Putting on Christ Series 12/12/11

12/12/11

 ⁵And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

 ⁶But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

 ⁷But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

 ⁸Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

 ⁹After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

 ¹⁰Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

 ¹¹Give us this day our daily bread.

 ¹²And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

 ¹³And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Matthew 6:5-13

King James Version (KJV)

Prayer is a two way communication between God & us. It's an important time. Jesus gave us an example of prayer. Our prayers should be private. We want intimacy with god. Yes, we do have public prayers in church, which shouldn't be motivated for praise, but to commune with God. Public prayer helps the church commune with God. Prayer is not for our glory, but it is our dialogue with God. We shouldn't have to go on & on in prayer. Rather, it should be to the point, in private, & with faith. Praying is not about us. Rather, it is about God. It's a form of worshiping Him. We let Him know it's about Him & not us. Prayer requires sincerity. It requires alone time. "Jesus also corrected some abuses, and misunderstandings regarding prayer. First, prayer is not to be offered to impress others. Disciples should rather seek a storage closet or a shed and pray in private. Jesus did not reject group prayer, but His warning might apply to a believer who prays to impress a congregation (Matthew 6:5-6). Second, Jesus also prohibited long-winded attempts that try to manipulate God. While Jesus prayed for long periods of time (Luke 6:12; Mark 1:35) and repeated Himself (Mark 14:36-42), He called for people to trust their Father and not their own eloquence or fervor" (Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary).