Weekly Devotion in Luke 11

Since our servers have only recently come back up, wanted to post the questions for you guys. It's all part of our Devotions, which we do daily: going to God's Word and asking ourselves, "What can I learn about myself? What can I learn about God? How is He speaking to me today?" We meditate on one passage (usually a chapter) for the entire week, focusing on different parts of the chapter each day. Our Scripture Devotion is Luke 11 this week.

The questions are really useful to help us start thinking about the text. Here they are:

Monday, March 2
Luke 11:1-4
• How does addressing God as “father” change my view about prayer and how I relate to God?
• What is implied in praying for the honor due to God’s name and His kingdom before other prayer topics (cf. Matthew 6:33)?
• How often do I pray for forgiveness for my sins?
• What is the relationship between confessing my sins and being able to forgive others?
• Write a personal version of the Lord’s Prayer with the following specific points:
- In what way do I want to see God’s name being hallowed and where do I want God’s kingdom to come to?
- What is the daily bread that I need to ask God for?
- What specific sins do I need to ask God to forgive today?
- Who are the people I need to forgive?
- What temptation do I need to be delivered from?

Tuesday, March 3
Luke 11:1-11
• What does Jesus’ instruction to pray for “[God's] will [to] be done on earth as it is in heaven” imply about what is happening on the earth?
• What can I learn about the importance of prayer and my role in advancing God’s will?
• What is the main point of the parable of the friend seeking bread at midnight and what lesson does it teach about prayer?
• Are there some situations in my life where I am refusing to come to God in prayer? What does this reveal about my view of God?
• How should v.9 be understood in the context of vv.10-13? What would cause a person to desire the Holy Spirit as the gift that they ask from God?

Wednesday, March 4
Luke 11:14-20
• What is revealed about the people who questioned Jesus’ authority after witnessing this miracle?
• Notice that the Pharisees could not possibly have known that Jesus drove out demons by Beelzebub. What, then, explains the authoritative and knowing tone of their pronouncement regarding the true source of Jesus’ power?
• In what ways am I, or have I been, like the Pharisees?
• In what ways has “the kingdom of God [...] come upon [me]“? What has been my response to this?

Thursday, March 5
Luke 11:14-26
• What does the empty house symbolize?
• What constitutes a house being swept clean and put in order?
• How does this passage clearly show the reality of two kingdoms in this world (the stronger man vs. the strong man)?
• What warning does this passage give to those who “clean up their lives” but do not allow God to fully occupy?
• How much do I see being occupied with God’s presence and His work as protection over my life?
• How much am I relying on the stronger man Jesus to “overpower” the strong man sin in me?

Friday, March 6
Luke 11:27-32
• Why does Jesus consider a person blessed “who hear[s] the word of God and obey[s]?”
• Why is Jesus’ response to the Pharisees’ demand for a miraculous sign so harsh?
• How is the Son of Man for “three days and three nights [being] in the heart of the earth” enough sign for us to respond to God?
• What is Jesus saying about the efficacy of “miraculous signs” to change the attitude of someone already prejudiced against submitting to Christ?

Saturday, March 7
Luke 11:33-36
• What may be the reason why Jesus talks about lighting a lamp and placing it on an unconcealed place right after reminding the crowd that the men of Nineveh repented after Jonah’s preaching (v. 32)? In this context, what does the light from the lamp symbolize? Since being filled with darkness or light is dependent on our eyes (v.34), what determines the good or bad condition of our eyesight (perception)?
• What lessons can I learn regarding the power of the eyes (i.e., what I see / focus on)?
• What have my “eyes” been full of? What has that done to my heart?

Sunday, March 8
Luke 11:37-53
• Why were the Pharisees consumed with their outward religious activities but negligent of their inner self?
• Why was this so disturbing to Jesus?
• Why was Jesus particularly harsh with the Pharisees and the teachers of the law?
• Reflect on the six woes. Which one am I guilty of?
• What are the inconsistencies in my life that I have not been acknowledging?
• What are things that God cares about that I am ignoring?