Read and be blessed
*Text: Matt. 6: 7-8*
“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!” (NLT)
Prayer is one of the most critical component of the Christian life. When talking to God whether in silence or with a loud voice, what is important is the power of fellowship with Him. Therefore it is essential that we pray and pray often. But how exactly do we pray, what are the things we are allowed to do and things we are not allowed to do when we pray? The Lord Jesus Christ in His earthly ministry gave a lot of teachings on prayer, where He taught us how to pray by giving us a prayer template popularly called the Lord’s Prayer, His teaching also covered what should be our approach towards prayer and rules to follow when we pray so that our prayers can be answered. It is one of those rules that we are considering today.
The rule says that when we are praying we should avoid babbling or vain repetitions as though God is partially deaf or slow of understanding so that we have to repeat our prayers several times over and over again in order to be sure that He has heard us or understood us. Jesus however taught us that this is not necessary, as a matter of fact He says that it is unbelievers that pray in such manner, in other words praying in such manner is evidence of unbelief and we know that no one who prays with unbelief in his/her heart should expect answers to their prayers. Secondly he taught us that it is not the length of our prayers that determine whether God will or will not answer the prayer, in fact praying is such manner is evidence that God will not answer our prayers
In that passage Jesus also revealed something very important about prayer and that is the fact that Jesus knows what we need even before we ask Him. Why then do we need to ask Him, you may ask? Amongst other reasons, asking Him in spite of the fact that He already knows what we need is an expression of our faith in Him that He is able to provide for us. Also, asking Him, is an opportunity to fellowship with Him and this is something that God desires greatly.
The willingness to take time to pray is a beautiful act of reverence. Too few ever take time to pray, and even fewer spend more than scant minutes in prayer. God is available to us just as fathers are available to their children. We are to go to Him to pray, share and commune with Him, in doing so however, take heed of the above rules and observe them religiously so that you will not be the obstacle to your own prayers from being answered. Shalom
Prayer Points
1. Father thank you for the gift of prayer which you so graciously bestowed on the church, thereby opening to us a channel through which we can communicate with you
2. Father thank you for the great results that I have received in the place of prayers, it is not because I can pray, it is purely by your act of mercy
3. Father each day help me to be opened to instructions from you through your word or other mediums that will build my prayer life and make me more effective in the place of prayer
4. Father I rebuke every agenda of darkness to draw me away from the place of prayer in Jesus name.
5. Father by your grace, I shall remain forever active and steadfast in the place of prayer and I shall continue to reap the generous benefits that is available to those who maintain a consistent life of prayer in Jesus name. Amen.
Courtesy goes a man I respect so much:Rev’d Canon Oladele Odumosu
You are right. Everybody should pray to their almighty.