But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
—Matthew 6:6 (KJV)
Prayer is an incredible invitation from God to share what is on our hearts with him. Even when we don't have words, he helps us through his Spirit in those moments to assure us that we are heard fully (Romans 8:26-27). This incredibly intimate conversation, sustained by the precious and powerful Spirit of God within us, must never be debased by crass showmanship or pride (Matthew 6:5). Prayer is not done to prove our holiness to others but to deepen our relationship with Almighty God and reassure our hearts that our Father hears us and cares about us — our dreams and hopes as well as our struggles and concerns!
Abba Father, thank you so much for the incredible gift of prayer. Thank you for listening to both my words and my heart. Thank you for being near and not far off. Thank you for blessing me with the Holy Spirit within me to intercede for me when I can't quite find the words to say. Please forgive me when I don't call upon you as often as I should or when I take your gracious listening ear for granted. In Jesus' name, I am humbled and blessed when I pray with you. Amen.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
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—Matthew 6:6 (KJV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...
Prayer is an incredible invitation from God to share what is on our hearts with him. Even when we don't have words, he helps us through his Spirit in those moments to assure us that we are heard fully (Romans 8:26-27). This incredibly intimate conversation, sustained by the precious and powerful Spirit of God within us, must never be debased by crass showmanship or pride (Matthew 6:5). Prayer is not done to prove our holiness to others but to deepen our relationship with Almighty God and reassure our hearts that our Father hears us and cares about us — our dreams and hopes as well as our struggles and concerns!
My Prayer...
Abba Father, thank you so much for the incredible gift of prayer. Thank you for listening to both my words and my heart. Thank you for being near and not far off. Thank you for blessing me with the Holy Spirit within me to intercede for me when I can't quite find the words to say. Please forgive me when I don't call upon you as often as I should or when I take your gracious listening ear for granted. In Jesus' name, I am humbled and blessed when I pray with you. Amen.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Continue reading...
