Developing a Great Prayer LifeSýnishorn

People often wonder why their prayers are not answered or what kind of prayer God is more inclined to listen to. The Bible highlights three different positions in which we can pray–a hypocritical prayer, a heathen prayer, and the prayer of an heir.

When someone prays hypocritically, they pray to get attention (Matthew 6:5). Jesus addressed this abuse of prayer because prayer was used to influence men instead of gaining intimacy with God. When you pray in this manner, prayer is a means to a goal; prayer is not the goal. God should always be our goal, and prayer is simply the means to get to Him.

The second kind of prayer is also referred to as a heathen prayer (Matthew 6:7). A heathen’s way of praying is using vain repetitions, chanting, techniques, and formulas to get God’s attention. Heathens think that the length of prayer equates to results. You must understand that God doesn’t measure prayer’s effectiveness by its length. There’s nothing wrong with repeating a prayer or praying a long prayer, as long as you do it for the right reasons.

And lastly, there is the prayer of the heir (Matthew 6:6). When I say “heir,” I am referring to the descendant, offspring, and inheritance of God. We see that it was this prayer is the one that is effective and the kind of prayer that we as children of God must use when we communicate. We must come boldly before God knowing that we are His children.

Let’s Pray:

Father, I pray that through this reading plan, your Holy Spirit changes my life, transforms my prayer habits, and leads me to a deeper relationship with You, in Jesus’ name, amen.