Prayer Pitfalls (11AM)
August 8, 2021 • Matthew 6:5–15, Mark 12:38–40
Prayer is a beautiful and mysterious event. How is it that we believe God wants us to pray (and in fact encourages us to pray), and that He listens to, and cares about, what we have to say? If you've prayed for many years, take a step back and consider the magnitude of what you are doing, what is actually happening, when you pray. Unless God is as Christian's believe prayer is either futile or questionable, and anything but certain.
But if Jesus is, as we believe, God among us, living, speaking, healing, teaching, then there is NOTHING futile or questionable about prayer. Jesus cares for us, loves us, and invites us to pray, and in fact He teaches us to pray. His teaching on prayer comes with divine authority.
Prayer is meant to be simple, natural, a conversation between us and our heavenly Father. Prayer does not require extensive training, or a seminary degree. Prayer is for amateurs.
This morning we will hear about the dangers and pitfalls of prayer. People with good intentions, myself included, often get confused, misguided, and make prayer into something it was not intended to be. Jesus is so patient. He not only teaches us how to pray, He also warns us what to avoid when we pray.
When a parent is a good parent they teach their children how to communicate with them and with the world. God is our good Father. He loves us so much that He even helps us learn the language, the rhythm, the heart of prayer.
