READ: DEUTERONOMY 6:4-9; LUKE 11:1-13

In the churches I’ve grown up in, prayers were almost always made up on the spot. And these prayers are great! But lately, I’ve also been appreciating pre-written prayers. And I’m not the only one! In the early church, it wasn’t uncommon for Christians to pray the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:1-4) three times a day. And before that, the Israelites would regularly recite a prayer called the Shema (based on Deuteronomy 6:4-9) and the Ten Commandments (found in Exodus 20:1-17; Deuteronomy 5:6-21) as part of their prayers.

While spontaneous prayer is certainly important, I think these pre-written prayers offer a lot of value as well. They can remind us of the unchanging truth of the gospel, center us (the church) around our mission, and keep us focused on God’s goodness. Plus, sometimes when I’m praying, I don’t have the words to say. These pre-written prayers can give me a place to start, and they can be a jumping-off point—something in these prayers will often remind me of something else I want to talk to God about, thank Him for, or ask Him for.

And, by reciting these prayers, we are joining in with a tradition thousands of years old. We can pray prayers that have been prayed by hundreds of generations of people following God. And they’ll be prayed for years and generations to come. Not only that; we’re also uniting with believers around the world. These prayers have been spoken in thousands of languages by people from hundreds of different cultures. How amazing is that?

By trusting in Jesus, believing in His death and resurrection, we are united with our loving God and with each other. Reciting these prayers alongside our spontaneous prayers, especially with other believers, can be a powerful way to remember these truths. • Taylor Eising

• Consider taking a moment to reread Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and Luke 11:1-13. What can these passages tell us about who God is? What can they tell us about who we are?

• As we read prayers from the Bible, we may end up memorizing them, and we can also use them as models for our own spontaneous prayers. Remember, pre-written prayers are great, but we shouldn’t stop making up our own prayers, too! Consider writing down some ideas of ways you could incorporate a prayer from the Bible (there are lots to choose from) into your life. Perhaps you could pray it before a meal, when you wake up, when you go to bed, with friends or family, etc.

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” Luke 11:1 (NIV)

READ: PROVERBS 11:14; 12:15; 15:22; 20:18

Do you have people in your life who want to give you advice, like parents, teachers, pastors, counselors, or coaches? They want us to listen to what they have to say, and often we can be tempted to shrug them off, but there may be a lot we can learn from them.

Someone who has been through different seasons of life can offer a lot of wisdom, and not in the “I-told-you-so” kind of way. There are people who genuinely care and want to help. And the Bible tells us how wonderful this kind of advice can be: “The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense” (Proverbs 27:9).

When we seek the advice of others, we can be given more direction. Fellow Christians can point us to Christ and help us discern what He wants for our lives. Because the truth is, God doesn’t expect us to be able to figure everything out on our own. He provides loving wisdom and guidance through His Word, His Spirit, and His people. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus—believing in His life, death, and resurrection—He gives us the Holy Spirit, who gives all wisdom. And He gives us the church—people who follow Jesus and also have the Holy Spirit inside of them. Through the church, we can surround ourselves with people who can offer biblical advice so we can do what Proverbs 19:20 says: “Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life.” When we talk to mature Christians, they can help us align our plans with God’s good ways. So often, it’s easy to see the way we want things to go, but when we turn to different advisors, we can see if we are on the right track or completely off base.

It’s a blessing to have these people in our lives. Sometimes, it feels like other people want to criticize what we’re doing, but when we humbly seek the advice of others and truly listen to their wisdom, it can have a profound impact on our lives. • Tynea Lewis

• Have you ever been hesitant to ask for advice because you were afraid of being criticized, demeaned, or teased? This is not how God treats us, and it’s not how He calls us to treat each other. Consider taking some time to talk to Him about your hurts and the ways people have looked down on you, receiving His compassion and healing.

• What is one thing you’re facing that you could use advice on? Who are mature Christians in your life you can go to for advice, people who display the kind of wisdom described in James 3:13-18? If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the future.

Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success. Proverbs 15:22 (NLT)

READ: MATTHEW 11:28-30; GALATIANS 1:10; COLOSSIANS 3:23-24

Have you ever felt pressure to get straight As or be the best athlete on the field? There are so many things in this world telling us to be the best at this or that. When we feel this pressure on our shoulders, it can start to crush us.

The truth is, it can be good to use the skills and abilities God has given us as we work hard for things and do our best—this can be an act of worship, honoring to God. But once we allow ourselves to be controlled by achieving the highest standing because we want to be well-liked, accepted, or feel valuable, then we know we’ve crossed a line. This can be a sign that we’re starting to forget that we are perfectly loved, accepted, and valued in Christ.

And when we forget this truth, we start allowing ourselves to do things for the approval of other people, turning away from what God wants for us. Instead of walking in God’s good ways because His unshakeable love has transformed our hearts, we begin to do things to get people to like us or accept us.

But, when we return to the truth of the gospel and we start to turn our focus on God, His Spirit works in us to align our thoughts, words, actions, and attitudes with His good ways. In the gospel, we see how Jesus died and rose again to make the way for us to be with Him, free from sin and death. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that He is always with us. He loves us, He will never leave us, and we never have to earn His approval. This truth changes everything. When we rest in God’s love, we begin to do things out of our love for Him instead of to earn the approval of people. • Tynea Lewis

• When are you most tempted to idolize the approval of the people around you? Consider spending some time in prayer, asking Jesus to show you where you’re chasing after human approval, and to help you rest in His perfect love instead.

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. Romans 15:7 (NIV)