Reading With the People of God #11 Blessedනියැදිය

Focus of the month: (The Beatitudes)

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

- Matthew 5:3-12

Praying for the Love of God

In today’s reading from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus chastises those who pray publicly so that they are seen by others. Whenever I read that passage, I am reminded of the story of Daniel and the Lion’s Den (Daniel 6) where Daniel gets arrested and thrown in a lion’s den for exactly that. In that story, Daniel is seen as righteous for his public prayer, and so God rescues him from the lions. So why is Jesus chastising people for it? It’s because this command isn’t really about whether someone prays publicly; it’s about why.

Daniel prayed despite the earthly consequences, not because of the earthly rewards. Those who Jesus is criticizing here are using their piety as a way to impress others, which is why Jesus says, “They have already received their reward.” They are just using God as a means to an end rather than an end in himself.

The first question of the Westminster Catechism is: “What is the chief end of man?” and the answer is “to glorify God and enjoy him forever.”

And that is the main reason we pray: to glorify God and enjoy him forever. Prayer is a gift to be used as a way of communing with and worshiping the living God who loves us and gave himself for us. To use it as a way to impress or show off to others is a gross misuse of that gift. When you pray today, pray for the love of God.

* Devotional Primer contributed by Wesley Viau, Data Analyst and Member of Cornerstone Community Church