Pray to your Father
Last week (on Monday, Sept. 27) we looked at some warnings Jesus gave His disciples immediately before and after He gave them the Lord’s prayer in Matt 6. He warned them about giving, praying, and fasting in order to impress others. He warned them about praying on the street corners and in the synagogues as the hypocrites did; instead, He advised that they go into a room (NASB: inner room), close the door and pray to your Father.
Today we want to consider what it means to pray to our Father. You might ask, “Aren’t all Christian prayers offered to God? Probably most are – but as we pray out loud before others, our praying may be more for others than to God. We must always be mindful that our prayers are offered to God – whether in our closets or before others.
Our intent as we pray should never be to impress others, to teach a lesson, or remind God of things He already knows. (notice what Jesus says about what our Father knows – Mt. 6:8).
As we pray publicly, we recognize that it is hard NOT to consider the impression/impact our prayers make on others. Nevertheless, we must always be mindful we are praying to our Father.
We may have experienced times of praying when God seemed far away. We may not sense His presence each time we pray, but we need to remember that God listens and answers our prayers because of who we are through Jesus and not because of our eloquence or depth of feeling.
On the other hand, we may have times when we are acutely aware of our Father’s presence – however, the emotional intensity of our prayers does not cause God to listen more intently nor cause Him to be more inclined to answer. We cannot measure the validity of our prayers or our spiritual maturity based on any kind of personal “high” that we do or do not experience as we worship or pray.
As we come before the throne, let’s try to “come mindfully” and enjoy being in God’s presence. Psalms 16:11 says that He will fill me with joy in His presence. Occasionally as you pray, be content to just be in His presence and refrain from asking for anything specific other than a time of quietness and calm in His presence. Always remember that you are praying to, and in the presence of our Father.
Be Still and Know that I Am God
Turn to Psalm 46. Before you read this passage, consider the following:
1) Many translations include the word, selah, after verses 3, 7, and 11 in Psalm 46. The Bible Dictionary says this about selah: it is “a word of unknown origin and meaning found in certain psalms.”
Some believe selah could have been a notation for a musical rest when chanting the psalm; or a reminder for the reader to pause and reflect on what preceded a selah.
2) Notice verse 10: Be still and know that I am God. That verse may have challenged some of us with ADD-type tendencies! However, a look at the Hebrew may clarify the meaning of “Be still”.
Be still from the Hebrew, raphah, has several shades of meaning in the Old Testament. Among those, we find raphah can mean:
that which is slack;
or to let drop;
or to be disheartened or weak.
In this verse, Be still is referring to a “spiritual disposition of divine dependence.” It is NOT about being still, physically, but about dependence upon God who is the I AM. The NASB translates it as cease striving and know that I am God. In other words, “chill and depend upon God!”
Now you are ready to READ PSALM 46!! Observe the selahs, consider what it means to have God as your refuge and strength; your ever-present help in trouble in times of calamity. As you read verse10, take a deep breath and be mindful of being in God’s presence, ask Him to quiet your soul as you commit to placing your trust in Him. Cease Striving!!
Today as you conclude your time of study, turn your eyes upon your Lord. Enter His presence mindfully. Forget your “lists of needs.” Remember what Jesus said about that in Matt 6:9.
You may discover that the most precious times of prayer are those times in which you say very little – but times when you have a clear sense of God’s presence and Who He Is!
Lord, teach us to pray.
