Dan 9:18-19, Luk 11:5-13, Luk 18, Act 1:14, 2:42, 6:4, 12:5 | ESV | STEP | O my God , incline your ear and hear . Open your eyes and see our desolations , and the city that is called by your name . For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness , but because of your great mercy .

18 ^aO my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see ^bour desolations, and ^cthe city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. ^dDelay not, ^efor your own sake, O my God, because ^fyour city and ^gyour people are called by your name.”

Luke 11:5-13

5 And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything ^hbecause he is his friend, yet because of his impudence ^{▼▼Or persistence} he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, ^jask, and ^kit will be given to you; ^lseek, and you will find; ^mknock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for ^{▼▼Some manuscripts insert bread, will give him a stone; or if he asks for} a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, ^owho are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father ^pgive the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Luke 18

The Parable of the Persistent Widow

1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought ^qalways to pray and not ^rlose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who ^sneither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ^t‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And ^uwill not God give justice to ^vhis elect, ^wwho cry to him day and night? ^x, ^yWill he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them ^zspeedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, ^aawill he find faith on earth?”

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

9 He also told this parable to some ^abwho trusted ^acin themselves that they were righteous, ^adand treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men ^aewent up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, ^afstanding by himself, prayed ^{▼▼Or standing, prayed to himself} ^ahthus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 ^aiI fast twice a week; ^ajI give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, ^akstanding far off, ^alwould not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but ^ambeat his breast, saying, ‘God, ^anbe merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For ^aoeveryone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Let the Children Come to Me

15 ^apNow they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they ^aqrebuked them. 16 But Jesus called them to him, saying, ^ar“Let the children come to me, and ^asdo not hinder them, ^atfor to such belongs the kingdom of God. 17 ^auTruly, I say to you, whoever does not ^avreceive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

The Rich Ruler

18 ^awAnd a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to ^axinherit eternal life?” 19 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ^ay‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” 21 And he said, ^az“All these I have kept from my youth.” 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. ^baSell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have ^bbtreasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 23 ^bcBut when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. 24 Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, ^bd“How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter ^bethe kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter ^bfthe kingdom of God.” 26 Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” 27 But he said, ^bg“What is impossible with man is possible with God.” 28 And Peter said, “See, ^bhwe have left our homes and followed you.” 29 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, ^bithere is no one who has left house or wife or brothers ^{▼▼Or wife or brothers and sisters} or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not receive ^bkmany times more ^blin this time, and in ^bmthe age to come eternal life.”

Jesus Foretells His Death a Third Time

31 ^bnAnd taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, ^bowe are going up to Jerusalem, and ^bpeverything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 32 For he will be ^bqdelivered over to the Gentiles and will be ^brmocked and shamefully treated and ^bsspit upon. 33 And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on ^btthe third day he will rise.” 34 ^buBut they understood none of these things. ^bvThis saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar

35 ^bwAs he drew near to Jericho, ^bxa blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. 37 They told him, ^by“Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38 And he cried out, “Jesus, ^bzSon of David, have mercy on me!” 39 And those who were in front ^carebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, 41 ^cb“What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” 42 And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; ^ccyour faith has ^cdmade you well.” 43 And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, ^ceglorifying God. And ^cfall the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

Acts 1:14

14 All these ^cgwith one accord ^chwere devoting themselves to prayer, together with ^cithe women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and ^cjhis brothers. ^{▼▼Or brothers and sisters. The plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) refers to siblings in a family. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, adelphoi may refer either to men or to both men and women who are siblings (brothers and sisters) in God’s family, the church; also verse 15}

Acts 2:42

The Fellowship of the Believers

42 And ^clthey devoted themselves to the apostles’ ^cmteaching and the ^cnfellowship, to ^cothe breaking of bread and the prayers.

Acts 6:4

4 But ^cpwe will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

Acts 12:5

5 So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest ^cqprayer for him was made to God by the church.