August 16 -- John 4: 1-7 "Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. And he had to pass through Samaria. So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, 'Give me a drink.'"
Prayer focus for today: Our scripture passage for today seems insignificant, at best. A 'slow news' story for sure, in most people's eyes. However, if you know the back story, you see that Jesus didn't back down from an opportunity to buck cultural traditions. (More on this tomorrow.) He didn't just follow what was expected of an upright and 'proper' religious man of the time and area, He did what He was called to do.
Pray today that, no matter where you live, what your 'cultural' rules are, or what you have done in the past, you will stand firm in the way of Jesus and faithfully serve Him. Pray against the stronghold that our cultures have on us, so that we may all seek Christ's culture (the expectation that is taught to us in the Holy Bible). Praying today that we will treasure our individual cultures, but that when we choose to follow Jesus, we will submit everything to following "Christian culture". Pray that you and I will be able to discern what we need to shed in our lives that is just a comfortable cultural tradition / belief and truly shine for Christ in this dark and dying world.
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