creating the same type of experience in prayer.
Matthew 11:1-13 “It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also 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 also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.’”
I learned this prayer when I was young, and the older I get, the more I understand the wisdom it contains. If I shape my prayers—and my life—by these principles, the more connected I am to the Father and the more I change to be like Him. (Just recently I’ve started praying this each night with my youngest girls and it’s been amazing!) So, let’s take some time to ponder these words.
Give us each day our daily bread = Thank you Lord, that you provide everything we need each day! That means there is no reason to worry or try to make our own way. Instead, we can trust confidently in your care for us and ability to provide all that we need every single day!
Forgive us our sins = Forgive me, Father for all the ways I have failed and fallen short. Thank you for the mercy and grace you extend to me every single day.
We forgive everyone who is indebted to us = Right now we forgive everyone who has wronged us and extend them mercy and grace. We trust You to cover and make things right and we completely release the need for justice, knowing you bring good out of every situation on our behalf.
Lead us not into temptation = We trust you to lead me on the path we should go. We ask you to help us to know you and your ways, that we may live according to them all of our lives.
Do you see how letting these words into your heart could change the way you see? Do you feel the hope in them? They lead us into rest because we are free from sin, bitterness and worry! Instead, we have received forgiveness, offered it to others & been reminded that God is our guide and Provider. From that position, it becomes so much easier to respond to others with grace, compassion, and genuine love and care!
Today’s Action Step:
Pray! Take time to pray the Lord’s Prayer. You can use your own words or the ones above. The important thing is to allow the meaning of the Words to connect deep inside of you and to connect your heart with the Lord in the process.
May these words be filled with life and refreshment for you, and may these days be filled with great joy and love!