FAITHFULNESS IN PRAYER IS ESSENTIAL TO SUCCESS IN MAKING RIGHT CHOICES.

Bible Reading of the Day: Read Luke 11:5-10.

Verse of the Day: “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).

“Hey, Dad, watch this!” Mindy called to her father, who was just getting home from work. She dribbled toward the basketball hoop in their driveway and, in one smooth motion, leaped and dunked the basketball through the hoop.

“Excellent!” Dad said. “You’re getting really good, Mindy.”

“I should be,” Mindy said, propping the basketball between her hip and forearm as she walked beside her dad. “I practice every day. Sometimes I even get pointers from Brad, the kid down the street who plays for the high school.”

“Keep it up,” Dad said. “You’ll break Brad’s records someday.”

Mindy beamed at her dad, then returned to the driveway to shoot more baskets as Dad went in the house. Mindy’s mom greeted him with a smile and a kiss. Then she told him some news that wiped the smile off his face. Mindy had gotten in trouble—again—for lying to her mother. Dad changed his clothes and returned to the driveway to talk to Mindy.

“Your mother told me you lied to her again,” he said.

Mindy nodded gloomily. “I’m trying to be good, Dad, I really am,” she said. She placed the basketball on the pavement and sat on the ball. “I’m trying really hard. It’s just not working.”

Dad crouched beside her. “That’s because the key to making right choices isn’t trying, honey.”

“Well,” Mindy said, throwing her hands in the air, “I’ve tried praying about it!” “You have?”

“Yeah. I asked God to help me, and nothing’s changed.”

“Have you kept asking?” Dad asked. Mindy’s question was written on her face, so he continued. He nodded toward the basketball hoop. “How good would you be at basketball if you took one or two shots a month?”

Mindy rolled her eyes. “Terrible,” she said.

“Well,” Dad said, “maybe that’s why you’re struggling so much with lying to your mom. Sure, you’ve prayed about it—once or twice. But if you really want to make right choices, you need to show as much faithfulness in prayer as you do in basketball.” “You’re right,” Mindy said. “I’ll start praying every day … starting today!” “Good!” Dad said. “Now, how about a game of ‘Around the World’?” “OK,” Mindy said. “But first I have to go apologize to Mom.”

TO DISCUSS: Do you think you could do better at making right choices if you prayed every day? Why or why not? Have you asked God to help you make right choices? What do you need to do in order to make right choices?

TO PRAY: “Lord, we want to make a habit of coming to you for help in making right choices. We depend on you for direction.”

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