Day 292, Chronological Bible Study Timeline. Map. Go to today’s Bible reading (use your browser arrow to return): Luke 10:21-24; Matthew 11:25-30; Luke 10:38-11:13; Luke 11:27-12:21
What Pleases God?
What pleases God? Is it the sacrifices we make, the services we perform, or the good deeds we do? Is God happy when we donate money to charitable institutions and causes? We don’t have to be in a fog about this; Jesus had many things to say about what pleases God.
Simple Faith Pleases God
To see what pleases God, we need the eyes of faith, the faith of a little child. The Lord is impressed with simple childlike trust in him (Luke 10:21, NIV). When we trust the Lord this way, he is glad to reveal more of himself to us.
Being Attentive to Christ Pleases God
It is more important that we are attentive to Christ than to be busy serving but not listening. This is illustrated in today’s Bible story of Mary and Martha. When Jesus comes to their house, Mary chooses to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to his teaching and counsel. Meanwhile, Martha is busy making meal preparations for Jesus and his twelve disciples. This is quite a chore!
Martha thinks Mary is lazy—she shouldn’t be sitting—there is much work to be done! She appeals to Jesus to have him speak to Mary so she will get up and help her. Mary and Martha live in a male-dominated society. It’s women’s work to prepare the meals for guests while the men talk about religion.
Jesus rebukes Martha, however, telling her that Mary has made a better choice. If Jesus were to come to our house, would we stop to visit, or would we spend the entire time playing the part of the host or hostess?
Here is the good news for Christians. If we have accepted Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross on our behalf, we already have Christ at home in our hearts through the presence of God’s Holy Spirit!(Romans 8:9)God gave him to us when we were converted. We visit with him in our daily times of Bible study and prayer as we are now doing. Actually, any time of the day or night, the Lord is there. Are we ready to listen?
The Right Kind of Prayer Pleases God
The disciples heard Jesus pray and were impressed. At their request, Jesus gives them a sample prayer. This prayer is commonly referred to as “The Lord’s Prayer,” although it is better described as the disciples’ prayer. In it, Jesus instructs them,
When you pray [emphasis mine], say: “Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.” (Luke 11:2-4, NIV)
Elements of the Sample Prayer
- Addressed to the Father. Notice that the Lord tells his disciples to pray to the Father. He does not instruct them to pray to himself or to the Holy Spirit. Nowhere in the Bible are we told to do that. What’s the difference? Aren’t all the same God? Yes, but this is the way He prefers it. Why should we do anything differently? Perhaps some negatively associate the heavenly Father with their earthly father. However, God is good and caring (see how he reveals himself in Exodus 34:6-7). It glorifies God when we pray to the Father, through the Son, by the Holy Spirit.
- In the Lord’s sample prayer, reverence for God and his glory is desired before anything else. How do we come to God when we pray? Do we pause to recognize the holy and magnificent nature of our heavenly Father, or do we just tell him our feelings and give him our list of requests?
- Pray for the coming of his kingdom. When his kingdom comes, war and conflict will cease, and there will be peace on earth. His kingdom is made up of everyone who has a relationship with him through his Son, Jesus (more). God’s will is that we bear witness to his grace and salvation and urge more people to come into his kingdom.
- Pray for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. So many times, we want our will to be done. But God knows best, right? We can pray for at least three things regarding his will: that we seek his will before ours, that we are faithful and true to his Word, and the devil is bound in his influence.
- Pray for your daily bread, your needs—emotional, physical, spiritual, and intercessory. Jesus says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7, NIV). God is pleased to give good things to us, his children in the faith.
- Ask forgiveness for daily sins (something Jesus didn’t need to do). One of the writers of the Psalms says,
If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me! (Psalm 66:18-20, NIV).
God wants to answer our prayers, so we need to be forgiving and receive forgiveness.Last, lead us into temptation, or in other words, lead us away from it. The devil will lure and ruin us if he can. We are in a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:10-18), but arming ourselves is not enough. We need the power or ability to fight; therefore, we need to pray (Ephesians 6:10-18). God is pleased when we ask him for help, and he will give us the ability to withstand temptations or flee from them.
God is Pleased When we Serve with Genuine Motives
God is not impressed with just looking good. How much we give to a church or other charities, our position in the community, expertise in teaching or preaching God’s Word, or our evangelism and discipleship doesn’t matter if we have the wrong motivations.
Like washing a cup and leaving the inside dirty are those who are falsely religious. The Pharisees were consumed with the ceremonial washing of hands, utensils, and appearing religious. Jesus wants us to be humble and to act with justice and mercy. (Micah 6:8).
God is Pleased when we Live Sacrificially for God and are not Ashamed
God doesn’t want us fearful of losing everything if we follow him. Many turn away from Christ when faced with possible sacrifices, but God doesn’t want us to seek comfort and ease, and he doesn’t want us to lay up treasures for ourselves. The Lord wants us to be generous in giving both our resources and ourselves to his work. He will take care of us. It may be a cliche, but it is still true, Where God leads, he provides.
a more complete version of the prayer is recorded in Matthew 6:9-13
Discussion
What kinds of things really please God?
