Tag Archives: Simple prayer

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The Malpractice of Prayer – And How To Avoid It

Getting Real With God

Jesus is calling us out of the legalistic, joyless intimidation of misunderstood and malpracticed prayer and into an authentic, intimate, simple, day-by-day, moment-by-moment practice of the presence of God. This is the kind of prayer that pleases our Father God more than anything. And “when you pray” like that, the Father opens up all of heaven to you!

Enduring Truth // Focus: Matthew 6:5

When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get.

In Jesus’ day, prayer had been hijacked. The culprits were the religious leaders and the Pharisee—Jesus called them “hypocrites”. They had turned the simple and wonderful practice of talking to God into a ritualized, formalized, mechanized and stylized event. As a result, something meant to connect people with God had turned into an intimidating, joyless experience since few people were eloquent enough to pull off the impressive public prayers demanded by the spiritual elite.

This misuse and abuse of prayer disgusted Jesus, the master of prayer. So in a teaching moment that was both scathing, yet soothing at the same time, he sat the record straight as to what the kind of prayer that truly pleases God really looked like.

First of all, Jesus taught that God-pleasing prayer is authentic. Jesus said in verse 5, “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them.” The hypocrites—the Pharisees and religious leaders—were pretentious. Their motive for praying was to impress the crowds, but they were anything but real. God wasn’t, and isn’t, impressed by the style or the content of our prayers. He’s moved by our honesty—even if it is not too articulate and especially when it is heartfelt. Jesus is saying that God wants his children to just “get real” before him.

Secondly, Jesus taught that God-pleasing prayer is intimate. Verse 6 says, “when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private.” The use of the name “Father” isn’t a mistake. Jesus is painting an altogether different picture of what God intended prayer to be than what man had turned it into. Jesus is referring to a childlike quality and posture that payer is to take before the Father. That’s because God-pleasing prayer is really a parent-child exchange. It is simply being with a Father who longs to be close to his kids.

Finally, Jesus taught that God-pleasing prayer is simple. He said in verse 7, “don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.” I can’t help but think if Jesus was here today to teach us about prayer, he would instruct us in the KISS method: Keep it simple, sweetheart!

Jesus is calling us out of the legalistic, joyless intimidation of misunderstood and malpracticed prayer and into an authentic, intimate, simple, day-by-day, moment-by-moment practice of the presence of God. This is the kind of prayer that pleases our Father God more than anything. And “when you pray” like that, the Father opens up all of heaven to you!

Thrive: Practice brutally real, child-to-Father, very simple prayers throughout the day. You will please God more than you know!

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God, Pour Out Special Blessings On All Who Serve You

52 Simple Prayers for 2018

We are enamored with celebrity in our culture—even in the Christian world. We elevate TV preachers; we give special attention to pastors of mega-churches; we idolize Christian singers, entertainers and authors of best-selling books. God doesn’t. He is not all that impressed. He isn’t enamored with celebrity, he does not elevate high profile Christians, he is not drawn to talented and successful believers any more than he is to ordinary ones. God sees the little person—the one who faithfully and diligently serves behind the scenes in his kingdom, doing the things no one notices and rarely appreciates. And he will not forget their sacrificial service. Neither should we.

A Simple Prayer To Bless God’s Servants:

God, I pray for a special blessing on all of the people in your kingdom who faithfully, selflessly and sacrificially serve you by serving the church – your people. They are mostly unsung and unnoticed, except by you. So show them a sign of your favor today. Bless them with your abundance. And on that glorious Day, honor them in your presence above all others.
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God, Enable Me To Forgive Like You Forgive

52 Simple Prayers for 2018

If we want to be truly authentic in our faith and truly like Jesus in our character, then we will have to readily extend forgiveness to those who have offended us. Forgiveness is the first step on the pathway to Christ-likeness. Of all of the human qualities that make us in any sense God-like, none is more divine than our passion to quickly and fully forgive others. How so? Precisely because God is a God of forgiveness: “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives transgressions? You do not stay angry forever, but delight to show mercy.” (Micah 7:18)

A Simple Prayer To Freely and Fully Forgive Others:

God, you have freely, unconditionally and completely forgiven me even though I have repeatedly sinned against you. Now give me the grace, courage and strength to forgive those who have sinned against me, just as in Christ, you have pardoned all of my transgressions.
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God, Make Me An Earthly Conduit of Heavenly Generosity

52 Simple Prayers for 2018

When it comes to your giving, just remember, God has given you the freedom to determine your own level of generosity. But also remember that God has promised to outmatch your self-determined level overflowing grace. When you understand that, and step out in faith to become a conduit of ceaseless generosity, you will enter the divine cycle of Kingdom abundance. You will find that the more you give, the more God gives you to give.

A Simple Prayer To Be Ridiculously Generous:

God, make me a conduit of ceaseless generosity! All that I have is yours; it is from you and for you. The time on my calendar, the energy in my body, the possessions in my home, and the wealth in my bank are all on loan from you. Teach me to use them as you would if you were in my place: to give quickly and freely, not counting it as loss but as gain, serving you as you deserve, not seeking any reward yet humbly expecting that as I sow generously, I will reap abundance. Cause heaven’s riches to flow to me and through me. Make me living proof of ridiculous generosity in my generation. For your glory alone, I pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.
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God, I Want To Want To Love You More

52 Simple Prayers for 2018

Too many of us have a disconnect between the theology in our head and the love in our heart. That’s why we should earnestly pray for the release of divine power that will move us beyond an experience of intellectual Christianity to an actual experience of Jesus in our hearts—to a deep knowledge of Christ’s love for us, and in response, our passionate love for Christ. And we need to pray that because it doesn’t take a greater human effort to achieve it, it requires a supernatural connection between our head and heart to grasp just how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.

A Simple Prayer to Love God More:

God, as Teresa of Avila honestly prayed, so I pray, “Oh God, I don’t love you, I don’t even want to love you, but I want to want to love you.” Create in my heart a burning desire to love you more than life itself. And lead me to an experience of divine love that surpasses knowledge and fills me with your fullness. And Lord, do it today.
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God, May My Spouse See You Through Me

52 Simple Prayers for 2018

What would happen in our marriage relationships—in all of our relationships, for that matter—if the primary motive was to introduce our significant other to Christ? I am not talking about badgering a spouse into the kingdom through a non-stop, hard sell verbal witness. I’m talking about offering them the real Jesus. I’m talking about showing them what authentic salvation is all about. I’m talking about living every dimension of your life in such a way that Jesus shines through. That’s really what Christians are meant to do, after all. We are to make the Savior attractive to those who are far from him by the way we live—how we respond, how we serve, how we give, how we navigate disappointment, how we suffer, how we freely forgive, how we love proactively and how we extend grace unconditionally. Who wouldn’t be attracted to Christ when we are living that kind of winsome witness.

A Simple Prayer for a Winsome Marriage:

God, my prayer today is simple: Help me to so live that my spouse sees you in the way I live. When I speak, in my body language, in my actions, in my attitude, help me to be the Gospel in the real world of my everyday marriage.
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God, Be The Focus Of My Thoughts

52 Simple Prayers for 2018

Psychiatrist William Glasser discovered in his study of how the brain works that we aren’t controlled by external factors, but by internal desires. Furthermore, our desires are predetermined by our thinking. In other words, the mind is the command center determining conduct. Therefore the critical issue is how we think. That’s why Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart (the heart in Hebrew thought was the center of thinking) for it is the wellspring of life.”

A Simple Prayer for a Singular Focus:

God, throughout the day I will think about you. I will focus my thoughts on that which is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, excellent and praiseworthy. I will think rightly. I will let the mind of the Master be the master of my mind. Now I pray that you will transform my character by changing the way I think, and make me an offering that is holy, pleasing and acceptable to you inside and out.