“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus
got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Mark
1:35
“This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,…’” Matt 6:9
“Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground
and prayed,…” Matt 26:39
“After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed…”
John 17:1
“The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread,
and when he had given thanks…” 1
Corinthians 11:23b&24a
“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.
The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matt 26:41
“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that
they should always pray and not give up.” Luke 18:1
“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up
prayers and petitions…” Hebrews 5:7
Prayer is a discipline that was both modeled and taught by
Christ. As I mentioned yesterday, prayer
is our half of the conversation with the Father. Reading His word is the other
half as it is primarily how He speaks to us. In earnest prayer our hearts are
revealed - not to God, because He already knows our hearts, but to us! When we
pour out our hearts to the Lord from a place of sincerity, we may be surprised
to learn what it truly hidden in there, how we feel…where we’ve been hurt…who
we are…
Additionally, when we pray earnestly and sincerely from our
hearts, we allow ourselves to be known by God. Again, this sounds odd because
we know He knows us. But what I mean is that we are extending an invitation to
Him to know us. We are deciding to engage a relationship with the Lord that is
not guarded; but is transparent. And oh what freedom comes with willingly
opening ourselves up to be known (and loved) by our heavenly Father!
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