Prayer 101Sample

Prayer is about you and God, NOT others' opinions.

Matthew 6:5-6 says, "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. "But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who [is] in the secret [place]; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”

Many times, we see others praying and try to compare ourselves. Jesus starts His teaching on prayer by calling out those who are praying for how it looks and compares to those around them. Jesus shares that others' opinions, for better or worse, don’t matter because we aren’t praying to them. We pray to God. It’s not a show; it’s a conversation between us and God.

God has invited us into communion with Him. Too often, we push off our relationship with God to what will be in heaven. But God wants a relationship with us today. Even as Jesus appointed the disciples, we are told that before performing any tasks He had for them, His desire was for them to be with Him. (Mark 3:14) We have been invited into a relationship with Him; we can come directly to Him in prayer. (John 15:16 NKJV; Hebrews 4:16 NLT; 1 Timothy 2:5 NKJV)

Prayer starts with who God is rather than how large our problems are.

Matthew 6:9 says, "Pray then like this: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.'" Jesus started prayer by honoring God, not his problems. He taught us to fix our eyes on God in gratefulness as we pray. We are told that the way to come before Him is with thanksgiving and praise. This doesn’t mean that we don’t face problems. The Bible directs us not to let the cares and worries have their way but to come to God with thanksgiving. As we come to Him grateful for who He is and what He has done, things are put back into perspective. It tells us that even as we need to make requests, we can be filled with peace. As we pray, let’s follow Jesus' directions and example and honor Him with thankfulness.

As we come to God today, let’s begin by acknowledging who He is. Then, let's partner with God in prayer to see His kingdom come, and His will be done. There are very few areas where we desire to see God move in more than in our families. God’s word lays out His desire to see our families marked by the love of God, to be filled with forgiveness, and to see all those who are lost come to the saving knowledge of God. (Psalm 100:4 NKJV; Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV)