Matthew 6: 5 “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
7 “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! 9 Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10 May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today the food we need,2 and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. 13 And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.
14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. I have never been a fan of the Lord's prayer.. not because I don't like it.. I guess it is because it isn't saying much that I want to say.. I have always felt that praying is a conversation between me and God... I'm not saying that is right.. more of saying that is what I feel.. I know that in prayer I state my side of the conversation.. then I am to remain silent for a while mentally and allow God to say His side... but how often do we really take the time to listen for God to speak?
Jesus tells us not to babble on and on repeating ourselves.. how often do we do that? I would say that I do that quite often... I want God to hear me and answer me.. NOW... even if He says no.. just speak to me about what I want to hear about!! but that isn't really how God works most of the time.. most of our situations or issues in life are not really for us to get an answer right now.. instead I think they are being used to change us...
the things Jesus tells us to pray about is to #1 tell God how great He is all all that He means to us... #2 ask for food.. #3 ask forgiveness of our sins (which would mean we are doing this more than once a day even.. as we sin far more often than we realize.. and surely much of it is not intentional and sometime we don't even realize we have sinned..) #4 keep us giving in to temptation... not keep us from temptation.. but instead to keep us from giving in to it... meaning temptation is not optional.. but God wants us to stand against it...
I am sure that I don't pray right... I am sure that I am more focused on what I want God to change in my world rather than focusing on all that is wrong with me... surely that is a sign... surely that is part of what would keep my prayers from being answered right away! I determine today to change this in me.. I am determining to focus on what God wants from me.. more than what I want from God.. and to stick with the change!
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