WHEN YOU PRAY

Jesus has strong words for us about prayer in Matthew 6:5-8 and 14-15 (verses surrounding the Lord’s Prayer):

• “When you pray…” Not if, but when. Is prayer an “if” for you, an option? A good idea that you get to sometimes—like flossing your teeth? Or is it really your soul’s lifeblood?
• Don’t pray like a hypocrite. Our motives get mixed—and mixed up—easily. When you pray in the company of others, is there something deep down that seizes the opportunity and twists or tilts things ever so slightly to make you look good?
• Don’t pray “in bulk.” Buying in bulk can mean getting a better deal, but praying long prayers has no advantage. Don’t blabber on and on. Be concise and direct. Be silent at times.
• Forgiving other people is a prerequisite for authentic prayer. God has so designed the human experience that we cannot receive his forgiveness in prayer if we will not forgive those who’ve offended us. Not that we earn God’s favor by forgiving others—you’d have to undo the gospel of grace to see it that way. What it does mean is that truly forgiven hearts are the kind of hearts that extend grace to others; truly forgiven people cannot go on and on holding a grudge. But it also means that authentic believers need God’s warnings—the threat of divine wrath, like the ravine below a cliff-side trail, helps keep us close to Christ.