Father, may your name be held holy, may your kingdom come; give us, each day, the kind of bread we need,
and forgive us our sins; for we also forgive all who do us wrong; and do not bring us to the test.”

Jesus said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to his house in the middle of the night and says,
‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine who is traveling has just arrived, and I have nothing to offer him.’
Maybe your friend will answer from inside,‘Don’t bother me now; the door is locked, and my children and I are in bed,
so I can’t get up and give you anything.’ But I tell you, even though he will not get up and attend to you because you
are a friend, yet he will get up because you are a bother to him, and he will give you all you need.

And so I say to you, ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
For the one who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to him who knocks the door will be opened.

If your child asks for a fish, will you give him a snake instead? And if your child asks for an egg, will you give him a
scorpion? If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father
give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”

Read: Abraham intercedes before Yahweh for Sodom and Gomorrah on account of the good souls there. God forgave
our sins thanks to the intercession of Christ. Jesus teaches the disciples how to pray.

Reflect: The power of intercessory prayer to trump justice in favor of mercy! The cry of justice against Sodom and
Gomorrah had reached the throne of God. However, Abraham takes it upon himself to plead for mercy on the twin cities,
on account of some good souls there. He resorts to bargaining, succeeding all the way to get God to spare the cities if
there were at least ten good souls there. If Abraham bargained with God, Christ’s bargain beats every other: he does so
on behalf of us, offering up himself in our place. Can God ever refuse such an intercession? Jesus assures the disciples
of the power of intercession, when he narrates the parable of a man who pleads for food for his friend who came visiting.
Whatever we ask in prayer, especially when it is on behalf of another, is granted: perhaps not exactly as we desire, but far
better than we can ever imagine.

Pray: Pray interceding for the needs of those around you.

Act: Be the answer to prayer. Identify the need of a neighbor and respond to the same.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2022