Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Matthew 6:8 NABRE
Jesus teaches about prayer, an act of deepening our relationship with God. First Jesus warms His disciples off certain prayer practices common at the time and we still see today. Don’t pray that others see you, it is not for humans that we pray and doing so to receive human appreciation is all the reward we will receive. Jesus says pray quietly in your room where only God our Father sees. Jesus also warns against using many words, and begging to change Gods mind, pleading so that God will give us what we are asking to receive. Jesus doesn’t want us to recite divine names, or formulas imploring God to act as we desire. Jesus says non-believers pray this way, expecting to God to be convinced as if He is human, and we can sell Him on the benefits of our approach. We shouldn’t be like people whose prayer seems like coercion or begging. Jesus main point is our Father knows what we need before we ask and then He teaches “the Lord’s Prayer.” It is a great thing to know that God knows us so well He knows what we need. This is not necessarily what we want, but what will be best for us in our life. We sometimes don’t know what we need ourselves, but God provides it and our eyes are opened by His answer.
Jesus teaches us to call God, Father. What better understanding could we have for the Creator of all things? Of course our Father will give us what we need, sometimes a material blessing, other times a hard lesson, and sometimes He gives us what He knows will lead us astray so that we may discover how to return to what is best for us all along. Never underestimate God’s capacity to help us discover the kingdom of God and our connectedness to it, we always have it but sometimes we don’t see it.
When do you pray? Do you know what you need?
In prayer our Father will give us what we need, sometimes a material blessing, other times a hard lesson, and sometimes He gives us what He knows will lead us astray so that we may discover how to return to what is best for us all along. Click To Tweet#bible #godisgreat #jesus #christianity #dailybibleverse @youversion #BeAnEncourager #prayer #Father #Matthew #everybodyalways #god #jesuschrist #jesussaves #godisgood #dailydevotion #biblestudy #scripture #bibleverse #verseoftheday #cross #last #gospels #loveeachother #godisgreat #thisVineyard #youversion #everythingalways