Has it been awhile since our last devotional? Indeed it has, and I must apologize for the lack thereof. Things have been a little bit hectic around me for the last month and that has sort of knocked me off track from writing these every week. I am thinking of delegating some of the web site responsibilities to some other youth within the Entourage and that should make this page a more efficient work. Now, on to the Word...

        You cannot throw a rock without hitting someone with a burden that rests upon their hearts. No one is excluded from facing things in this life that they themselves have a tough time facing alone. The Word of God instructs us that every man shall bear his own burden and since that is true, we should help everyone by sharing their burdens. Yet, there remains a problem with sharing the burdens of one another. We as fellow human beings do not possess the qualities that it takes to fix problems that are beyond our control. I mean, if a neighbor needs a cup of sugar, then bring on the cup. If they need to borrow some gasoline for their lawnmower, then call me John Deere. But what about that friend of yours who has a lost spouse, child, or co-worker? What about that friend who has just found out that they have a life-altering disease? And do not forget the friend who suffers from depression, or the one who just lost their job or maybe even a loved one. These things cannot be fixed by what we can give out. They go beyond mere day-to-day issues. We must go to the bread store.

        It is really no surprise that Jesus would refer to what this person (whom we will call The Persistent Friend) was needing as bread ("loaves"). Bread is a natural symbol for what we need everyday in order to sustain life. Jesus referred to Himself as "the Bread of Life," and He also used bread at His last Passover Meal to depict His body which was broken for us. So bread is important and what we carry to God in prayer ought to be important as well.

        The first time the Persistent Friend went to his Friend's house at midnight, the Friend told him that He did not want to be bothered because everyone was already in bed. The one-room houses that were common in Palestine had a common sleeping area which was shared by the entire family. If one person arose and lit a lamp to get bread, all would be awakened. Normally, this would dishearten anyone and we would go away empty handed. But the Persistent Friend stayed around and pleaded for the bread because of its importance. Jesus said that because of this, the other Friend arose and gave him as many as he needeth. How important is your prayer to you? How long are you willing to stick around, believing that your Friend will get up and give you what you need?

        We could probably really go into this a lot farther, but I would like to share just a few more things and then we will end this week's devotional. There are three steps that I would like you to try with a close friend of yours before this year is over. Try to establish this a normal custom that you do every week. Get with your friend and do the following:

#1.) SHARE - You cannot pray for one another's needs if you do not know what their needs are. You certainly do not have to be graphic in your prayer request because God certainly knows all about it anyway. Yet, allow the person to go to God about a specific need. The Persistent Friend did not go his Friend's house to ask him for anything in general; rather it was something specific that they needed for their journey.

#2.) CARE - When your Friend talks to you, listen. Pay attention to what the need truly is and then care enough to take this need to God more than just one time. Jacob cared so much about a blessing one time that he ended up getting his name changed to Israel and walked the rest of the days with a limp because the power of God touched him in his persistence. Can you imagine that? I don't think I would care too much about a limp if that had happened to me! So get concerned and then get ahold of God.

#3.) PRAYER - I just had to make it rhyme, didn't I? This step is the most important. You can share and care until the cows come home, but it will not make any difference until you take it to God. He is the bread store and His house has every solution for every problem. This is also a good point on who to associate yourself with. The friend of the Persistent Friend must have taken great comfort that the Persistent Friend had a Friend in the highest place. Hang around people that you know will go to God whenever you need them to too. It might just mean the difference between having bread and going without.


Did you all make it out of Acts yet? That seems like such a long time ago. How about reading the story of Jacob's experience in prayer with God and find out why he called that place Peniel. That is recorded in Genesis 32:22-32. Also, make a list of those things that you would consider Bread that you would want others to help you pray about.