Greeting and good morning to my friends @blurt.
What does your prayer life look like? I think most of us might admit it could always be better, at least I know I can. It seems to me that I go in waves of obedience towards prayer. Sometimes I spend every idle moment praying and others I let worry or fruitless thoughts clutter my mind and steal my time. I know that I need prayer as much as the world needs the prayers I speak.
There is something wonderful that God gives us when we pray. There is a peace and a closeness to our God that floods me with grace and mercy towards others. I see how it affects every part of my day. My patience is sweeter, my joy deeper. Yet, like the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane, I can almost hear Jesus tell me,
“The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)
My mind too often wanders, and my words trail away until I have forgotten my duty.
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I am often encouraged and chastised by Matthew Henry’s words, “Pray, pray often; make a business of prayer, and be serious and earnest in it. Ask as a beggar asks alms. Ask as a traveler asks the way. Seek, as for a thing of value that we have lost, or as the merchantman that seeks goodly pearls… Whatever you pray for, according to the promise, shall be given you, if God thinks it fit for you.”
But how do we pray? Honestly, there is no magic formula. There are no certain words that need to be included. Ending in ‘amen’ doesn’t make it so, neither does adding ‘in Jesus’ name.’ Jesus gave us an outline in Matthew 6:9-13, but our prayers do not have to always follow that pattern. What is important is the heart reaching out to the Lord. The Lord’s Prayer, as we know Jesus’ example, is a great outline for us to understand the essence of our prayer life.
a) Praise
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,”
Starting off our prayer time with praise focuses our thoughts on God. Psalm 100:4 tells us,
“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.”
Our thanksgiving and our praise ushers us into God’s presence. It focuses our minds onto what truly matters. I can’t tell you how many times I have intended on praying for something only to be satisfied with praise. Praising God for everything He has done and vocalizing His strength and ability to provide and protect has alleviated my worries and fears so that I left my time of praise with as much peace as if I had spent hours on my knees begging for God to move in my defense.
b) Obedience
“Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
There are no limits to what we can pray for; however, we waste our time when we pray for something that goes against God’s will. Jesus showed us that prayer needs to align with God’s will over our own when he prayed before his arrest.
Luke 22:42 records him saying,
“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
It doesn’t hurt to ask God for what we want, but we must admit that His will far exceeds our own desires. When we align our desires up with God’s will, we will always receive what we want – God’s will to be done. This is why Charles Stanley once said,
“God detests the prayers of a man who has no delight in His Word. When we live with a closed Bible, we live with a closed heaven; God will not answer our prayers.”
The only way we know the will of God is to read His word. Aligning our prayers with the truth of the Bible and the promises of scripture ensures we are praying in obedience and not greed.
c) Provision
“Give us today our daily bread.”
Who ever said we cannot ask God for the things we need? God is a good father. Jesus asked,
“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:11)
d) Forgiveness
“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
In Luke 6:37-38 Jesus said,
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
It is important for us to confess our sins and ask for forgiveness. It is also equally as important for us to let go of and forgive others. It isn’t always easy. That is why it is important for us to make sure we are diligent about adding this to our prayers. We each need forgiveness, and we each need to forgive.
Sometimes we press those slights against us down inside our heart and try not to think about them, but they are still there. We should regularly examine our hearts to expose those areas which need forgiveness. Unforgiveness can taint our Christian walk and steal our joy.
e) Freedom from Temptations
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
Just as we must focus on the past in our prayers, we should also focus on the future. Temptations will come. By praying for deliverance from future attacks of the enemy, we strengthen our ability to resist his temptations. 2 Thessalonians 3:2-3 tells us,
“And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith. But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.”
We need to be ready when temptation calls. The time to prepare is before the attack, not during. Praying for strength against temptations also reminds us that we will be tempted. This places our hearts on guard and keeps our eyes open to areas in our lives where temptation may arise.
The Lord’s prayer is the only prayer that we can utter. Scripture is filled with many different types of prayers and many different situations. By giving us this example, Jesus helped us focus our thoughts on what is truly important. Whether you pray in the morning, at night, or in the car as you commute to work, make a business of prayer.
Make prayer something to look forward to. It is afterall that moment when you enter into God’s presence and speak to Him as a child to a father. Be honest. Be open. Be obedience, and be willing to put feet to your prayers when the opportunity arises.
Shalom