How Do You Pray?
Good Morning Friends,
Whether you forgive sins, trespasses or debts you have heard and probably recited many times today’s passage. The challenge though is to internalize it as a habit…to put into unceasing practice this teaching. How Do You Pray?
Scripture: Pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 (NRSV)
“And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever 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. “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. “Pray then in this way: 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 do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Matthew 6:5-15 (NRSV)
As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3: 12-17 (NRSV)
Message: Perhaps you have heard sermons and lectures on prayer. The problem with all this knowledge is that we have so much of it but express it so little. The problem is that we often fail to join together what is meant to be combined. Some things just go together. It gives us momentum like wind in our sails…like faith with patience… hope with love… goodness with mercy and today we see in scripture the power that is created when prayer is present with praise. Friends when God is present in your life….when the power of the Holy Spirit is blowing in your life, the journey can be smooth sailing. We cannot row a boat unceasingly under our own power. We must join with the power of God. The message is that the two are never meant to be separated. We are not meant to do this alone even when in secret. We are to learn that prayer and praise combined for and with God can free us. For it is here the journey begins. Here we experience the honored, holy and wonderful name of God. Here we face the reality of what we each are doing, and not doing, to embrace the will of God in our individual lives. Here we discover that prayer is working together with God to win the victories that glorify God. Prayer is where and how good things for marriages, families, communities, disciples, and churches begin. Good things for you also begin with prayer. We have a choice. Choose the power of prayer with praise.
Pray our prayers are more than asking. Pray we have a commitment to thanksgiving. Pray we have a commitment to spending time alone with God. Pray that the journey of prayer helps us to focus on our problems and the power of God to meet our needs. Pray that we are persistent with prayer. Pray we learn to forgive. Pray that we realize that prayer can change us. Pray we realize that when we forgive we also can be forgiven. Pray we be still in God’s presence. Pray we desire to pray often and personally. Pray we combine prayer with our very purpose. Pray that every time we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we show solidarity with our fellow Christians to break down the social, ethnic, economic and denominational distinctions that separate us.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 