Praying...
Today I check out matthew 6:5-13. I've been feeling really down and out. things seem to be falling apart, and it is not that what has been bothering me as much. This is what is bothering me too much, but rather the feeling of disconnect with God, notice I say feeling, Jesus says "Surely I am with you even until the very end."
Have you ever neglected a relationship and it caused a wierd tension, which resulted in a feeling that gives the hint something was wrong and it is painful.
Well, I have been neglecting my relationship with the Lord, "Doing my own thing" as many call it. I have fallen victim to busyness and when that left me empty I quickly ran to selfishness and neither of these satisfy. I am now at a place of honesty and much more sensitive because the Lord has showed me my pride and revealed to me that I am in need of being humbled. I do desire to be humble and completely humble. I feel like I have wasted so much time but all things work to the good of those who love Him. The Lord has used that time I feel like I wasted to teach me of His patience, His kindness and His Grace and Mercy and that I am not as "mighty" as I thought I was. I am reminded that I am always in need of His precious salvation. I must pause for a moment of gratitude.
He is my Father and I am His Son because he has forgiven me through His Only Begotten Son, Jesus. He restores our relationship so that I can live the Blessed life that he intended me to live, a life that will not end but will last forever. His Glory does not fade. He will never leave me and I never have to leave his presence.
5"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 men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9"This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.[a]' 14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Break Down Verse by Verse
"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 men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. "
When I read this the Holy Spirit shows me that a hypocrite does receive what he wants and that is acknowledgement, to be seen, that is the reward he asks for and he receives it and only it. His Utmost Priority is not to speak with God but to be seen as if speaking to God, It comes down to an image thing which the Lord has interestingly enough been teaching me about lately as well. It is one thing to appear to be and another to be. Many times but not all times, when one tries to make an appearance it is because he is not and he wants to prove in some way that he is. It is the condition of his heart that determines this, his desire, his motive, purpose, and reason. Truth or Vanity. This Hypocrite may have had much pride and was concerned with status.
6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
It is the man who does it in secret because his heart has been transformed, His heart is seeking the Lord and desires to have a relationship with the Lord. This is the man that Jesus says the father rewards. He does what he does for God not for man: does it for The Creator not the creation. His Father not the crowd. It is done in secret not out of embarassment but out of intimacy and importance. Seek the Spritual unseen Father not the things of this world but Him who has plans for you and wants to use you to do great things. When we seek Him whole heartedly and get alone with Him on purpose than He will reward me...you.
7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
The Lord knows you better than you know yourself, He knows what you are going through. You do not need lengthy lofty speeches to express to God. Simply speak in your Father. He is listening, He wants to comfort you but I needn't use a multitude of words. There isn't need to explain to God he knows, He Knows.
Have you ever neglected a relationship and it caused a wierd tension, which resulted in a feeling that gives the hint something was wrong and it is painful.
Well, I have been neglecting my relationship with the Lord, "Doing my own thing" as many call it. I have fallen victim to busyness and when that left me empty I quickly ran to selfishness and neither of these satisfy. I am now at a place of honesty and much more sensitive because the Lord has showed me my pride and revealed to me that I am in need of being humbled. I do desire to be humble and completely humble. I feel like I have wasted so much time but all things work to the good of those who love Him. The Lord has used that time I feel like I wasted to teach me of His patience, His kindness and His Grace and Mercy and that I am not as "mighty" as I thought I was. I am reminded that I am always in need of His precious salvation. I must pause for a moment of gratitude.
He is my Father and I am His Son because he has forgiven me through His Only Begotten Son, Jesus. He restores our relationship so that I can live the Blessed life that he intended me to live, a life that will not end but will last forever. His Glory does not fade. He will never leave me and I never have to leave his presence.
5"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 men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9"This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.[a]' 14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Break Down Verse by Verse
"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 men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. "
When I read this the Holy Spirit shows me that a hypocrite does receive what he wants and that is acknowledgement, to be seen, that is the reward he asks for and he receives it and only it. His Utmost Priority is not to speak with God but to be seen as if speaking to God, It comes down to an image thing which the Lord has interestingly enough been teaching me about lately as well. It is one thing to appear to be and another to be. Many times but not all times, when one tries to make an appearance it is because he is not and he wants to prove in some way that he is. It is the condition of his heart that determines this, his desire, his motive, purpose, and reason. Truth or Vanity. This Hypocrite may have had much pride and was concerned with status.
6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
It is the man who does it in secret because his heart has been transformed, His heart is seeking the Lord and desires to have a relationship with the Lord. This is the man that Jesus says the father rewards. He does what he does for God not for man: does it for The Creator not the creation. His Father not the crowd. It is done in secret not out of embarassment but out of intimacy and importance. Seek the Spritual unseen Father not the things of this world but Him who has plans for you and wants to use you to do great things. When we seek Him whole heartedly and get alone with Him on purpose than He will reward me...you.
7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
The Lord knows you better than you know yourself, He knows what you are going through. You do not need lengthy lofty speeches to express to God. Simply speak in your Father. He is listening, He wants to comfort you but I needn't use a multitude of words. There isn't need to explain to God he knows, He Knows.
posted by Richard at
7:15 PM
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