Day 6

So to understand prayer in our dimensions, let’s look at what Jesus taught us as the basics for genuine and authentic Christian prayer.

My dear friends- prayer is powerful, most believers attempt to pray but largely we shadow box, and we just dissipate a lot of energy.- we try to pray based on how we saw those who led us pray, so we just follow and pray the same way and as a result we dissipate a lot of spiritual energy but then there is very little results. For a long time, I thought that you learned how to by praying -until I found out that Jesus did not just tell the disciples to pray, he thought them to pray.

So moving forward, lets us allow Jesus to teach us how to pray- All through the three and half years of Jesus ministry we see he made mighty men by teaching them, he focused on teaching them. It took just one encounter to bring the Holy Spirit down but it took 3 years to change their mind-set and thinking. If you observe you will see that- God in order to lift persons always works on their mind-sets first.

So after Jesus is rejected at Nazareth, he healed many people, raised the dead, he taught his disciples on many subjects including fasting, sabbath, love for enemies, judging others, parables, driving out demons, calming storms and healing the bleeding woman, transfiguration experience, feeding the multitudes with 5 loaves and 2 fish- the disciples realised that JESUS was operating on a different level because his prayers brought results. The disciples as at this time had observed that anytime Jesus prayed there was results.

So the Disciples came to Jesus with a request saying- Lord teach us to pray, they noticed that there was something about the way Jesus prayed versus the results that came, the issue here is not backsliding, neither was it about prayerlessness, the issue was about inaccuracy in prayer, there was something about their prayer that did not produce results, but they noticed that the prayer of the Son of the living God- Jesus the messiah produced results. They noticed that their prayer did not seen to command the power and glory that was required or allocated for the prayer ministry so they told him to show them how to pray in Luke 11:1-4/ Matthew 6:9-13.

So Jesus begins to instruct them about prayer- let’s read from Matthew 6:5-8

And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.  Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him . - Matthew 6:5-8

Can you imagine😳- Jesus is teaching about prayer and his first point of call is HYPOCRISY. When thou prayeth, thou shall not be like the hypocrites - ha- what in the world is the relationship between prayer and hypocrisy-.   it means hypocrisy can block your prayers from getting to God.

Who is a hypocrite? A hypocrite is a person who pretends to have something, but doesn’t have it They may pretend to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., but they do not not actually possess these virtues. So they love to stand praying in the synagogue and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen and acknowledged by men.

Seen and what- acknowledged by men. It means that the HYPOCRISY is the motivation behind that energy that is dissipated, that even though it looks like, there is a lot of prayer going on the real motive for praying is so that people will see that you are praying and are some kind of a prayer warrior. Jesus is saying that when you approach prayer- resist the temptation of trying to sign a spiritual register in the presence of people.

There are many people today whose prayer life is already down- but based on their public shows and when people are around, you may think they are prayer gurus- big deception. There are many people who intrinsically do not have the passion nor the revelation of prayer, but when we are before such ones, there is the temptation for them to dissipate spiritual energy to impress us. Provided someone is watching, they will keep acting- because of the assessment of people.

Jesus says resist that temptation, prayer is more than the desire to let people- see that you are spiritual That they may be seen by others, verily verily I say unto you they have received their reward in full. What is their reward, the perception that you have of them... What a poor reward for such a sacrifice.

Mind you, He is not saying people should not see you, the point is that your motive should never be to try to use spirituality to attract some sort of respect or advantage from men- the focus is God. HYPOCRISY....

TO BE CONTINUED....

#monkreflections

#26daysofpower

#monkreflections

🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥