Humility and Repentance
Welcome back to A Miracle Every Day! We are on a journey into the most famous prayer in scripture – the Lord’s Prayer. My prayer for you, friend, is that you will see this prayer in a new, fresh, and exciting way and that it will open the door to many miracles in your life!
In Matthew 6, Jesus gives us a primer on talking and listening to God. A portion of his teaching is world-famous, but the portion right before is not because it comes with a couple of warnings and cautions. Jesus said:
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.” (Matthew 6:5, NIV)
I must confess, there are times when I am in my prayer group and instead of fully being present and connecting with the prayers of my fellow pastors, my mind is thinking about what I am going to pray when it’s my turn! In those moments, I am not prayerful, I am prideful. I want my friends to think I am very prayerful, but instead, I have crossed over into pride.
I hear Jesus whisper in this text, be humble. You have an audience of One when you are praying, so participate in prayer as Jesus taught you...as He modelled for you. When we pray, alone or together, we start in a place of humility and are welcomed by a God who already knows every word and thought forming at that moment. Instead of being prideful, Jesus proposes a different way to pray, a humble way:
“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:5, NIV)
When you hear that instruction, you may immediately think of going into your bedroom or your kitchen. In the days of Jesus, the only room that had a door on it in these ancient homes was a type of storage room where they would keep food, valuables, and supplies. This room was humble and that is the place where Jesus sends us; So that our humble surroundings would match our humble approach to the King of Kings. He tells us to pray in secret. We struggle with this “secret” communication with God because, at least in my experience, when an answered prayer doesn’t happen immediately we assume nothing is happening. We want what we requested in secret to become SCREAMINGLY OBVIOUS with an answer! Jesus understands this tension, so he continues:
“And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6:7-8, NIV)
According to Jesus, effective prayer is not measured by the number of words or eloquence. We can’t make God do what we want through fancy speech or words. Don’t be like them, Jesus said, because your Father already knows everything you need and even when you don’t see it He is working for your good.
With those cautions as the backdrop, Jesus gives us a beautiful gift. God gives us words to talk to God. friend, let’s quiet our hearts heart and say this together:
“Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” (Matthew 6:9-13, NKJV)
friend, there is power in what you just prayed-A power to unlock miracles for you and through you!
You are a miracle!
