Pray

Read Matthew 6:1-8

“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites.  

For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets,

that they maybe seen by men.

Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.

“But you, when you pray,

go into your room, and when you have shut your door,

pray to your Father who is in the secret place,

and your Father who sees in secret

will reward you openly.

Matthew 6:5,6

Love to pray? If we love God we should. If we love someone we want to be with them we want to talk to them. Therefore if we love God we should want to spend time with Him and talk to Him.
But be careful how you pray. Jesus here warns us not to be like the hypocrites who like to be seen praying.  Rather, Jesus tells us to pray behind closed doors.  Pray in secret.
We need to pray in church, we need to be an example to our children, to show them we practice what we preach.  But we must be careful why we pray.  What are motives are.
Are we praying to impress people?  Are we praying because we have a feeling of obligation?  We must want to pray. A forced prayer is generally one with out meaning.
Someone told me, often the most sincere prayers are spoken in silence or when we are alone in a room.  When it is just God and you alone.
This is when we can truthfully express our deepest feelings and innermost secrets to our God who knows the very desires of our heart.
Most of us do not spend a great deal of time alone with God. We need a prayer closet. A place where we can go frequently to talk to God.
If you truly love anyone you will want to be with them. If you truly love God you will want time along with Him. So that you can tell him the deepest secrets of your heart.
We all need to make a date with God daily. Do you?

Something to think about:

Take 30 minutes. Turn off the cell phone, the television, the radio, and any other distraction and,

“Go into your room, and when you have shut your door,

pray to your Father who is in the secret place,

and your Father who sees in secret

will reward you openly.”

                                                                                  Matthew 6:6