Beautiful Word: Your Daily Devotion

Daily Scriptural Insights, Curated by the Editors of CT | [View online] [ChristianityToday.org] [Donate] [Beautiful Word Newsletter] Wednesday, November 30, 2016 Today's Verse Powered by the [New Living Translation] "I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them." Matthew 18:19-20 [View in context] Agreeing with Jesus When I joined my college's synchronized swimming team, I found the sport incredibly difficult. It wasn't the flips and kicks and surface dives that gave me trouble; it was synchronizing with my teammates. At first, I tried to watch the other swimmers out of the corner of my eye, matching my motions to theirs. But I quickly realized that this strategy just caused me to lag behind. The only way for the whole team to align was if we each focused on stable points outside ourselves: the beats of the music and our position in the pool. We sometimes approach prayer with other people like rookie synchronized swimmers. We know that Jesus tells us to "agree" with others in prayer, and we desire his promised blessing ("my Father … will do it for you"), but we aren't always sure how to align ourselves. Do we figure out what everyone else wants and pray that? Or do we try to convince others to go along with our prayers? For a group with diverse personalities, needs, and priorities, agreeing in prayer can seem impossible. But Jesus himself provides us with the unchanging focal point that brings us into harmony. We pray together as his followers, under his direction, by his intercession, and for his glory. When we end our prayers, "In Jesus's name, amen" we aren't reciting a meaningless formula; we are humbly submitting all of our individual wills to his one perfect will. We pray in his name, with his brothers and sisters, asking for things that please him. Then, he promises: "I am there." When we agree in prayer, Jesus will draw near. -Megan Hill Reflect: Read Matthew 18:19-20. What is the source of our agreement in prayer with other Christians? The next time you pray with others, delight in knowing that Jesus is there. Pray: When you conclude your prayer with, "In Jesus's name, amen," consider what it means to humbly submit your imperfect desires to his perfect will. Megan Hill is the author of [Praying Together: The Priority and Privilege of Prayer in Our Homes, Communities, and Churches] . You can follow her on Twitter at [@mevanshill]. These devotions draw upon themes in Praying Together by Megan Hill, ©2016, published by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. [www.crossway.org]. [Read devotions online] More for Women [I'm Trying to Forgive Fidel Castro] [I'm Trying to Forgive Fidel Castro] As the daughter of a Cuban refugee, I feel torn between hate and grace. Amanda Martinez Beck [Cohousing: The New American Family] [Cohousing: The New American Family] How alternative forms of living are changing communities, challenging the church, and keeping millennials in the fold. Liuan Huska Follow Us [Facebook] [Twitter] [RSS] [Subscribe to this newsletter] In the Current Issue [December] [Is Addiction a Disease? Yes, and Much More] [Subscriber access only] [The Most Uncomfortable Christmas Verse] [Subscriber access only] [Crossing the Wasteland of Faith] [Subscriber access only] [View Full Issue] [Subscribe Now] Christian Bible Studies [Suffering Redeemed] [Stories of Grace in the Midst of Personal Tragedy] [Multi Session Bible Study] [Beautiful Word] Delivered via email to subscribers daily. [Subscribe] | [Email Preferences] | [Unsubscribe] | [Privacy Policy] | [Advertise] | [Subscribe to CT] You are currently subscribed as: {EMAIL} Copyright ©2016 [ChristianityToday.org], Christianity Today, 465 Gundersen Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188. All rights reserved.