BIBLE VERSE- MATTHEW 6:5-13.
INTRODUCTION- We have been talking about prayer for weeks now, and today we are looking at a new topic related to prayer. I want you to know that as Christian’s God gave us the freedom and privilege to pray to him. God is everywhere and he answers our prayers. He is everywhere and anywhere at any time. What our bible verse of the day tells us or explains to us is that your prayers should be between you and God alone. Don’t pray because you want people to notice you. Your prayer is a communication to God and not to man. When you pray to be seen or acknowledged by your fellow men, the bible in Mathew 6:5 says you already have your reward.
— For your prayers to be answered, you need to have a cordial relationship with God. You have to nurture your relationship with God.
— In Romans 8:15-16, “For yea have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but the have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry abba father. Verse 16- the spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are children of God. The fact that God is your father, you already have the access to him. When You call God he would definitely answer you.
— You also have to worship and honour God for your prayers to be answered. You need to reverence him and tell him how dependent on Him you are.
— In the book of Philippians 4:6 “ Be careful for nothing; But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your prayers be known to God. The verse is trying to let us know that we should always thank God. Let us make it an habit to thank God, by the time you thank God for all he has done and you put forward another request of yours, he will answer your prayers, but most Christians today do not even thank God which is really bad and they keep making request. God doesn’t like ingratitude.
— we should also note that God’s systems has to be in place. It’s your duty to pray that the kingdom of God be established. The kingdom of God is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit according to Rom 14:17
— Mathew 23:23 “ woe unto you, scribes and pharisees, hypocrites! For the pay tithe of Mint and anise and cumimin and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgement, mercy and faith: these ought he to have done, and not to leave undone. The will of God is that everyone should come to him. God loves mercy, justice and faith: they are the core of the kingdom of God and we must pray them to be.
— In Mathew 7:7, God said ask and it shall be given unto you, seek and he shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you. God already told us to ask from him and by doing that through prayers.
— For our prayers to be answered, we need to have the spirit of forgiveness. We need to forgive those who have offended us even as Christ forgave us our sins. Also we need to show people love, not only our neighbors but everyone in general. If we don’t forgive those who wronged us, we can’t receive forgiveness from God Mat 6:14
– Romans 12:18- Do everything on your path to love with peace with everyone, it tells us that we have to be at peace with everyone before our prayer is answered.
In Conclusion, For our prayers to be answered, our relationship with God through Christ must be intact. More importantly, the Lord’s prayer is a perfect model of how we should pray.