Stop Cluttering Your Prayers!

I no longer counsel the Lord in my prayers. I have ceased to clutter the spiritual air with personal opinions and directives. He has convinced me that I can trust Him. He has convinced me that He always has my best interests at heart. My prayer times have changed from the beggar to the lover. Now my conversations with Him are much like the conversations I have with my wife. Cathy and I know that we can trust each other. I don’t have to worry or wonder about her fulfilling her daily responsibilities any more than she has to worry about me fulfilling mine. We do not remind each other of the so-called mundane things of everyday life that we do in response to our love for each other. Love constrains us to do things we have promised or know that we must do. Duties are a joy because we are pleasing the one we love and, for the most part, are not considered duties but rather true expressions of love for each other. Now if this be true in a human relationship, how much more is it true in relationship to our Lord Jesus?

When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! (Matthew 6:7-8)

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need (Matthew 6:33).

Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love (1 John 4:18).

Reflect

Your prayers are directly related to your trust in the heart of God. You don’t have to beg God to be the loving God that He is. How do you approach God—out of fear or the security of His love for you?

Respond

Sit with Jesus in a quiet place and read Matthew 6:7-9 as though He is speaking the words to you. Journal your reflections.

How will I make this visible through my life today?