This week’s lessons will be about prayer. Prayer opens our hearts to God. As we go into 2015 we must remember to ask for God’s guidance daily. Topics for the week: Monday-Whenever you pray Tuesday-Do not profane the Name of God Wednesday-God’s Holy name is to be blessed Thursday-The nearness of God’s kingdom Friday-Do not worry Saturday-The Lord will never leave you Sunday-The Lord teaches us how to pray Monday Dec. 29, 2014 What do we need to remember and do whenever we pray? God is not pleased with showy religion. Matthew 6:1-8 Showy religion 6:1 “Be careful that you don’t practice your religion in front of people to draw their attention. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2 “Whenever you give to the poor, don’t blow your trumpet as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets so that they may get praise from people. I assure you, that’s the only reward they’ll get. 3 But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing 4 so that you may give to the poor in secret. Your Father who sees what you do in secret will reward you. Showy prayer 5 “When you pray, don’t be like hypocrites. They love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners so that people will see them. I assure you, that’s the only reward they’ll get. 6 But when you pray, go to your room, shut the door, and pray to your Father who is present in that secret place. Your Father who sees what you do in secret will reward you. Proper prayer 7 “When you pray, don’t pour out a flood of empty words, as the Gentiles do. They think that by saying many words they’ll be heard. 8 Don’t be like them, because your Father knows what you need before you ask. 9 Pray like this: Our Father who is in heaven, uphold the holiness of your name. Prayer is not to be showy and it is not to be insincere. Prayer is to be simple. The most powerful prayer in history is called the “Jesus Prayer”. The Jesus Prayer can be as simple as saying the name of Jesus or these words: The Jesus Prayer Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner. Philippians 2 says this about the power of the name of God: 6 Though he was in the form of God, he did not consider being equal with God something to exploit. 7 But he emptied himself by taking the form of a slave and by becoming like human beings. When he found himself in the form of a human, 8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore, God highly honored him and gave him a name above all names, 10 so that at the name of Jesus everyone in heaven, on earth, and under the earth might bow 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. My prayer for you today is that you know deep in your heart that prayer is a powerful gift from God. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice we can come before the very throne of God with hearts cleansed and open to God’s guidance by the Holy Spirit. Love in Christ, Pat https://youtube/watch?v=Yu3o8W5JMuU THE PRAYER with Lyrics_Celine Dion & Andrea Bocelli
Posted on: Mon, 29 Dec 2014 13:32:40 +0000
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