- Covered In His Dust
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- Luke Chapter 11
Good morning! ☀️
"When disciples followed a rabbi, they followed him closely so they would never be out of his sight, never be someplace where they couldn’t hear him speak. They followed him so closely that his sandals often kicked up dust."
May you be covered in His dust.
If this is your first time getting Covered in His Dust, WELCOME! Please read Chapter 11 before reading my notes. They’ll make more sense. Read Luke 11 HERE.
Are you ready? Let’s go!
I grew up Catholic and memorized the Lord’s Prayer at a young age. To this day, I can still recite it. I love that. Unfortunately, they were just words for most of my life. I don’t think I understood what I was saying. Not really.
I think it’s that way with many Christians today. We read the Bible but aren’t fully grasping or internalizing its message. We read that God is almighty and that He’s powerful, but we rarely experience it in our lives. Our faith is stale.
“Stale godliness is ungodliness. Let our religion be as warm, and constant, and natural as the flow of the blood in our veins. A living God must be served in a living way.”
As Christians, we often profess, “God is love,” but don’t feel loved.
Lord, teach us to pray,
If you grasp one message this year, make it this one. The power of prayer.
Let’s look at Matthew’s more detailed version from the Sermon on the Mount:
And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Jesus is warning against using empty or meaningless words in prayer, similar to the practice of the Gentiles, who were non-Jewish people at that time. Gentiles were known for their lengthy and repetitive prayers, believing that the more they spoke, the more likely their prayers would be heard by their gods.
Jesus was teaching that the effectiveness of prayer isn’t determined by the quantity of words used. It’s about sincerity and authenticity.
“Pray then like this:”
Jesus is giving us a pattern, not an exact prayer.
This isn’t the prayer Jesus prays; it’s a model for you and me. Jesus would never say, “Forgive me.” He’s without sin.
We begin prayer by focusing on God.
Our Father in heaven,
Don’t miss this.
It’s not until the New Testament that Jesus reveals that God is “our Father,” and that’s what He’s teaching us here.
19.5 million children under 18 grow up without a father in the home. That’s about 1 in 4 children in the United States growing up without a father present.
Of the remaining children, how many fathers are home but absent? How many children are physically or emotionally abused?
The point is that many adults have not had a good experience with a father and find it hard to relate to "our Father in Heaven.”
So that’s the leap, and that’s the foundation of the prayer that Jesus is teaching. Understanding that God is the perfect Father.
A little later in Luke 11, Jesus SHOWS us the difference between an earthly father and a perfect Father,
“If 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!”
When we start our prayers with “Our Father in heaven,” we acknowledge our perfect Father. Our almighty Father. Our omnipotent (all-powerful) Father.
If you just fully grasp THAT today, your prayer life will begin to transform.
Our ministry has grown, and many others now do the work I used to do. I’m less available. If someone wants to meet with me, they must go through a few screens to ensure someone else can’t help them better.
But when my kids in the United States call, I drop what I’m doing and take that call. If my little ones come into my office to talk, they don’t need to go through the same screens.
I’m their father.
And that’s how God wants us to come to Him.
Hallowed be Your name.
"Hallowed" means to be revered, honored, or considered holy. It is an acknowledgment of God's sanctity and greatness.
By saying, "Hallowed be your name," we’re expressing a desire for God's name to be treated with reverence and respect, recognizing the sacredness and majesty of God. It’s a commitment to honoring and glorifying God's name in our prayers and in our lives.
When we pray like that, we begin to evaluate how we live.
Are my actions honoring God?
Are my thoughts honoring God?
Are my relationships honoring God?
Remember, it’s not, “I don’t do that,” but rather, “WHERE do I do that?”
Take a minute and ask yourself, “Where am I dishonoring God in my life?”
Do I dishonor God at my job?
Do I dishonor God in the way I treat my wife?
Do I dishonor God in the movies I watch or the music I listen to?
Do people see Christ honored in the way you treat others?
Your kingdom come,
“Your Kingdom come,” is a petition for God's ultimate reign to be established and realized on earth. It expresses the desire for God's rule, righteousness, and sovereignty to bring peace, justice, and repair brokenness.
God is not only “our Father,” He’s the King of Kings.
Do you believe that?
Your Father is King, and YOU are His child?
If that’s true… and it is, your life has to reflect ROYALTY.
And this is the question of questions. It’s as important as they get.
How do you become a child of God? An heir? A prince or princess to the King?
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
Those who believe in His name… the name of Jesus… that He came as Savior… will become a child of God.
Notice it doesn’t say you have to be sinless.
Notice it doesn’t say you have to be baptized.
Notice it doesn’t say you have to do things to earn it.,
You
Must
Believe
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.
Jesus talked about the Kingdom of God, emphasizing its present reality and future fulfillment more than any other topic. That should tell us something.
One day the King of Kings will come, and He will set up His Kingdom… and He will reign.
Are you ready for this??? 👇🏽
"If we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us."
Did you know that? As His son or daughter, WE will reign with Him!
“Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
YOUR will Jesus, not mine.
You are Ruler of my life,
You reign over my thoughts,
“On earth, right now, as it is in heaven.”
When you pray that way, you’re saying you’ll do God’s will… right now.
As you pray, think about your day, think about the people you’ll meet, think about what you’ll do after work, and say, “Lord, Your will be done.”
“When I meet with my employees today… how can I bring honor to Your name?”
“When I get home… how can I bring glory to Your name?”
Do you believe it?
That He’s King?
That He’s sovereign?
That you are His child?
That He’s all-powerful?
Do you believe that God is your Father?
Or do you have it mostly handled?
When we have it mostly handled, we’re anxious. Why would we do that? This is God’s promise:
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Prayer isn’t “When my back is up against the wall, then I’ll pray.”
Prayer is entering God’s presence.
Prayer is worship.
Prayer is listening.
Prayer is humbling yourself.
“Lord, I need you. I surrender it all to You. I don’t have it mostly handled.”
When is the best time to pray?
Yes.
The Apostle Paul says, “but in everything (in every situation) by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
In a word, always.
Notice Paul says, “with thanksgiving.” As If… our prayers are already answered.
When did Jesus Pray?
"And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed." Mark 1:35
"And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone." Matthew 14:23
"In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God." Luke 6:12
Give us each our daily bread.
This idea of relying on God to provide "bread" for His people reminds me of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness, where Satan tries to persuade Jesus to turn a stone into bread (Luke 4:3).
Instead, Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 8:3, saying, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone.'"
In Deuteronomy 8, the main point is that Israel must fully depend on God's promises and presence for their nourishment. If Israel trusts God, they will enter the promised land, where they will lack nothing, including an abundance of bread.
"a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper."
“Give us each your promises and presence… daily.”
I love that.
If you learned something or if this study inspired you, I challenge you to share it with a friend. Your personal link to share is below.
I don’t always include a song, but my mom told me how much she loves the music I add. So, Mom, I’m including this one for you. I love you.
I spent a lot of time on just a few verses from Luke and Matthew. It was worth it. Prayer has completely transformed my life; I pray it transforms yours as well.
I’ll do my best to get through Luke 11 on Monday. See you then.
I love you,
George
Son of the King