Prayer (1)

Most people view prayer as a time alone in which they speak to God. While this is a true definition, the practice of this has degraded to a person taking a few moments to rattle off a list of things they want God to do for them much like reciting a shopping list to their spouse and reminding them not to forget any of the items. Do you really expect God to be like an administrative assistant, taking note of your wants and then heading off to fulfill your shopping list?

I also had to learn how to properly pray and not recite a list of wants and actions I desired for God to perform. I recall a time when I was reading the Bible, meditating on scriptures and talking to the Father, like He was right there with me. I could sense Him speaking to me deep down in my spirit. This is what He shared with me; Get up every morning and spend time praising the Father. Worship your LORD, and Savior. Then go through the steps of the prayer
guide given by Jesus in Matthew chapter 6. Then read and study the Bible, His Word, for guidance and instructions.

Wow, a simple yet direct way to pray and get the proper response to any request that I might make. The first thing I did was look closely at what many people call the Lord’s Prayer, or Our Father. Here is that passage found in Matthew 6:9-13;

9  In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.
10  Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11  Give us this day our daily bread.
12  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13  And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

First, I had to divide it up into sections because this is a guide. Each section has a specific purpose. This is what I came up with;

Verse 9 is praise.
Verse 10 is purpose.
Verse 11 is provision.
Verse 12 is forgiveness.
Verse 13a is grace and verse 13b is back to praise.

Jesus guides us to start off with praise. Praise, the act of verbally worshipping and expressing love to the Father, creates an atmosphere that allows Him to do His will for you, right amid your praise to Him.

Jesus spent time teaching that God is our Father, He resides in heaven, and He is holy. We need to recognize His holiness and reverence Him. The next verse is about purpose. We are to ask, request, even demand that His kingdom comes and His will gets done here on the earth just like it is there in heaven.

The next verse is about provision. We should ask for what we need for today. You do not need to consider your requests for tomorrow or the next day because you are to perform this prayer every single morning.

Verse twelve is extremely important. You are to ask Him to forgive you for debts. The New Living Translation says forgive us for our sins. While you want God to forgive you for your sins against Him, the second part of this verse is even more important. As we forgive our debtors, or as we forgive those who have sinned against us. If you do not forgive people who have wronged you, what right do you have to expect the Father to forgive you?

Next is grace. You are asking God to help you avoid the temptations of the devil, the evil one and for God’s deliverance from traps of the evil one. God provides protection and deliverance from the terrible things in this world. All you have to do is ask and He will provide.

Lastly, it’s back to praise. You must recognize that everything belongs to Him. His is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.

In short, start your morning by praising and singing to the LORD God. Your praise invites Him into your presence. Then make your requests known to Him and clear your heart of unforgiveness. Finish up your time with God by praising and singing to Him and I promise your day will be so much better!