Unity Presbyterian Church

Monday, June 8
Scripture - 1 Kings 3:5

5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I should give you.”

Prayer Focus: We continue this week with the series “The Kingdom of Heaven is like …” and we will consider two more parables Jesus tells toward the end of the week. But as those parables are quite short, we begin this week with a different text about a king. In 1 Kings 3, we find David’s son Solomon just beginning to reign as King of Israel. The Lord appears to Solomon in a dream and says, “Ask what I should give you.” If you had an opportunity to ask God for whatever you wanted, what would be your request? Pray that you might carefully consider what you might ask for, and then lift it up to the Lord in prayer. For God desires to hear the deepest wishes of your heart.

Sunday, June 7
Scripture - Matthew 13:29-30

29 But he replied, ‘No, for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. 30 Let both of them grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’ ”

Prayer Focus: The householder responds to the slaves’ question about going to gather the weeds by telling them to leave the weeds alone. The risk of damaging the wheat along with the weeds is too great. Even though the weeds were sown by an enemy, they will be allowed to grow alongside the wheat because that is ultimately better for the wheat. At the harvest time they will be separated, but for now let both the wheat and the weeds grow. What does that tell you about what the kingdom of heaven is like? Pray that you might enter into this parable and find your own response today.

Thursday, June 4
Scripture - Matthew 13:24-26

24 He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while everybody was asleep an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and then went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well.

Prayer Focus: Jesus tells a second parable. The kingdom of heaven is like someone who sowed good seed in his field and yet an enemy comes and sows weeds in the same field. So when the plants came up and bore grain, the weeds appeared as well. Although I am definitely not a farmer, I recognize the strangeness of how this parable begins. The kingdom of heaven seems like it should be good and pure, right? But Jesus says it is like a field where wheat and weeds are growing together, and the weeds were intentionally placed there by an “enemy.” Pray that you might recognize the complexity of being and living as part of the kingdom of heaven here and now.