As a young person, I enjoyed playing sports. Now as I am far beyond the years of an athlete, I enjoy watching sports. During those years of training, I often heard practice makes perfect. Sounded good to me, so I kept practicing the same way as before. It was only when I was an adult that I heard the phrase “practice makes permanent.” I felt like the old comic strip in the newspaper where a novel thought came across someone’s mind and a picture of a light bulb above their head would go off. Eureka! Now I understand. You can’t do things the same way and get different results. I believe we need to apply this to our spiritual lives.
Today we will look at our prayer life and determine if our practice of prayer is biblical or not. What and how we pray will become permanent. We must be determined to change to grow closer to God. If we want the spiritual benefit from prayer that God intends, we must pray the way He instructs.
Prayer is the very beginning of our relationship with God. We must pray and ask forgiveness for our sins and surrender our lives in order to be born again. The Bible commands us to pray in I Thessalonians 5:17 we are to “Pray without ceasing.”
In Mark 1:35 we are to start our day with prayer as Jesus did. Sometimes we need to have a long period of time in prayer as Jesus did in Luke 6:12 “And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. “We are to pray in the Father’s will. Jesus gave us that example when He was in the garden before His arrest. Matthew 26:39 “And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.” We are to always be submissive to the Father’s will.
Our prayers that avail much will be those prayers cried out to God in private. Matthew 14:23 Jesus sends the multitude away and goes up into the mountain to pray alone. We are not to be as the Pharisee in Luke 18:10-14, but we are to be as the publican. The Pharisee spoke in a proud voice so everyone could hear. He was bragging about not being like other men who were sinning. The Publican humbled himself. He stood afar off from everyone else and smote his breast asking God to be merciful to him because he was a sinner. Jesus said the publican would be justified, but the Pharisee would be brought down because of his pride. A prayer in this manner will not gain a hearing or a positive response.
Matthew 14:23 “And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.”
Luke 18:10-14 “ Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for everyone that exalted himself shall be abased, and he that humbled himself shall be exalted.”
Paul often mentions that we ought to be praying for one another In Philippians 1:9 Paul teaches us to pray that our love and knowledge will grow. “And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment.” In I Thessalonians 5:25 Paul again asks them, as was his usual request, to pray for him and those with him.
In Mathew 6:7 Jesus said, “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.” To pray using vain repetitions is like those of other religions who repeat the same thing over and over as if God did not hear them the first time. Vain means empty, or worthless. Our prayers should be words from our hearts, not something man has contrived to sound pretty or holy to gain God’s attention. If you are His child, you already have His attention. We are to come before Him and speak as a child speaks to a loving Father. Prayer is me talking to God. Come kneel before Him and talk to Him.
Prayer offered the way that God demands will yield positive results. Prayer done our own way will yield no results. We are to pray often, seeking to be alone with God. Our minds should always be in an attitude of prayer connected to God. We are to humble ourselves and seek His will not ours. We are to pray for our enemies as in Luke 6:28. We are to pray for the sick as in James 5:14 and we are to pray for one another. We are not to pray some memorized method, but we are to enter our quiet private place where we can present our request and praise to the throne room of the King. We are not only welcome there we are expected there if we are His children. Practice praying the biblical way and your permanent prayer will bring forth much from the Master.
