I believe that this, from today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers, goes along very well with the "Truth" and "Life" teachings we have had at The Spoken Word Church!
But thou, when thou prayest, enter
into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is
in secret. —Matthew 6:6
The main idea in the region of religion is –
Your eyes upon God, not on men. Do not have as your motive the desire to be
known as a praying man. Get an inner chamber in which to pray where no one
knows you are praying, shut the door and talk to God in secret. Have no other
motive than to know your Father in heaven. It is impossible to conduct your
life as a disciple without definite times of secret prayer.
But when ye pray use not vain repetitions . .
. (v.7). God does not hear us because we are in earnest, but only on the ground
of Redemption. God is never impressed by our earnestness. Prayer is not simply
getting things from God, that is a most initial form of prayer; prayer is
getting into perfect communion with God. If the Son of God is formed in us by regeneration,
He will press forward in front of our common sense and change our attitude to
the things about which we pray.
"Everyone that asketh receiveth."
We pray pious blether, our will is not in it, and then we say God does not
answer; we never asked for anything. "Ye shall ask what
ye will," said Jesus. Asking means our will is in it. Whenever Jesus
talked about prayer, He put it with the grand simplicity of a child: we bring
in our critical temper and say – Yes, but . . . Jesus said "Ask." But
remember that we have to ask of God things that are in keeping with the God
Whom Jesus Christ revealed.
Make sure that YOU are spending time daily in His presence so that YOU can know, really hear, and obey His still small voice as He leads, guides and directs you, by His Spirit, in every area of your life! Remember that REAL prayer is communion with the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible on an intimate basis! You belong to Him as a member of HIS family! He will NEVER leave you or turn His back on you! He has something that YOU need to hear, everyday! HE is waiting for YOU to ask for the things that you need, and to dare to proclaim the things that He has promised in His Word! Make what ever adjustments are necessary for YOU to walk in that kind of intimacy with Him and you will have the greatest confidence to ask ANYTHING that lines up with His Word (1 John 14-15) and it WILL be done! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Blessed":
Shalom in Him!
