Embrace the Within no. 137

“And when you pray, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. So do not be like them [praying as they do]; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

Pray, then, in this way [as a model or pattern]:

‘Our Father, who is in heaven, Hallowed [set apart, keep and treat as holy, revered] be Your name.

Your kingdom come [A plea for God’s kingdom to be inaugurated on earth],

Your [Including what God wishes to be done by the individual believer—His commands and precepts] will be done

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread [life’s essentials] .

And forgive us our debts [sins, moral failures], as we have forgiven our debtors [letting go of both the wrong and the resentment].

And do not lead us into temptation [lead us away from situations where we are vulnerable and have the opportunity to sin. God does not tempt man (see James 1:13) but does allow man to be tested], but deliver us from evil [Or the evil one]. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen [This clause is not found in early mss].’

For if you forgive [anthropoi] others their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins], your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others [nurturing your hurt and anger with the result that it interferes with your relationship with God], then your Father will not forgive your trespasses.”

Matthew 6:7-15 AMP

Prayer is a conversation with the Creator of All Things. It isn’t meaningless small talk or loud prayer to get the attention of others. Prayer is a conversation from the heart of me to the Heart of God. And Christ gives a wonderful pattern here in the Sermon on the Mount, an example to follow for my prayers. And it starts, most importantly with explicitly saying to whom I am speaking. And that is my Father.

And before talking about anything I want or need or desire or yearn, I am reverent to His authority and pray for His Will to be done first. This isn’t an afterthought, this is the initial step to show my obedience to His Will even though His Will is going to be done anyway. I need to acknowledge that I am not getting my way. I am not changing the mind of God. I am not doing anything BUT being obedient to His Will.

Then, I ask for what’s necessary to live and go right into asking to be right with God. I need my spirit and my what to be aligned to His Will a lot more than I do anything else. I need to change a lot more than I need others to change or circumstances to change. What always needs to change is me.

'Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God” [for temptation does not originate from God, but from our own flaws]; for God cannot be tempted by [what is] evil, and He Himself tempts no one. 'James 1:13 GNV

The circumstances are there for me to become better, to become perfect. And that is an ongoing process. I need to find how to change and adapt to the trials and temptations and obstacles and opportunities in order to better serve the Lord. I need to find His Way through those things in order to be a better Ambassador of His Kingdom.

And finally, Christ repeats the need for forgiveness at the end of this passage. I need to show his grace and mercy and love to others by forgiveness. If I cannot forgive and let go of my anger and resentment, if I cannot truly show love to my family, my friends, my neighbors, and my enemies, then I am not forgiven. I need to have the heart of Christ when dealing with the world. A heart that loves without judgment. A heart that wants the best for others before myself. A heart that forgives when it is hurting.

Christ hurts, God hurts, the Spirit hurts, when I do not forgive because He forgave me. I didn’t earn His forgiveness. I don’t deserve His forgiveness. And sometimes I can feel that way about others. They hurt me so badly that they don’t deserve to ever be forgiven BUT I forgive anyway. I don’t forgive people because they deserve forgiveness or mercy. I forgive because I am forgiven through mercy as well.

So what does my heart say about my prayers? I need to spend a lot more time contemplating what I am bringing to God and if it aligns with what He wants. Am I asking for things? Am I treating God like a genie? Am I showing Him respect and glory? Am I looking for His forgiveness BUT not showing it to others? Am I aligned with His Will to make me better?

I pray that your Will be done through me. I pray that you change my heart into the heart of Christ. I pray that I forgive others with mercy and grace. I pray that every day I am being perfected into the person you want to change me into becoming.

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH

Embrace the Within no. 136

“Also, when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to pray [publicly] standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets so that they may be seen by men. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, they [already] have their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your most private room, close the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees [what is done] in secret will reward you.”

Matthew 6:5-6 AMP

There is something about people loudly doing something to draw attention that has always been unsettling to me. Whether it is the loud people in public drawing attention to themselves for personal gain, if it’s the television commercials that are much louder than the other commercials, or the folks that are loudly making a spectacle of themselves to bring change, I am not a fan of the spectacle. I find a lot of that selfish and pointless.

Christ says that those folks that are looking for attention even at the places of worship are being selfish and hypocritical as well. Maybe it isn't always praying loudly BUT it can be any number of things to get us noticed by other image bearers. Again, it is important to focus on my heart when I am doing any of these things.

Why am I being loud? What am I bringing attention to myself? What is the purpose of this spectacle?

So, why am I truly doing good. Is it for an earthly reward? Is it for a heavenly reward? Or is it not for the reward at all?

Worship is not the place for eyes to be centered on me. Worship is a place to come into His presence. If I am serving the church and looking for a plaque or a shout out or a pat on the back, then I am totally missing the point. I don’t serve to get recognition from my peers. I serve God because I am obedient to the Lord. He is in charge and not me.

If my motives are to receive the recognition of my peers, then I need to check my heart and my relationship with Him.

'And when thou prayest, be not as the hypocrites: for they loue to stand, and pray in the Synagogues, and in the corners of the streetes, because they would be seene of men. Verely I say vnto you, they haue their rewarde. But when thou prayest, enter into thy chamber and when thou hast shut thy doore, pray vnto thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret, shall rewarde thee openly. '

Matthew 6:5-6 GNV

So what does my heart say about my motivations? I need to spend a lot more time contemplating why I am drawing attention from the Lord and onto me. Is this for my glory? Is this for God’s glory? Is this for attention? Is this for adoration? Is this for thanks? Am I advertising my service to the Lord as a way of getting noticed?

I pray that my service comes from a heart that is aligned with what You want. I pray that I search my heart before bringing attention to my service of the Lord. I pray that my obedient example be one of encouragement to others. I pray that my service inspires more service in all of us as we walk like Christ.

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH