Thoughts and Encouragements: From Scripture, we can learn a lot about how to pray, but we can also find examples of how we should not pray.
Jesus speaks in the Gospel of Matthew: “When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites who love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men” (Matthew 6:5). At the time when the New Testament was written, religious leaders were highly regarded people in high positions within society. Jesus refers to them as those who love for society to treat them with respect. They are the ones who love the best seats in the synagogues and who receive praise from people. These people took every opportunity to show how dedicated they were to God, but with the wrong motivation. Their motivation was to be noticed by people, not by God. Jesus teaches that the true character of a genuine believer is revealed when no one is watching: “But you, when you pray, go into your room, shut the door, and pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (Matthew 6:6).
James also speaks about prayer with the wrong intention. He says: “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures” (James 4:3). We need to reflect on whether the ultimate goal of our prayer aligns with God’s Word and His will for our lives.
Jesus also says: “And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do, for they think they will be heard for their many words” (Matthew 6:7). A multitude of empty words will not touch God’s heart. Prayer is not a mere ritual. As we have said before, prayer is a dialogue with a person, with the living God who wants to hear the true state we are in and our real needs. He desires an honest and direct relationship with His children.
Jesus points out another essential condition for prayer: forgiveness. “Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, go your way, and first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23-24). If we have strained and unresolved relationships with others, this becomes a problem in prayer. According to Jesus’ statement from Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” We can rephrase this statement and say that only peacemakers can truly be called sons of God. If we are in conflict with someone or have strained relationships, our primary task is reconciliation, not the act of prayer. Prayer will only have its power when we have resolved the issues in our relationships.
Prayer Points:
Lord, align my prayer with Your will, that I may not pray out of selfishness, but from a pure heart, seeking Your guidance.
Help me make my prayer sincere, not just ritualistic. I want to pray to You in truth, without empty words.
Show me to whom I need to apologize, so that I may approach Your presence in peace during prayer.