PRAYER
Andrea Porter
Today’s Scripture: But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:6, ESV
Theme: If you pray at dinner, at Life Group, or on the prayer team, do not neglect also praying in private.
CHILDLIKE PRAYER
I remember as a very young child sitting at the table with my mom and dad. I was eager to volunteer to pray out loud: “God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for our food.” Then at bedtime: “Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep.” I would say the same memorized words.
EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.
It wasn’t until my teen age years that I realized that there was more to prayer than my memorized words. While reciting the same words day after day wasn’t a bad thing, I wasn’t growing in my spiritual walk. I started hearing someone that I looked up to as a spiritual mentor speak of “talking to Jesus.” When I thought about talking to Him, my perspective on prayer shifted. I began talking to Him like I would a friend, telling Him about my day, my thoughts, my desires. Asking Him to lead me in the right direction.
As my walk with Christ grew, I became more comfortable with prayer. In Scripture, I started seeing a pattern in the Bible. Jesus had a personal prayer life. He set the example. Scripture tells us that He went early in the day, before anyone noticed Him, to a lonely place and spent time with his Father. He not only went early in the day, but also throughout the day:
--after the multiplication of loaves (Mark 6:46)
--before choosing His twelve (Luke 6:12)
--immediately before the transfiguration (Luke 9:28)
The benefits of a private prayer life will give you sensitivity to the movements of the Holy Spirit and alert you to way God is leading.
Make It Personal: What are ways that you could develop a personal private prayer life? If you already have one, what are ways that you can strengthen your prayer life?
Pray: Lord, we see time and time again how important spending time with our Heavenly Father is. You modeled this for us perfectly. Reveal to us the importance of talking to you privately and spending time with You where there are no interruptions and no distractions. Guide us to set aside a time and a place where our only focus is on You. Amen.
Read: Matthew 6:5-6; Mark 1: 35; Luke 6:12; Mark 6:46; Luke 9:28; Luke 11:1
Weekly Memory Verse: “And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” Luke 11:9-10 (ESV)