It’s hard to believe, it’s the first Monday of the new year. What better way to start the year off than by setting the tone for your relationship with God. A new year brings brand new opportunities for growth. Let’s chat about a healthy prayer life. As a mom, if you develop a healthy prayer life, it is much easier to train your children (big or small- it's never too late) to do the same. It starts with you!
In Matthew 6, after discussing giving to the needy and how the disciples are to conduct themselves when they give, Jesus tells them, “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 men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 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. 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 6:5-8 (emphasis mine)
It is not a question whether or not we will pray - JESUS EXPECTS HIS DISCIPLES TO PRAY.
We are without excuse in our relationships with God when it comes to communication. We are to talk to Him. And the size of the words is not what matters, nor the length of the prayer.
“This, then, is how you should pray:
“ ‘Our Father in heaven
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
As we also forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.’ ” (Matthew 6:9-13)
1. Come before God ACKNOWLEDGING Him for who He is. I am not one for small talk, but if we want to build intimacy with the God of the universe, it’s a good idea to acknowledge Him as such. God is not some workplace acquaintance. He knows you better than you know yourself and yet, He loves you and desires a relationship with you. He is worthy of our praise and admiration!
2. Come into AGREEMENT with His plan. Way too often, we bring God our thoughts, ideas and even our mess and expect His blessing on it all. What if we submitted to His will instead of begging Him to submit to ours? HIS kingdom come; HIS will be done.
3. Come to Him and ASK Him for what you need. Asking God for stuff is easy for most people, whether they call themselves Christian or not! The real challenge is staying in-line with the will of God. While a Lamborghini Aventador would be a nice alternative to my minivan, I’m not exactly sure trading my minivan in for the sportscar would actually accommodate my family of six (not to mention, it costs 10 times the amount of a minivan). Someone would have to catch an Uber everywhere we went, and it wouldn’t be Momma! Of course God knows what we need before we ever need it, but why not spend our time talking with Him about His will as opposed to our Wish List. In need of provision? God provides. In need of healing? God heals. In need of restoration? God restores. God in His sovereignty is able to work it out.
4. Come humbly and ADMIT where you’ve messed up. What if we only brushed our teeth when we had a dental appointment? Oh the problems we would have, and not just with our teeth! Other people would soon be negatively impacted by our poor hygiene, all because we neglected to maintain our own personal health. The same can be said about “our sin”. All too often, we figure our sin issues only affect us, when in reality if left untreated, sin issues can lead to bigger problems and even impact those closest to us. When we bring them to God, we admit we need His help, thus restoring the intimacy in our relationship. And God is faithful, He will help us.
So… what now? Make prayer a priority this year. Remember to ACKNOWLEDGE, AGREE, ASK and ADMIT - and do it consistently. You’ll find yourself delighted in your relationship with God as you grow in your communication with Him.
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