Matthew 6:5-13
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think 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.
“This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today 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 the evil one.
Matthew 21:15-16
But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.
“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.
Devotion
In his book, Discipleship Essentials, Greg Ogden defines prayer this way: “Prayer is a transparent dialogue. It is a conversation with God in which we address Him and in quiet are addressed by Him.” Prayer is the way we have an intimate conversation with the Creator of the universe. Prayer represents the place of greatest safety where we can pour out our hearts to Someone who knows us and cares about what we are going through.
Prayer is a relationship with the One who has already declared us His children and who wants to be close to us. In Matthew chapter six, Jesus models what it looks like to have a conversation with His Father. In this model prayer, we discover four basic parts of prayer: adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication. This week we will look at each of these parts of prayer so that we can become more effective in this discipline of prayer.
The first movement in prayer is adoration. Adoration is appreciating who God is Himself. Adoration lifts us out of ourselves to behold the wonder and majesty of God. It allows us to focus on the character of God and keeps our conversation with God from becoming a monologue in which we do all the talking.
One way to practice adoration is to select an attribute of God and begin your conversation with God by acknowledging this particular attribute. For example, maybe God provided something for you on any given day. Then you might address God as Jehovah Jireh; “the Lord will provide.” Praising God for who He is not only is the right thing to do, but it also benefits us greatly. The greatest thing that God can give us is more of Himself. When we spend time having an intimate conversation with God, He continues to reveal more of Himself to us.
If you want to get God’s attention, begin by addressing Him according to how He has revealed Himself to you. This is a powerful way to begin your transparent dialogue with God!
Questions to Ponder
How do you attempt to get God’s attention when you start praying? How has God been revealing Himself to you lately? Do you always begin each prayer the same way? If you were to address God right now, which one of His attributes would you acknowledge?
Prayer Points
- Ask the Lord to teach you how to pray. Tell Him you want to know Him better in the place of intimacy. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you.
- Praise the Lord for His daily provision. Thank Him for sustaining you and calling you into His salvation.
- Praise Abba for His unlimited patience with you and those around you. He’s so kind!
- Soak in His glory by setting your gaze on Him and His brilliance. Tell Him how much you love Him. Allow time to mediate on His Word and let Him love on you. I like to have my Bible open and with me as I say short phrases back to Him like, “Tell me again, Abba, how much You love me.”
Suggested Prayer
Here I am, Lord, the one You love. It’s me again coming right to You, drawn by Your Holy Spirit through the blood of Jesus Christ. I praise You for Your tenderness and sweet fellowship. You are so kind and loving, Father, I hallow Your name. You are my Wonderful Counselor, Provider, Defender, Constant Companion. You stick closer than a brother. Thank You for rescuing me from the dominion of darkness. Thank You for saving me and giving me Your Holy Spirit who empowers me and brings to my remembrance Your Word. Oh, God of Jacob, I want to know You better. I want to experience You, smell You, feel You. Today, LORD, I am asking that You would overwhelm me and your church all across the earth with Your love. Cause all our hearts to yearn for You. Slow us down, Abba, so that we return to You, depend on you. Help me to carve time out this week to be with You in Your presence in the place of prayer. I love You, Lord, and I want to know You more. Open my eyes that I may see You, know You better. In the name of Jesus Christ, I ask. Amen.