-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 "When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Most assuredly, I tell you, they have received their reward. But you, when you pray, enter into your inner chamber, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. In praying, don't use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking. Therefore don't be like them, for your Father knows what things you need, before you ask him. Pray like this: 'Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your kingdom come. May your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever. Amen.' -- Matthew 6:5-13 (WEB) In the above passage, Jesus Christ gives some important things to do and to avoid in prayer, as well as a model prayer many of you have memorized. Indeed, the wording above may sound funny to you, as you probably memorized it from another translation, but the meaning should be very familiar. First of all, avoid being like the hypocrites, who are more interested in what men think of them than in the actual prayer. Indeed, God must surely know that the hypocrite isn't really talking to Him, but merely trying to impress people. Some people will be impressed, no doubt, with sufficient eloquence and poetry. To avoid even the appearance of such hypocrisy, Jesus suggests going somewhere private to seek a reward from our Father alone. Note that Jesus didn't forbid public prayer, and indeed, He prayed in public many times. There is certainly a time for prayer as a church assembly and with small groups, but don't neglect a private prayer time with God. Jesus often went off into a quiet place, be it on a mountain or in an inner room to pray. The important thing here is that you keep in mind that prayer is communication with God, our Father, and not to impress people. When you are alone with God, you aren't distracted by what other people think of your prayer, and you can pray sincerely from your heart. In some places in the world, today, there are people who don't know the true Living God, but seek to pray to the gods they have heard of. They make "prayer wheels" and "prayer drums" with prayers inscribed on them. The idea is that every time the wheel is turned or the drum is beat, the same prayer is offered, and if it is offered often enough, then it may be heard. If it is heard enough, then whoever heard it may do something about it. This surely is vain repetition with no faith. In contrast, we know that God hears us, loves us, and answers our prayers. Therefore, we can come in confidence, and not feel like we have to repeat ourselves over and over just to be heard. No, we have faith in God that He surely hears us. We may pray a lot, simply because we have much gratitude to express, many things to discuss with God, many people to intercede for, and also to spend some time quieting ourselves just to listen, but we need not say the same words over and over again. Mindlessly repeating the same thing, however good it may have been, doesn't do much for either you or God, but real communication from the heart, does. Indeed, think how you like to be talked with. Surely God is holier and wiser than us, but we are made in His image, He knows when we speak to Him from our hearts. When we go to God with needs, Jesus points out that we aren't surprising our Father with the fact that we need to eat (and other material needs), we need His forgiveness, and we need protection from the enemy. He knows these things and loves us, so we can simply ask in faith. Note also that the beginning and ending of this model prayer don't focus on the person praying, but on God. When we start and finish with our focus on God, then the faith for the requests in the middle comes easily. When asking for God's will to be done on Earth just like it is in Heaven, we are asking for something very good for both us and for God. Heaven is a good place where people are blessed, healthy, and have all their needs met. There is no sin in Heaven. There is peace. These are all good things. When we ask for God's will to be done here, as well, then we are both honoring God's plan and asking for an improvement in the situation, here. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: PGPfreeware 6.0.2i Comment: http://ebible.org/mpj iQA/AwUBOBoYakSP4McX10e7EQICsACdFUNG5Wyty5h0jjHa8KNR5h3knRwAoOl7 nSCoodaeYVC4ljsb5JQVM6WA =W3nt -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- _______ To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe rangernet" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] "Eat the hay & spit out the sticks! - A#1's mule" RTKB&G4JC! http://rangernet.org Autoresponder: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
