Matthew 6:5-15 (NLT)
When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! Pray like this: 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. If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
At some point in our walk (just this last week for me), we all reach a point where we feel like we’re beating our head against a spiritual wall. Its the age-old problem of feeling like our prayers have soared only as far as the clouds before they ricochet back, never fully making it to the ears of Jesus. Or if they are, he’s just sitting quietly. In those times, let us not further our desperation by walking away. But instead, let us persevere, standing in faith and in the promises we’ve been given. There isn’t a “correct” way to pray but I wrote the following based off the Lord’s prayer for my guys at the shelter. When I hit “the wall,” I try to return to these. And true to His word, Jesus comforts me with His presence. I also find that it wasn’t he who wasn’t really listening…but me.
1. Find a quiet spot free of distractions.
2. Communicate with God. Listen, talk, sing, write, read a Psalm.
3. Worship and praise God for who He is, what He has done in creating and restoring you, and where He has brought you from.
4. Confess any sin that may be blocking a complete relationship with Jesus. Be specific if possible. He knows anyway, but there is freedom in not hiding it.
5. Repent and ask forgiveness. Ask Him to forgive where you fall short of his glory and step into self. Tell him of your desire to avoid going back to the vomit of your past and your desire to follow His will.
6. Thank Him. Give thanks for such things as salvation, love, shelter, food, clothes, your still being alive, forgiveness and forgetting. You’ll find that your lists can go on for days, so maybe pick a day to thank him for survival things, another day to thank him for particular people, another day for things in recovery. And so on.
7. Personal Requests. Ask God for stuff. Your genuine needs. And even your wants. Stay in God’s will, the fruits of the spirit, direction, others, health. Whatever is on your heart really. Revelation, clarity, wisdom, understanding. Soften people’s hearts for your message and amends. Avoid traps of temptation. Rely more on him. Shape and mold you in his image.
8. Reflection/Meditation/Listening. To finish, sit still and quiet. Reflect on God. Take deep breaths. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit as he speaks into your soul.
