TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your father knows what you need before you ask him. Matthew 6:7-8
Read: Matthew 6:7-8
Listen: Matthew 6
TODAY’S MESSAGE
Jesus asked God not to let him be betrayed right before it happened. But as he prays this, he still ends by saying, “Yet, not my will but yours be done” (Luke 22:42b). Jesus needed prayer not just to ask for things but to align his will with God the Father. It’s as if Jesus came to God with both hands open. One hand telling God what he wanted, but the other humbly submitting his desire to God.
We often pray like a grocery list of requests. We know what things we want and especially the thing we want most. We might list out the things we want God to do but then quickly move on to the next thing. God wants to hear what we are experiencing and wants us to share our requests with him. However, slowly praying the words in The Lord’s Prayer might not only shape our prayers —but also reorder our desires to align more closely with Jesus.
Reordering our desires to want what God wants can be difficult and scary. Watch this video clip where Pastor Jeff Manion describes praying with both hands open. When we pray, we can have both of our hands open as Jesus did. We can ask him for what we want and submit our desires to him. Over time, this opens our hearts for God to grow our desires to be more like his. If Jesus needed to align his heart to the Father—how much more do we need his help to align ours too?
IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY
Take inventory of your recent prayer requests. What things do you pray for? Because God wants to know what you need, keep praying for these things. But also pray that God will help you align your heart to his. Pray that he would help you want what he wants in your life and the world around you. Wrap up your time by slowly praying through The Lord’s Prayer.
40 DAYS OF PRAYER
Join us for 40 DAYS OF PRAYER where all of us will find a quiet space and slowly read The Lord’s Prayer. May forty days of praying like Jesus prayed, and desiring what Jesus wanted, make a big difference in our hearts and our communities.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who art 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 forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever. Amen.
NEW TESTAMENT READING PLAN
Join us this year as we read through the New Testament.
Today’s reading is John 6.
Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.
