Declaration: I have a RELATIONSHIP with God.
1 John 5:14
And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases Him.
Key Bible Verses: Matthew 6:9-13; Philippians 4:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Matthew 6:9-13
9 Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
10 May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today the food we need,
12 and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
13 And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.
Philippians 4:6
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
1 Thessalonians 5:17
17 Never stop praying.
Devotion
I’m not usually one for directions. There’s just something so masculine about opening a box, throwing aside the seven language pamphlet, and diving in to the task at hand with the freedom of my own imagination to outsmart the manufacturers. Sounds macho until your wife buys a piece from IKEA. I remember trying to do it myself, assembling the entire thing with the last remaining, and most important piece, not fitting because I skipped a step at the very beginning. What should have taken an hour with directions took six hours of me rebuilding the thing three different times.
If only I would have used the instructions! The beauty of growing in prayer is the fact that God has given us a crystal clear outline for prayer. Jesus says as much when He equips the disciples by saying, “Pray like this…” In Matthew 6:9-13 He continues, “Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” Jesus’s instructions give us the perfect outline for engaging God in prayer. You know how pastors are with acronyms ☺ … Here’s a great one: P-R-A-Y.
P – Praise! Our Father in Heaven, may your name be kept holy! Begin your prayer with PRAISE! Thank Him, express gratitude. Nothing fixes an attitude like gratitude!
R – Ready! May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. READY yourself for what God wants to do. Declare to the Lord in submission you’re ready to be used by Him. On earth and in Heaven, you’re ready. You’re confirming your heart to His here. “God, I’m ready to see you move. I’m ready to declare your goodness. I’m ready to be used by you.”
A – Ask! Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. Notice our ask comes after praise from our mouths and readiness from our hearts. Our ask is two-fold: Ask for what we need; and ask for forgiveness with the anticipation that we’ve already given forgiveness to those who’ve sinned against us. We forgive. We’re forgiven. We’re fed.
Y – Yield! And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. What we yield to determines what we’ll kneel to. Jesus is the master of our lives. We yield to Him and only Him. We bow our knees to the One who saves, not who enslaves. Pray for the strength and perseverance to continue yielding to Christ.
Discipline: Practice P-R-A-Y in Daily Presence. Be intentional and focused with your prayer life. Prayer is the lifeblood of your Christian walk. Try writing out prayers verbatim in a journal or making a prayer list. Whatever you do, never stop praying! (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
Additional prayer resource: 21 Days of Prayer