New Testament in a Year
How to Pray
11 And it happened that while he was in a certain place praying, when he stopped a certain one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.” 2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say,
“Father,
may your name be treated as holy.
May your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread.
4 And forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And do not lead us into temptation.”
Ask, Seek, Knock
5 And he said to them, “Who of you will have a friend, and will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 because a friend of mine has come to me on a journey, and I do not have anything to set before him.’ 7 And that one will answer from inside and[a] say, ‘Do not cause me trouble! The door has already been shut and my children are with me in bed! I am not able to get up to give you anything.’[b] 8 I tell you, even if he does not give him anything[c] after he[d] gets up because he is his friend, at any rate because of his impudence[e] he will get up and[f] give him whatever he needs.
9 And I tell you, ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened for you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 But what father from among you, if his[g] son will ask for a fish, instead of a fish will give him a snake? 12 Or also, if he will ask for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 Therefore if you, although you[h] are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father from heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”
A House Divided Cannot Stand
14 And he was expelling a mute demon.[i] Now it happened that when[j] the demon came out, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were astonished. 15 But some of them said, “By Beelzebul the ruler of demons he expels demons!” 16 And others, in order to[k] test him,[l] were demanding from him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household[m] falls. 18 So if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I expel demons by Beelzebul. 19 But if I expel demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons expel them?[n] For this reason they will be your judges! 20 But if I expel demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you! 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his possessions are safe.[o] 22 But when a stronger man attacks him and[p] conquers him, he takes away his full armor in which he trusted and distributes his plunder. 23 The one who is not with me is against me, and the one who does not gather with me scatters.
An Unclean Spirit Returns
24 “Whenever an unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it travels through waterless places searching for rest, and does not find it.[q] It says,[r] ‘I will return to my house from which I came out.’ 25 And when it[s] arrives it finds the house[t] swept and put in order. 26 Then it goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and[u] live there. And the last state of that person becomes worse than the first!”
27 Now it happened that as he said these things, a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and[v] said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” 28 But he said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and follow it!”[w]
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