The Issue of Prayer
G'day! Pastor Aussie Dave here!
Have you ever stopped to consider that how you pray reveals what you believe about God?
When the fast started, I was praying and asking God to develop a culture of worship at Liquid. The help Liquid become a place where people would come into church craving worship. I prayed that people would sing with their hands raised, and sing loudly. That people would be emotional in worship and be changed through it.
Then it hit me on day two of the fast, that I was praying for MY picture of what worship should be - not God's! His rheema to me was that my prayers revealed I had more faith in my desired outcome than I did in God Himself. Oof... that hurt!
I wonder... how often do you focus your prayers on your desired outcome of a situation, instead of focusing them than God?
READ AND FEED: Read Matthew 6: 9-13 and take special note of verses 9-10.
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.[Let your name be kept holy, or Let your name be treated with reverence ]
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,[Let your kingdom come, let your will be done ]
on earth as it is in heaven.
JOURNAL: When Jesus taught his followers to pray, he used a model that kept the focus firmly on God. He encouraged us to start by recognizing God for who he is ("Our Father in Heaven"), praising Him ("hallowed be your name") and then praying for His will instead of our own.
When I realized my prayers were about my desired outcomes instead of who God is, my prayers changed. God created us for worship (Isaiah 43:7) and he wants to be worshiped (John 4:23), so I starting praying: "Lord, I know you want to be worshiped and I know you made us to glorify you... so I trust you will help your church to do what it was created to do."
My emphasis shifted from my preferred outcome of a situation and on to God. It reminded me that I don't need to imagine a certain outcome for my situation in order for my prayers to be effective - I just need to focus on God.
PRAY: Today as you come to a time of prayer, shift your focus from the desired outcome of your prayers, to God Himself.
Lord, God, I was on a mission to send out a manifesto to my friends about seeking you for 40 days to secure our choice in a husband...asking you with specifics as to what kind of man we want and what kind of women we want to be. However, this devotion has me rethinking my approach. It is about Your will and Your plans for our lives - -and it is about stating the truth of your word back to you. Your word does say that we should fast and pray in secret and you will manifest your blessings in the open. So, I do believe you're calling me to encourage my sisters in Christ, who are believing for marriage, to do the same. Please Lord, impress upon my mind the right words to convey this and the scriptural references to cement it. I think You in advance for what only You can do and Your awesome leadership as I step out in faith to follow this through. In Jesus, I pray, amen.
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