Posted on 03/24/2023 6:10:58 AM PDT by metmom
"Give us this day our daily bread" (Matt. 6:11).
God is glorified when He meets your needs.
In America, praying for our daily bread hardly seems necessary. Most people need to pray for self-control to avoid overeating! But Matthew 6:11 isn't talking about food only. It is a statement of dependency on God and an acknowledgment that He alone provides all of life's basic necessities.
Sad to say, however, many people today have reduced prayer to a means of self-fulfillment. Recently a woman sent me a booklet and wrote, "I don't think you understand the true resource we have in prayer. You should read this booklet." The booklet repeatedly emphasized our right as Christians to demand things of God. But that misses the point of prayer altogether, which is to glorify God (John 14:13). We are to give God the privilege of revealing His glory by meeting our needs in whatever way He chooses. If we demand things of Him, we are likely to become frustrated or to question Him when we don't get what we want. That's a serious sin!
David G. Myers, in his book The Human Puzzle (N.Y.: Harper and Row, 1978) said, "Some petitionary prayers seem not only to lack faith in the inherent goodness of God but also to elevate humankind to a position of control over God. God, the Scriptures remind us, is omniscient and omnipotent, the sovereign ruler of the universe. For Christians to pray as if God were a puppet whose strings they yank with their prayers seems not only potentially superstitious but blasphemous as well. "When prayer is sold as a device for eliciting health, success, and other favors from a celestial vending machine, we may wonder what is really being merchandised. Is this faith or is it faith's counterfeit, a glib caricature of true Christianity?"
Guard your prayers! Always be aware of the enormous privilege you have to approach the infinite God and receive His gracious provisions. Yet always do so with His glory as your highest goal.
Suggestions for Prayer
Read Proverbs 30:8-9. What attitude toward God do those verses convey?
Is that your attitude in prayer?
For Further Study
Read Matthew 6:19-34 and James 4:3. How might you respond to someone who says Christians have the right to demand favors from God?
From Drawing Near by John MacArthur Copyright © 1993. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.com.
Studying God’s Word ping
The booklet repeatedly emphasized our right as Christians to demand things of God.
...................................
Must have been from one of the many “prosperity gospel” cult churches.
What a poisonous theology.
When I lived in north Texas I ran into many Copeland followers. The focus was always on “the blessing” rather than Christ, it was just off.
He is evil.
I know people who think he’s the end all and be all of Christian character and yet I have seen video clips of him dealing with reporters and he’s barely able to contain his rage. It shows on his face.
That’s creepy. Glad I never saw him anywhere!!
I just viewed a video... he is insane.
Possessed, IMO.
The way he manifests……
Definitely demonic.
Most definitely!
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.