Posted on 05/14/2022 5:45:55 AM PDT by metmom
“‘So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him’” (Matthew 6:8).
We do not have to badger or cajole God to ensure that He will hear and answer our prayers or to convince Him that our requests are sincere. Prayer is more for our benefit than God’s, as Luther said, “By our praying … we are instructing ourselves more than we are him.” Our prayers, no matter how eloquent or earnest, can never really inform or persuade God. Our responsibility and privilege is simply to approach Him with sincerity, purpose, and true devotion.
We can share with God all manner of needs, burdens, and heartfelt concerns, even though He already knows everything that’s on our hearts and minds. God delights to hear us and commune with us more than we ever delight to commune with Him. He loved us first and with a greater intensity than we could ever love Him. Our sincere prayer requests allow God the opportunity to more fully reveal all His wonderful attributes to us (cf. John 14:13).
The great evangelist D. L. Moody once felt so filled up and overwhelmed with God’s blessings that he reportedly prayed, “God, stop.” Potentially, every faithful believer today could have Moody’s response to God’s goodness. The Lord answers us in better ways than we want or expect—but He always answers.
Ask Yourself
The fact that God “knows what you need before you ask Him” can easily be construed into a rationalization for praying less. What is it about this astounding reality, however, that should actually inspire us to pray more? How does it reorient us to the true meaning of relationship with God?
From Daily Readings from the Life of Christ, Vol. 1, John MacArthur. Copyright © 2008. Used by permission of Moody Publishers, Chicago, IL 60610, www.moodypublishers.com.
Studying God’s Word ping
I’ve mentioned it before but I used to use prayer as my wish list to God not understanding that he already knows my needs and what’s best for me. Now I pray for my understanding of His will, not mine.
Thank you God!!
Something that many of us need to learn.
Very good point. Thanks for sharing that.
It’s hard to know thouhg if you are badgering God by continuing using to ask when he hasn’t answered yet, or if you are persisting in prayer like he says to.
I be,eive it was moody who said the secret to his ‘success’ in preaching, and receiving answers to prayers was that during his services, he had devoted congregants who went downstairs to,pray for the congregation upstairs while,they were being preached to. Thr prayer warriors were a major part of his ministry.
The illustration of the persistent widow was Jesus’ illustration.
I guess if He thought crying out to H8m day and night was badgering Him, he wouldn’t have used it.
I’ve been thinking about that all day.
It does fit in with the Lord’s prayer.
Thy kingdom come, they will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
THEN we pray for our daily bread and other needs.
Too often is seems like praying to God is doing the obligatory worship, and then coming to Him with a laundry list of what I want. It was frustrating because I know that prayer, being communion with God, should be more than a monologue.
You post actually addressed something I had been wrestling with. Thanks for the insight.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.