Just before Jesus gives his followers a framework in how to pray (Matthew 6:9-13) he warns them to not practice their righteous acts before men, but before God who sees in secret and rewards in secret. Jesus also warns his disciples not to heap up empty words towards God without intentionality.
The reason why we're not to heap up empty words made me stop and think.
Jesus says in verse 8, "...for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."
If our Father knows what we need before we ask him, then it's not for the sake of information that we pray. It's not for the Father's sake that we pray. We pray for our connectedness with the Father and our life participation in him- for aligning our heart to his heart, our thoughts to his thoughts, our will/desire/motives/etc to his.
We pray to make our life open and available for God's work- both in, through, and around us.
"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.'"
1 comment:
Amen, brother! Preach it:) I may just go read Matt. 6 now...
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