40 DAYS OF prayer Day 11

THE DISCIPLES OF CHRIST MATTHEW 9:9-10

As a tax collector, Matthew would have been among the most reviled people in town. As a Jew who collected taxes from other Jews, he was surely loathed by his own people. He was also not exactly loved or respected by the Romans-he was still a Jew after all. The money was awfully good though. Once he had collected enough taxes for Rome, anything extra he could squeeze out of the people was his to keep. Tax collecting made for a good living but, as it turns out, not for a very good social life. Maybe this is why Matthew was willing to leave it behind and follow Jesus after hearing just two words: “Follow me.” I wonder if you have ever felt like Matthew-caught between two worlds, never quite fitting in, wanting something this world has to offer so badly that you would trade in something sacred, only to realize it could never satisfy.

PRAYER POINTS: 1. Take a moment to be still and ask God what you can leave behind so that you can better follow Jesus.

2. While you are at school or out in public today, put your phone down and look around. Pray for the people you see who may be feeling abandoned and disconnected like Matthew.

3. Pray that God will stir in their hearts a desire to follow Him-maybe they are waiting on an invitation from someone like you. »by Duane Richards