Offering prayers God’s way
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! Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:7-10 The Lord Jesus Christ gave a pattern on how His followers should pray seeking God’s will. The prayer that Jesus taught the disciples was always referred to as the “Lord’s Prayer” where is should be called the “Disciple’s Prayer.” He told them that prayer should not become mechanical to the point that they will be just babbling words. Yet how often that this prayer has been repeated mechanically as if by doing so amounts to becoming a spiritual person. Jesus teaching His disciples how to pray begun by telling them, “Pray like this.” Praying in God’s will begins by knowing that we have a right relationship with God and that we know that He is our Father who is in heaven. Prayer should be based on having an intimate relationship with God. Praying the way God taught His disciples is not only a personal utterance but also expresses a corporate unity among believers. The use of the first-person plural pronoun “Our” signifies the relationship that exist among the body of believers and that their desire collectively is that when God answers prayers offered by His children will accomplish His will. This means that we are willing to submit our will to God and let His rule prevail our lives. It also means that God’s purposes will be carried out as He answers our prayers. In this model of prayer, Jesus is teaching His disciples to be sensitive in knowing what is in God’s heart and to seek out what honors and glorifies God. Do not forget that when you became a child of God, you now belong to His Kingdom and His desires are starting to become your desires. Oftentimes His desires will run counter to your desires but if you claim that He is the Lord of your life then His will should prevail. When God sees that your heart is seeking His will, you will discover that He is there guiding you so you would be able to live your life following His desires. As you grow discovering His will for your life, the lesser you become selfish when you ask Him in your prayers. Your perspective begins to reflect God’s point of view. Your attitude towards serving Him by helping others is now part of your prayer. You become aware of the need of people around you and your attitude is now to join God’s activity as He brings people to His kingdom. So, when you pray that the Lord’s absolute rule will take place on this earth, that rule should begin first in your heart. Once your heart is submitted to His Lordship, God will use so His reign in other people’s lives will become a reality.
Blessings,
