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Prayer and Our Values

The way we pray is often a good indicator of what we value most. Many people claim to love God and neighbor, but when they pray, their focus is centered around their own personal needs and desires, and sometimes the needs and desires of their favorite friends. Rarely is there much emphasis on the admiration of God's greatness, a desire for personal purity, and a willingness to "sacrifice" one's own desires for the good of God's kingdom.

What emphasis should we have when we pray? Look at what Jesus tells us, in the prayer he taught his disciples:

Matthew 6:9-13
"Pray, then, in this way:

This is Jesus speaking. He does not tell us to simply repeat this prayer, like a trained parrot. Rather, he wants us to take this prayer to heart and to let it change the way we pray.

'Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

Is our prayer characterized by worship, praise and adoration of God? Do we acknowledge - joyfully - who he is?

'Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.

Do we desire God's will more than our own? Do we want God to be honored in all that we do - and in all that others do, as well?

'Give us this day our daily bread.

Are we content to trust him to take care of our (and other's) physical needs? (Or do we demand that he do it our way?) Do we trust him when he doesn't answer the way we want? (Remember that we have just prayed, "Thy will be done.")

'And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Do we treat others the way we want God to treat us? (He requires us to do so.) Do we really understand the extent of God's forgiveness toward us? (The "little" sins that others have committed against us are nothing, compared to the "big" sins we have committed against God.)

'And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Do we pray that we (and others) might not enter into trials and temptation? (And do we make any effort to avoid temptations, when they come?) When trials come our way, do we pray for protection as we go through them? (Or do we demand that God get us out of them, so that we can "have a nice day"?)

[For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]' "

(This ending, found in some translations, directs our attention back to God and who he is.) Does worship, praise and adoration of God characterize our prayer - not just at its beginning, but as an on-going theme?

Dennis Hinks © 2001
Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(R),
Copyright (C) 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission."
041222

Matthew 6:9-13 "Pray, then, in this way:	This is Jesus speaking. He does not tell us to simply repeat this prayer, like a trained parrot. Rather, he wants us to take this prayer to heart and to let it change the way we pray.
'Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.	Is our prayer characterized by worship, praise and adoration of God? Do we acknowledge - joyfully - who he is?
'Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.	Do we desire God's will more than our own? Do we want God to be honored in all that we do - and in all that others do, as well?
'Give us this day our daily bread.	Are we content to trust him to take care of our (and other's) physical needs? (Or do we demand that he do it our way?) Do we trust him when he doesn't answer the way we want? (Remember that we have just prayed, "Thy will be done.")
'And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.	Do we treat others the way we want God to treat us? (He requires us to do so.) Do we really understand the extent of God's forgiveness toward us? (The "little" sins that others have committed against us are nothing, compared to the "big" sins we have committed against God.)
'And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.	Do we pray that we (and others) might not enter into trials and temptation? (And do we make any effort to avoid temptations, when they come?) When trials come our way, do we pray for protection as we go through them? (Or do we demand that God get us out of them, so that we can "have a nice day"?)
[For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]' "	(This ending, found in some translations, directs our attention back to God and who he is.) Does worship, praise and adoration of God characterize our prayer - not just at its beginning, but as an on-going theme?