30 Day Prayer ChallengeSample

DAY 13: PRAY WITH A SINCERE HEART

As children of God, we must constantly monitor our heart's posture to be sure our motivation for entering His presence is pure. While prayer is a joyful experience, it is also a serious encounter with God! We should come before a God with an understanding of our reverence before Him.

Sincere prayer is not about the physical position in which you pray but about the spiritual attitude of your heart. There is a vast difference between saying prayers and praying prayers. When people offer repetitious prayers as a matter of routine, in a vain attempt to perform for God, inside, their hearts are unmoved.

The only way I know how to identify this in my life is to ask myself, do I only pray when people are watching? Do I simply pray so others will think more of me? Jesus is asking about our motivation.

So how about you? What's your prayer life like - not what others see, but what God sees? What is your attitude when you pray? Are you resisting Him, demanding your own way? Or are you bowing before Him and saying, as Jesus said, "Not as I will, but as you will"? Is it your desire, truly, to draw near to God, to know Him, to please Him?

Find peace, purpose and strength with Jesus in prayer.