Matthew 6:5-15
“When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8 So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
9 “Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 ‘Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 ‘Give us this day our daily bread.
12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]
14 For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.
What would it look like if heaven and earth met? Some say that prayer is where heaven and earth mingle. Prayer is not about saying the right words. It’s about spending one-on-one time with a holy and powerful, and personal God.
The example we’re given of how to pray begins with an acknowledgement of who God is. We need to be reminded of who He is first, which helps us to understand that He knows what we need even if we don’t know how to put it into words.
Do you understand the privilege and power behind prayer? Will you take it seriously? Do you believe prayer can change you? Is prayer at the very center of your life?
Prayer: Father, teach me to pray, to forgive, to live a Christ-centered life.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB © The Lockman Foundation (www.lockman.org)
Central Christian Church 