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Pray
Sincere Humble Prayers- in His Word
I know I have mentioned it before but there
are so many people who are just plain afraid to pray out loud, not that it’s
wrong to pray a silent prayer but I don’t think it is right to be afraid to
make a mistake when you pray.
The
point is you are having a conversation with God, not man, when you pray. He
hears the prayers and responds, though it
may take a while we need to continue to do good, and trust in the Lord
to bring us the desires of our hearts. I bet you thought that ‘desires of your
heart’ was just for things like a new house or car! Nope it is for whatever you are passionate
about enough to lift up to God in prayer. But we need to remember, pray heart
to heart, not from ear to ear! Our voice
is not for man, it is for God, so if you have to pray aloud let it be for those
who need to hear the words you prayed for them to have faith, but if you are
alone, pray silent or with a voice, either one works to reach God anyway. Just
remember, its not about you.
“When
you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street
corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the
truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. Matthew 6:5
But when
you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your
Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their
prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be
like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!
Matthew 6:6-8
We
should be more like a man named Cornelius who prayed and gave to the poor and
was a just man who was also a God-fearing man. He prayed and lived the life
that God provided for him to live. He did not pray and then go about sinning or
living on the edge of the fence expecting God to answer either. We should read,
pray and live the Word as this man did. The Lord God was pleased with him for
what he did and answered his prayers. There is more about this in Peter’s story
when he saw the sheet with food coming down from heaven for him to eat. I’ll
let you read about it yourself.
In
Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer named Cornelius, who was a captain of
the Italian Regiment. He was a devout, God-fearing man, as was everyone in his
household. He gave generously to the poor and prayed regularly to God.
One afternoon about three o’clock, he had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him. “Cornelius!” the angel said. Cornelius stared at him in terror. “What is it, sir?” he asked the angel. And the angel replied, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering! Now send some men to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter. Acts 10:1-5
( continue
through the rest of the Chapter to find out Peter’s side of the story! Prayer
changes things in ways we do not always expect).
Dear heavenly Father, help us to pray heart felt prayers today, honest and sincere not just full of fancy words. Help us to live the life we pray from, and to wal
k the walk that we talk today, in Jesus name, amen