Sunday: Commissioning the 70 — Luke 10:1-16
Jesus was preparing to leave His earthly ministry on earth, and He was preparing His disciples to carry on the work after He had gone. When He commissioned the 70, He was establishing a pattern and guidelines for witnessing. The disciples were instructed to go out two-by-two, thus creating foundational support for prayer, doctrine, and accountability. They were told to put their total reliance for sustenance and shelter into God’s hands. Jesus explained to them how to handle situations where they were warmly greeted into a home and how to handle when they were spurned. He sought to thoroughly prepare them for the times to come.
Monday: Return of the 70 — Luke 10:17-24
When the 70 returned, they brought stories of great successes. They had experienced the great power associated with the name of Jesus. The disciples recognized that the power to do the miracles had not come from them. It is important for us to keep that in mind as we minister in our daily walk. What is accomplished for the Kingdom does not come from us. It is a result of our dependence on Him. The more we learn of Him, know of Him, and are helped of Him, the more useful we are in promoting the Kingdom of God.
Tuesday: Good Samaritan — Luke 10:25-37
The parable of the Good Samaritan explains the second great commandment: love thy neighbor as thyself. It reminds us that if Jesus reigns in us, we have a responsibility to our neighbor, regardless of that person’s social class, status, education, or background. Another lesson for us in this parable is that through selfishness and pride we use all manner of excuses to avoid doing what is out of our “comfort zone,” even if it’s the right thing to do.
Wednesday: Mary & Martha — Luke 10:38-42
Martha wasn’t doing something wrong: she was ministering to the needs of Jesus. But our work can become a snare to us if it hinders us from having our souls ministered to by Him. In our spiritual walk there is a time to minister to others, but we must balance that with receiving ministry into us. We need to purpose to give ourselves opportunities to pray, study, and worship so that we become empowered to continue in the work of the ministry.
Thursday: How to Pray — Luke 11:1-4
The disciples ask Jesus to teach them how to pray. His response in Luke has the same basic elements as the prayer in the Sermon on the Mount. Each of these elements fall into the categories identified by the abbreviation “A.C.T.S.”: adoration; confession; thanksgiving; supplication. He instructed them to worship the Father; seek His forgiveness; thank Him; and ask Him for our daily needs. And we can pray in boldness, expecting to receive because we are His children, and He is our Father.
Friday: Persistent Prayer — Luke 11:5-8
Jesus encourages consistence and persistence in prayer. Some people think of persistent prayer as begging God to do something for them. Prayer is much more than just worldly petitions. Prayer centers us. It focuses our minds, hearts, and souls on the will of God. Persistency in prayer isn’t begging. Persistency in prayer is continually searching out the heart of God for our lives.
Saturday: Giving Good Gifts — Luke 11:9-13
We don’t deserve God’s grace and favor, so what can we expect from Him? Jesus uses the illustration of hospitality and giving gifts to our children to show that God wants to give to us. Despite our past failures, God desires to give His children good gifts—gifts of His Holy Spirit, and joy, and life everlasting.