What Prayer is First and Foremost For
Matthew 6:7-8 (NIV)
7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
As you grow in your walk with God it is important to note that it is not the words that you pray so much that God desires because he already knows what you need more than you do. Think with me about this for a moment, what is it that you really need more than anything else? Is it more money? More possessions? More understanding from those around you? Less confusion in your life?
This is where many go wrong in their walk with God. They spend all the time asking God for what they think they really need. God tells them they do not need to spend much time asking for what they think they need for God has already taken care of that.
Imagine for a moment being the presence of a sovereign king and spending all your time asking him for things that are not in the room where he is. What would that say to the king? "I am only here because I need something else that is not You from you?"
Could it be that the reason our prayers are so empty is we have been playing the role of an idolater even in the presence of the King? When he wants to be with us we spend all our time wishing for something else. Are you beginning to grasp this truth yet? God will take care of the things that you need, he only desires that you be with him and get to know him.
So perhaps today you might want to work on developing a heart of praise towards God as you spend the time alone with him. You may want to read through the Psalms or some other portion of Scripture and underline and make note of all the statements made about God and spend some time thinking on each one of those statements. There is enough there to take up several days. May God grant all of us a heart of true worship as we get alone with him.
Thinking less of stuff and more of God,