Thursday, August 6, 2015

20150807 WHEN YOU PRAY

WHEN YOU PRAY

Matthew 6:7-8 "When you pray, don't babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.  (8)  Don't be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask Him!

When you give, when you pray- It is assumed that the followers of Jesus Christ will indeed give and pray.

Prayer should be as natural to us as breathing. It is conversation with our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. I appreciate how The Message paraphrases these verses. Matthew 6:7-8 "The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God.  (8)  Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need.

Although there are biblical ways to pray, just saying the same thing over and over does not guarantee the answer you are seeking. That is not to say we should not continue asking for something. We will talk more about this later in this chapter.

Have you ever heard a child ask for something repeatedly without taking a breath? For instance, “Daddy, can I have a drink? Can I have a drink? Can I have a drink? Can I have a drink? Can I have a drink? Can I have a drink?” (No, that was not another computer glitch.) And, while the child is doing this daddy is engrossed in a conversation on the phone. That child will eventually get a drink, but it will probably follow a lecture on interrupting and maybe a time out.

When we repeatedly pray selfish prayers we are just like that child who is clueless about respect and about how much his daddy loves him. That dad wants to bless his child and meet his needs. It is not necessary for the child to ask rudely nor with such urgency. As the child grows up he learns that he can have a conversation with his dad and share thoughts and ideas.

It’s the same for us. Our heavenly Father loves us. He knows what we need long before we ask. He wants us to pray according to His will. To do this we need to know His desires and pray accordingly. Lord willing, we will begin looking at “The Model Prayer” next.


Father in heaven, grant us a desire to pray, to talk to You and to listen to You. And as the disciples asked Jesus, teach us to talk to You with clear understanding of Your love for us, and with faith in Your provision. In Jesus Name, AMEN!!!

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