What has happened to prayer?
It seems I always start a post like this…but it’s been a while. I love to write. Really, I do. But I also love to have the TIME to write! Tonight, my wife and children are visiting the Mammaw’s and Pappaw’s in East TN so I am at home alone. I miss them when they are not home; especially when I finally sit down and have nothing to do. I have filled some time tonight playing GoldenEye on the Wii, reading Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (which is a great story…I never thought I would say that…), watching a few sermons online, and working on the finishing touches to Sunday’s sermon. Which brings me to the reason for this post…
It seems as though Christians today have forgotten what should be one of the most treasured gifts we have: prayer. We have the privilege of speaking directly to God. Like all spiritual gifts, this comes to us because of Christ’s finished work on the cross! What standing…to approach the throne of grace. However, we have a tendency to think of prayer as the “emergency” line to God. You know, when we need to get out of a speeding ticket, get bad news from the doctor, or need to come out of a meeting with the boss and STILL have a job. I hate to be critical, and maybe it’s just a reflection on what my prayer life used to be, but it seems like we see God as one waiting by the super-secret red phone, just waiting for a crisis.
I have been preaching through the Sermon on the Mount, looking at what Christ said (instead of what we think or we have heard that He said). For the last few weeks, we have looked at the motivations for Righteousness. Now don’t get me wrong, my righteousness, on my best day, is still not acceptable to God. Thankfully, Christ died on the cross and rose again so that I could share in His righteousness! The only standing the Christian has is the standing we have in Christ. What a gift! That being said, I believe one of the great gifts of righteousness is prayer.
So what’s the motivation? Why should we pray? Jesus gives some specific instructions about prayer in Matthew 6, especially “babbling” in public, repetition of empty words, and having a time for praying in secret. Do I believe that He is teaching us to never pray in public? NO, but I do believe that He is teaching that if the only time we pray is when we are asked to pray in public, then we are NOT praying correctly, or enough, for that matter. I believe it is vital for us to private, intimate time with God. I think this is the “secret” praying Jesus is teaching.
So what should be say? I wish there was a secret formula I could share for the effective prayer. If there was, someone smarter than I would probably sell it. We do, however, have a model that shows us consistent prayer:
9 “Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, Your name be honored as holy. 10 Your kingdom come.Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
More on what Jesus said tomorrow evening!
