When You Pray pt 3

You know, I have shared a lot about praying with these Morning Messages, but one thing I think you would agree is that we were actually made to pray. Sounds like an odd thing to say, right? I should also add that although it may not be the easiest thing for us to do, it is certainly the most natural thing for us to do.

I could also add that prayer is the measure of a believer in the eyes of our Father. I think it was McCheyne who said, "What a man is alone on his knees before God, that he is--and no more."

Maybe Jesus' disciples felt this way when they asked, "Lord, teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1). Have you ever asked that? Jesus seemed pleased with their request because being the great teacher that he was, said (in a matter-of-fact way, "Well, when you pray, say . . ."--and for the second time in his public ministry he gave them a pattern for their prayers. Today, we refer to as, "The Lord's Prayer." You will find it in Luke 11 and in Matthew 6.

Now here's a question for you . . . when Jesus said, "Say," did he simply want us to "parrot" the words? I don't think so. The word used here clearly gives us a totally different meaning. I think we say that it means, "means!" In other words, what Jesus was giving us was a pattern for all of our prayers. Jesus was teaching us that when we pray, our attitudes, thoughts and desires should match what he showed us in that prayer. Does that make sense?

But one thing I should add here is that praying is something you learn to do. Oh, not by reading books about it (or my Morning Messages), but by actually doing it. But as I have already said before, it is so natural and spontaneous that you can actually become quite proficient in it without ever reading about it. So, look to your Father and call to him. Call out to Him to show how the energize your prayers.

Nickolas