On Sunday we continued with our series on discipleship from The Sermon on the Mount. This week we began looking at Jesus’ teaching regarding prayer.
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.” (Matthew 6:5)
The Bible is saturated with prayer. The New Testament is like a prophet calling us back to our most important work. Prayer reminds us of where God is - on the throne. Prayer puts us where we should be - in submission and fruitfulness.
Jesus is assuming that Christians (disciples) will pray. A disciple is someone who is learning to be like Jesus - and Jesus prayed!
Prayer is to be an act and a lifestyle. It’s dedicated time alone with the Father. Prayer is also a lifestyle as we pray with our Christian family and throughout the day.
Lord, teach us to pray
Perhaps our most important prayer, and the prayer that is most needed in our desperate days, is what Luke records just prior to Jesus’ teaching on The Lord’s Prayer,
‘One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”’ (Luke 11:1)
Prayer is the most powerful practice that we can get hold of because prayer links us to our Heavenly Father who is Almighty! The devil will do all that he can to distract and dissuade you from making the time to pray.
RESPONSE
When do you pray? Where and at what time? Make a plan. Without a plan it probably won’t happen. Terry Virgo said,
‘Although it’s sad to regard prayer only as a duty. Don’t wait until you feel “moved” to pray. You might drift. Plan to pray. He’s always there even when you don’t feel like it.’