Also when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward in full already. But when you pray, go into your [most] private room, and, closing the door, pray to your Father, Who is in secret; and your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you in the open. And when you pray, do not heap up phrases (multiply words, repeating the same ones over and over) as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard for their much speaking. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. Matthew 6:5-8
If we want to have answered prayer, according to Jesus, it is simple: pray in private and don’t be like the hypocrites, so keep it between you and our Father. Jesus also later tell us to be persistent almost demanding of our Father when praying.
And He said to them, Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and will say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves [of bread], For a friend of mine who is on a journey has just come, and I have nothing to put before him; And he from within will answer, Do not disturb me; the door is now closed, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and supply you [with anything]? I tell you, although he will not get up and supply him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his shameless persistence and insistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you. Luke 11:5-9
What we are shown by Jesus is that in private we should basically shamelessly and continually ask our Father for what we need and we don’t need to use a lot of words. Remember this Truth, our Father knows what we need before we even ask Him. Also, remember that we now have the Mind of Christ, so as we studied in Matthew Chapter 5, we take no thought for our own life’s, our prayers are for the KIngdom. So as in this example in Luke 11, we are empowered by Christ to go into our private place, close the door and persistently and shamelessly ask our Father to provide for the needs of others and for us to be used to serve those needs.
[Remember] this: he who sows sparingly and grudgingly will also reap sparingly and grudgingly, and he who sows generously [that blessings may come to someone] will also reap generously and with blessings. 2 Corinthians 9:6
Our Father will cause us to ask Him abundantly to help others. He will not only use us to do this for our brothers, but for our enemies as well.
Invoke blessings upon and pray for the happiness of those who curse you, implore God’s blessing (favor) upon those who abuse you [who revile, reproach, disparage, and high-handedly misuse you]. Luke 6:28
No comments:
Post a Comment