the basic message #E30
Romans 8:26
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
Does anyone ever ask you to pray for them? Of course- we all get prayer requests. One of the responsibilities of being a Christian is to be willing to pray for others. I get prayer requests from people on the Internet that receive this devotional. Although I don’t know them personally, I always comply with prayer. Lately, though, I seem to get email that has been forwarded hundreds, maybe thousands of times asking for prayer for someone- often a child. I’m afraid we have begun to trivialize prayer by hitting the “forward” key, and sending it into cyberspace. What ever happened to at least knowing the person who knows the person we’re praying for? Many of you will disagree with me on this issue, and for those who do, I’ll ask a favor. The next time you get a forwarded prayer request, try to wade through the dozens or hundreds of previous people who have forwarded, and try to find the original person who sent it. Ask them about the person being prayed for. Ask how they’re doing. Try to learn a little about them. In cyberspace a person can either get well or die but their prayer request can last for years. Do you want to go before God to pray for a person’s health who died 2 years ago?
Matthew 6:5-7
“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 men. I tell you the truth, 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.
Has the forward button become the street corner for many of us? I will continue to pray for the person who emails me, and I will pray for someone they request prayer for, but I will no longer babble like a pagan. I will offer prayers to our almighty God, and not offer him Internet junk that floats mindlessly across the world. I believe God considers and answers every prayer with one of three answers: Yes, No, or Not Right Now. I refuse to put a prayer before our God that very likely has already been addressed by him.
How do you pray? What do you pray for? One pastor offers the following advice when praying: Know what you’re praying for, and that it’s in the will of God. Do you? The pastor's advice may sound strange to some of you, but think about it further- are your prayers in at least partial alignment with the will of God? I don’t buy into the “Name it and Claim it” style of prosperity ministries. The only prosperity I want to cash in on is the promise of Heaven. People that pray for luxury cars and big houses puzzle me. Instead of praying for a million dollar house, pray for 20 poor people to be able to have $50,000 houses. Instead of praying for a new $100,000 Mercedes roadster, pray that a hundred poor people can have an old, but reliable car to get them to work. Instead of praying that your kid will become a Olympic athlete, give God a prayer of thanksgiving that your child can walk. What does God want? Figure that out and set your prayers in accord with his will. For those of you who have prayer answered that isn’t in the will of God: Maybe God isn’t the one who’s answering the prayer.