April 14, 2020 CAC Living Water Devotional :- TEACH US HOW TO PRAY
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LIVING WATER🌊 CAC DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE
Tuesday, April 14, 2020.
TEACH US HOW TO PRAY
Read: Matthew 6:5-13
Matthew 6:5-13 And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.
Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day 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 evil.
MEMORISE: Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. (Matthew 6:9)
EXPOSITION
Prayer seems not to be new, but majority seldom know what it is really all about. We do pray, but we merely pray aright. Jesus Christ, during His earthly ministry, took time during His sermon on the mount (the Beatitudes) to teach His listeners how to pray. Although, the popular “the Lord prayer” is not to be dogmatically or routinely recited as schoolboy rote, during prayer time, yet it represents the model or pattern any prayer to God ought to follow.
Our prayer must be preceded by praises, honour and adoration to God (Matt. 6:9). This symbolises relationship with God the Father—Father-son relationship. Don’t let your problem or prayer point/focus, becloud your awe for God. God must be revered, worshipped and exalted. Also, the recipient of these is only Our Father in Heaven. Following this is the consciousness and recognition of His imminent Kingdom. This means, you pull down your earthly ‘kingdom’ or empire first, to pave way for His kingdom. In your prayer, God’s will should be supreme. Many Christians struggle here because their minds are already pre-occupied with their selfish wills (Jas. 4:3)
Having satisfied the above conditions, you can now begin to ask for your daily bread. You can request for mercy over your faults and errors, but this is dependent on weather or not you show mercy also. In closing, you still crave for the kingdom of God because, you ultimately belong to Him. All glory and power must also be returned to God.
Did you see anything like crushing the heads of the enemies there? Did Christ teach us to curse in prayer? Did you ever see Him make mention of specific names as adversities during His prayers? You must follow Christ’s footstep, today and always, God helping us.
PRAYER POINTS
1. God, help me to know the art of praying in the way You want, in Jesus name.
2. Holt Spirit, teach me and help me to pray aright, always (Rom. 8:26)
3. Lord, refocus the attention off our relatives on prayers that edify the body of Christ than those kill-them-all ‘bulldozer’ prayers.
EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: Judges 5-6 & Acts 17