THE PRECEPTS - Topic: PRAYING CORRECTLY
Bible Reading: Matthew 6:5-8, James 4:2-4.
Jesus Christ showed the importantance of prayer, by taking time teach his disciples on how to pray. And the first thing he taught them was how not to pray. He said, when you pray do not pray like the hypocrites. Though they love praying but something was wrong with their prayer life, and that is what Jesus want us to watch, so that we will not be praying unswered prayers. What are the things wrong with the prayer life of these hypocrites?
1. Wrong motives: Jesus said in verse 5, that they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets. Jesus was not condemning their standing position in prayer, neither was he angry with where they prayed, in the synagogue and Conners of the street nothing wrong with those places, because Paul said we should pray everywhere. 1 Tim.2:8. But what was wrong with their prayer was their motives of praying. He said because they love to be seen of men. Therefore, ones men have seen them, then they have their reward already. So their prayers were never answered from heaven. If you want to have a prayer life that is working and answering, you must check your motives in prayer regularly. When you wake up to prayer and you are shouting disturbing the whole house, is it really true the Holy Ghost took you over and was the one moving you in prayer that makes you shout, or it is because you want to make everyone in your compound know that you are a prayer warrior. When you pray, what was the reason why you were asking for what you asked for, was it because you want to do a show to others, or you just want enjoy it to please yourself? Or you want to use it for God's glory? Know that whatever you pray for, your first reason must be to fulfill the purpose of God, so that God would be glorify.
This simple truth has been the reason why many people pray but their prayers were not answered. Because until your prayer life and request falls in line with the will of God for you, God will not be committed to answer it. Your priorities and motives in life must be pure, for God to be committed to answere your prayers. To be continued in the next edition. God bless you.
Prayer Points: Ask God today to check your heart out and correct your wrong motives that has been hindering your prayers. And helps you to have right motives that allow prayers to be answered.
(Courtesy of THE PRECEPTS SEEKERS CHURCH INT'L. Email: pastoryomieniola@gmail.com, phone: +234 806 755 0234)
