05/31/2019
When you have conversations with God, how do you pray? Do you have long and repetitive talks where you repeat yourself over and over again, do you concoct an ornate prayer, or perhaps you use demanding language as if trying to corner God by using His own word and promises as legal documents? My advice this morning is to be humble, considerate of who we are talking to, reverent, concise, and most of all do not turn your prayer into a show.
“"Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.”
Job 38:2-4 ESV
Above all else we should remember who we are talking too, our relationship with Him does not change who He is; we call Him Father, and Abba, but He is also our creator, and the Lord of the universe. He is omnipotent, omnipresent, Holy, and to be honored above all. Listen in our opening scripture to how God speaks to a presumptuous Job, and know that we too must approach God in humility, and with the full knowledge of who He is. We should not fool ourselves into being as Job was, or into behaving as an insolent child.
Jesus taught us how to pray in Matthew 6, as He instructed His disciples. Let's listen to Him...
“"And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.”
Matthew 6:5 ESV
There are common prayers that we recite together, and prayers prayed during sermons and services for instruction, or common edification, but we should be careful in the course of such prayers to be certain that we are not hypocritical in praying them. How can we pray the Lord’s Prayer, or pray for others to conform to the will of God if we are not within it ourselves? How can we teach a congregation, or sinner, how to pray, or accept faith, if we are unfaithful, or going through a crisis of faith ourselves? Acting and praying one way, but living another identifies us as at worse con artist, or at best a hypocrite. Pray who you are, and if that is a person struggling in their belief... pray that the Lord would help you in your disbelief... pray who you are, and ask for help to be more.
“Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe; help my unbelief!"”
Mark 9:24 ESV
Jesus also taught us to pray in secret. This helps us in a couple of ways; first it prevents us from being hypocritical before others (as we just discussed), and second it allows us to open ourselves up completely to Him without fearing the judgement of others.
“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
Matthew 6:6 ESV
How many times have you sat in a classroom, or meeting and not asked a question because you didn’t want to appear dumb? How many times have you wanted to talk with someone about an intimacy, or personal problem, but remained silent out of embarrassment? Praying in secret with God allows us to discuss our innermost fears and secrets without worry because, after all, God already knows. We can reveal the struggle we have with sin, or unrighteous personal thoughts, because He has seen our struggle with them. We can speak of problems in our relationships and get help without causing further harm to them because He will not get His feelings hurt, or be shocked by what we say. Secret prayer remains secret when trusted to God, and He can walk us through these deeply personal times. Pray in secret.
Jesus also spoke of ranting, chanting, and being overly repetitive in prayer. He warned us against such language; listen...
“"And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
Matthew 6:7-8 ESV
We should get to the point when we pray, and realize a few things, such as, you are not going to impress God with your command of language, you are not going to sweet talk Him with flowery language, and saying the same thing over and over again to a God who remembers your first heartbeat isn’t going to help Him remember, or act any quicker.
I read of an interview with an older Ernest Hemingway in which he was ask which of his books, short stories, and other writings was his favorite. He thought for a moment and then said that it would be a short story he had written, and that he would like to read it for the interviewer. Here is what Hemingway read...
“For sale, baby shoes, never worn.” - Ernest Hemingway
The best desires, and needs, we speak in prayer are those spoken in the fewest words. Father I hurt. Lord help me. Jesus take my hand. I am lost Father.... Like Jesus in His parables, we should communicate with God completely, concisely, and with all our emotion. Hemingway’s six word short story speaks volumes, and yet it does so without a 300 page novel to support the thought. Pray in this way because after all... He knows what we need before we say it. We just need to say it.
Hemingway told a sad, and emotional, story in six word, but Jesus gave us faith, and glorious eternity in five verses of prayer...
“Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
Matthew 6:9-13 ESV
A Concise Prayer:
Father, I thank you for who you are, Hallowed, I pray that your kingdom come soon, that you provide me sustenance, forgive me as I do others, lead me from temptation, and shield me from evil. You are my God, redeem me by the blood of your Son Jesus Christ.
Amen
Rich Forbes