Whenever You Pray

Acts of Worship
Learning to Pray

A Model for Prayer

Matthew 6:1-13  The Message

The World Is Not a Stage

6 “Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding.

^2-4 “When you do something for someone else, don’t call attention to yourself. You’ve seen them in action, I’m sure—‘playactors’ I call them—treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that’s all they get. When you help someone out, don’t think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out.

Pray with Simplicity

⁵ “And when you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat?

⁶ “Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.
^7-13 “The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this:

Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what’s best—
    as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You’re in charge!
You can do anything you want!
You’re ablaze in beauty!
    Yes. Yes. Yes.

 
For Reflection
In this interpretation, the Lord's Prayer seems a bit pedestrian.  Perhaps that's precisely the point.  Prayer doesn't need a spiritually acceptable place, or a special  language.  Nor is prayer a production, or a means for manipulating God.  Prayer is your honest, humble recognition of the relationship between you and God.  Prayer is an intimate conversation with God.   The act of authentic prayer wipes away any and all barriers between you and God.  It doesn't matter how you pray -- it matters that you pray!

 

Pray

Pray frequently.  Pray in humility.  Pray so that you grow into grace.  Pray so that you fortify your faith. Pray so that what you think, say and do are acts or worship that glorify God.