September 6 | Week 1: Grace and Devotion
Learn To Pray In Your Room
Matthew 6:5-13
“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 others. Truly I tell you, 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.
This Is How You Should Pray
“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. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’
1. How does Jesus say not to pray? Why? God hates it when I make prayers for show or do anything for him to be seen by others. (see Acts 5:1-11) Jesus Christ taught that doing things “to be seen by others” is hypocrisy. The Lord says I should go into my room, close the door and pray to my unseen Father. God sees what is done in secret. Therefore, God will reward me if I pray secretly “in my room.”
Learn To Pray God’s Way
2. Go through the Lord’s Prayer slowly. What does Jesus teach you to pray for? First, call God my Father and recognize that his very name is Holy. Second, pray for his Kingdom to come and his will to be done – on earth as it is in heaven. I should ask God for the day itself as well as my daily needs. Additonally, I must ask his forgiveness under the condition that I have “also forgiven” my “debtors.” Lastly, Jesus teaches me that I need pray to be led by him out of temptation and to deliverance “from the evil one.”
3. What does it look like to pray for God’s kingdom, and not just for your own wants? Praying for God’s kingdom requires praying for others – both in the church and out of the church. If I am to pray for the Kingdom, then it requires I know what the needs and plans are for the kingdom. Therefore, I must ask myself if I am going after making myself aware of plantings and overall needs throughout God’s people worldwide. GNN is really good for this!
Always Pray, Petition, and Thank In Prayer
Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
1. What are you supposed to do instead of worrying? I should pray, petition, and thankfully present my needs/requests to God! Furthermore, I am called to respond with this kind of praying “in every situation”. The word “petition” in the Greek is “δέησις|deēsis” meaning “a wanting, a need” and “a seeking, asking, entreating.” Do I give God a list of laundry items in my life and “forget” to thank him?
Proper Prayer Produces The Peace of God
2. What does God promise when you bring your worries to him? God promises me a peace that passes understanding. Not only that, this peace is so powerful it will guard both my heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Lastly, this peace is so profound it transcends understanding. Personally, this is a challenge for me, as I prefer to “understand” things. However, if I fully “understand” something like this, I will not have to surrender. Sometimes, I seek understanding to feel (some kind of) control in a situation. The first thing I should be seeking is God and trusting surrender to him.
Learning The A.C.T.S Prayer Outline
APPLICATION: A simple prayer outline is A.C.T.S. Adoration (praise), Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication (requests). Try praying through all four today. Write down your requests so you can watch how God answers them.
Today as we head out to the Labor Day picnic, we will pray through all of these together in the car. Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ (Matthew 22:37)
