Pray, Prayer, Prayest

PRAY, PRAYER, PRAYEST

I have been in Matthew a lot lately. I’ve really enjoyed it and I can’t move on until I feel like I have completed my reading, studying, meditating, and learning. I feel like God is marinating me in Matthew for some reason. I love the Sermon On The Mount. I love the Beatitudes. I love the teachings and the matter of the heart. I love the idea of living life in a flourishing way.

Recently I read Matthew chapter 14. Look at verse 13.

“When Jesus heard about it, He withdrew from there by boat to a remote place to be alone. When the crowds heard this, they followed Him on foot from the towns.”

Matthew 14:13 HCSB

Jesus had just heard about John the Baptist's death. What a thing to find out about. The way John’s life was taken. I’m sure this brought Jesus all sorts of emotions. He had to go through some things. He withdrew from there by boat to a remote place to be alone. He needed time to spend in prayer. He needed to hear from and talk to God, our Heavenly Father.

Then again in verse 23.

“After dismissing the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone.”

Matthew 14:23 HCSB

Jesus went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. He was there alone.

There are times when we need to get alone, away from others and busyness, and pray. We need to spend time alone with God, Our Heavenly Father.

Look at the power of God in Jesus. Look at the power of God in His disciples. Jesus spent time with God. Jesus is God. The apostles spent time with Jesus, with God!

In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches us how to pray among other things. He says...

“Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward! But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. When you pray, don’t babble like the idolaters, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words. Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask Him. “Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, Your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

Matthew 6:5-13 HCSB

“Our Father”. He is our Father. We are one group of people who have accepted Jesus, have been reconciled to God, and have been adopted by Him, our Father in Heaven.

God wants to give you good things. God wants to work more and more in this world. We must pray. Please spend time in prayer. I really enjoy journaling some of my prayer life. It creates a great record of my prayer life that is kept very private and personal. I also verbalize prayer and I pray silently talking to God in my thoughts asking for His presence, power, wisdom, love, and life. I ask Him for help in many areas of my life. Without God in my life and without me asking for His help, my life would be less full, less productive, less enjoyable, maybe unenjoyable! My life is better because of Jesus Christ, The Holy Spirit, and God our Heavenly Father!

Take time to pray. This week we have the United States National Day of Prayer. How exciting for so many of us Christ-followers to pray to our Heavenly Father in unison, together, as one. God is moving in this world in so many ways. One major way you can join Him and do His will is to pray for His Kingdom to come to Earth and for His will to be done. One way for you to hear Him is to be still, know He is God, and listen. Just be still and listen. If you don’t know what to pray, just sit and see if He gives you something to pray about or tells you a way He wants you to pray that day. Or He may give you something to do. Get away, pray and obey.

“Be still and know (recognize, understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth.”

Psalms 46:10 AMP

“Attention, all! See the marvels of GOD! He plants flowers and trees all over the earth, Bans war from pole to pole, breaks all the weapons across his knee. “Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything.”

Psalm 46:8-10 MSG

“Stop your fighting — and know that I am God, exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.”

Psalms 46:10 HCSB

The heart of your prayer really matters. Are you praying for something that is originated to make your name great or is it to make God’s name hallowed? Is it to give you glory or God glory? Whatever you do, do it for Him and His Kingdom. Believe. Expect Him to move, speak, act, do!

“And if you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Matthew 21:22 HCSB

“Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving.”

Colossians 4:2 HCSB

I pray God does amazing things in your life and that your prayer life becomes more like that of Jesus’ prayer life!

Intend to Live