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For I know the plans I have for you,declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jer 29:11 |
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| Archived Manna: | |
Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for collecting daily manna), make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Wednesday, March 01, 2017
Today's Passage : Subject :Sermon on the Mount - Private Prayers Bible Verse :Matthew 6:5-6 (ESV) "And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 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. " Message:
This is the first half of Christ's famous teaching on prayer, where He gave us the Lord's Prayer. The overall theme is simply this: if we pray with sincerity, we pray successfully. Two major problems slow us down. The first, much like charity (discussed Saturday), is that we do it in private for God, rather than in public, so that other people will think better of us. The second (which we will cover tomorrow) is to pray with our hearts, not our lips.
The Jewish system of prayer made ostentation very easy. Jews of the day prayed standing, with hands stretched out, palms upwards, and with their heads bowed. Prayers were required to be said in the morning and evening, at a specific time, wherever one might find himself. it was easy to make sure one was on a street corner, or crowded city square, or on the steps of the synagogue, and there to pray loudly and at length, so that all might admire the person's exceptional piety. It was easy, in a word, to put on a show.
The obvious fault is that such prayers are not offered to God, but to other people. And although the rituals have changed, the criticism can still hold true. A great preacher once described a long, eloquent prayer made by the pastor at a church “the most eloquent prayer ever offered to a Boston audience.”
When one prays in private, the temptation is completely removed. At least part of our prayer life must be private, so that we can develop a one-on-one relationship with God. This brings up another benefit to private prayer; God is utterly understanding, so we can say things in private we might not want others to hear. We can pour out our true heart.
Another important facet of private prayer is that, in quiet solitude, we can listen better. The voice of the Spirit can be quiet and subtle. In fact, God can work in our heart without words being involved at all. We pray in secret, not because we are hiding, but because it is necessary to have a direct, singular relationship with God. One of His most wonderful attributes is His limitless intelligence; He can count every hair on our humble head, know us better than we know ourselves.
Meditation : Prayer : Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to God from generation to generation in the church and in the world, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen. |
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