If I had two Hallmark cards, one with words written by an author with my signature and one card that was blank but is now filled up with my handwritten words. Which card would mean more to spouse?
What if the only thing I ever said to my wife were memorized lyrics also?
Don’t you think God wants to hear more than memorized lyrics also?
Prayer Is Not A Performance To Put On But A Conversation To Begin
- Right words, impress people sound smart.
- It’s okay to be nervous, but for a different reason. He’s God
- Truth: the more we talk to someone, the more comfortable we are.
- Our prayers aren’t natural. Jesus talked about this.
Matthew 6:5 – Those wanting to be seen/heard, NOT heard by God.
Matthew 6:6 – Personal conversation is what God want.
- In don’t pray to impress you, but to talk to God.
- Not about a closet. When I pray, everyone else is shut out.
- It’s personal between me and my Creator, others can hear it but
Prayer Doesn’t Have To Be Good, It Just Has To Be Real
Matthew 6:7-8 – Don’t pray the same thing over and over again.
- Just TALK TO ME
- God doesn’t want you praying someone else’s written prayer to Him any more than I want my kids only saying memorized things.
- Imagine if my daughter only talked to me in Greeting Card,
Prayer Doesn’t Need To Be Perfect, Just Appropriate.
Matthew 6:9 – Jesus said to pray Like this. Not pray this
- Talk to God like you know Him. He’s not a stranger.
- This was unheard of in Jesus’ day. Pagans were pawns to their deities and Jews were afraid to talk to God.
Matthew 6:10 – Acknowledge yo0ur desire for God’s will.
- In Matthew 7:7 Jesus says to knock and it will be opened. In context, I’ll answer the door, you’ll receive an answer. NOT get what you want.
- Not “Here’s what I want” but “What I want most is what you want”.
Matthew 6:11 – Now you’re ready to ask what you want.
- After acknowledging God knows best, let him know what you hope.
- Friends only when selling things.
Matthew 6:12-13 – Deal with the junk in your heart.
- Acknowledge the barriers in your life keeping you from God’s will
- The barriers between me and God, and me and others.
- Some translations end with “For yours is the kingdom and power and glory forever.”
While the right words were never important, the right attitude is!
- Starts and ends with God’s will.
- Pray anything you want, as long as you’re okay with God NOT doing what you tell Him to.
James 1:5-6 we do better with God’s counsel than we do without.
- TALK to God, just talk. He’s waiting to hear from you
APPLICATION:
Some of you need to pray a different prayer. Would it surprise you if I said that a prayer could bring you back to God?
Romans 10:9-10
Others need to pray differently, starting and ending with God’s will.