When We Pray

Matthew 6:7-8 ES
“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

Someone asked me one time, if God knows what I need before I ask, why do I need to pray? My best answer is, look at Jesus’s words in verses 5,6,7, it says in each verse “and when you pray.” Verse 8 says “ask Him (God).” Verse 9 says, “pray like this…” And then our Lord goes through great detail to guide our prayer life in verses 9-13.

Why pray, because the Master says to pray. Know this, God knows exactly what you and I need. Since He knows what we need, ask Him and trust Him. How we get disappointed is we want things our way, in our time, the way we want them to happen. Our will is not always the Father’s will, but the Father’s will, will get us everything that we need.

Prayer, according to Jesus’s model, is perfectly orchestrated. We praise God, we ask God for provisions. Then we ask God to forgive us, and give us the strength to forgive others as we have been forgiven. We ask for protection and then we praise Him some more.

It may seem in our small way of thinking that this doesn’t cover much, but this is an outline, you fill in the content. Most importantly as Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, Father, not my will, but Your will be done.

Prayer:
Lord, we thank You for hearing us and answering us and communicating with us daily, actually hourly, and minute by minute for many of us. Your Kingdom come, Your will be done today! Provide for our needs, our family and loved ones, our friends and neighbors, our church or body of believers. Help and heal our local and national government. Forgive us, heal us, restore us back to You. Give us Your favor and protect us from the evil one. Yours is the Kingdom and the power, and the glory forever, Amen!