By Joshua Stevens, Faith Contributor, Valley Ag Voice
Why pray if what we say doesn’t change the outcome? It’s not as if our words, no matter how eloquent we might think they are, can change the Almighty’s perfect desire. A sentiment that has, for decades now, prevailed throughout the western church, is the belief that prayer is a tool utilized by Christians to gain access to God. We see this concept often touted in circles proclaiming a prosperity gospel. For example, on Kenneth Copeland’s website you can find this under “God hears your prayers” and “God loves you and He is for you! You can pray and get the results you are looking for—because God wants to meet your needs!” (KCM n.d.). We hear it among faith-healing groups like Hillsong Church who believe that if you have enough faith you will be healed because God wants to and is willing to heal you. (Hillsong Church n.d.).
But when Christ told us how to pray did He say, “So then pray like this – make your every want and desire known to God so He may accomplish it.” No, instead what Jesus says in Matthew 6:5–15 (ESV) is:
5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,
15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
We can break this prayer into four sections: praise, reflection, alignment, and yearning. When we do so, we see that prayer is not a spiritual phone to call on miracles, but a tool used to sanctify us, bring us closer to God, and an opportunity to be an active part of God’s plan.
P – Jesus starts his prayer by acknowledging who God is, offering praise to Him, and declaring God’s name to be holy. Throughout this prayer we also see Jesus humbling Himself and willfully subjecting himself to the will of the Father. This would be like saying, “God whose name is holy and is seated in heaven.” So we see prayer as an avenue to praise God in the quietness of our hearts and we see prayer being used to bolster our faith as we daily stand in the truths of who our God is.
R – We see Jesus reflecting, modeling how we should ask for forgiveness of our sins and forgive those who have sinned against us and asking for strength in our struggle with temptation. This will of course look different for each person but taking time to call yourself out for the sins you have committed is an important part of reflection, as well as taking time to forgive those who have harmed you. In this way, we see prayer used to grow in our relationship with Christ and we see prayer as an opportunity for healing as we let go of those pains that have hindered us from clinging to the Cross as Christ did.
A – We see Christ aligning His desires with the will of the Father. Unlike others who might tell you that God is here for you, Christ models coming to the Father in prayer, submitting yourself before Him, asking for His will to be accomplished, and for His kingdom to come. In doing so we are asking for the spirit to mold our minds, hearts, and words so that we may have a mindset focused on the coming kingdom and the gospel. It allows us the opportunity to sacrifice our desires for the betterment of the kingdom to come and provides perfect practice for sacrificing our desires for our families, friends, and strangers for the gospel they need.
Y – Finally we can see Christ asking for those things which he yearns for. We see Him asking for daily needs, and we see him asking for spiritual necessities. As the final part of our prayer, once we have spent the time praising God, reflecting on our lives, and aligning ourselves with God, we should then ask for what we desire. The hope is by that time what we desire will be the same as what the Lord desires. By this we allow ourselves to be an active participant in God’s plan and help to live a gospel-centered life.
So, when you pray, whether it be for a new job, healing, the salvation of a loved one, or just to start your day, remember when you bow your head, P.R.A.Y.
We can break this prayer into four sections: praise, reflection, alignment, and yearning. When we do so, we see that prayer is not a spiritual phone to call on miracles, but a tool used to sanctify us, bring us closer to God, and an opportunity to be an active part of God’s plan.
P – Jesus starts his prayer by acknowledging who God is, offering praise to Him, and declaring God’s name to be holy. Throughout this prayer we also see Jesus humbling Himself and willfully subjecting himself to the will of the Father. This would be like saying, “God whose name is holy and is seated in heaven.” So we see prayer as an avenue to praise God in the quietness of our hearts and we see prayer being used to bolster our faith as we daily stand in the truths of who our God is.
R – We see Jesus reflecting, modeling how we should ask for forgiveness of our sins and forgive those who have sinned against us and asking for strength in our struggle with temptation. This will of course look different for each person but taking time to call yourself out for the sins you have committed is an important part of reflection, as well as taking time to forgive those who have harmed you. In this way, we see prayer used to grow in our relationship with Christ and we see prayer as an opportunity for healing as we let go of those pains that have hindered us from clinging to the Cross as Christ did.
A – We see Christ aligning His desires with the will of the Father. Unlike others who might tell you that God is here for you, Christ models coming to the Father in prayer, submitting yourself before Him, asking for His will to be accomplished, and for His kingdom to come. In doing so we are asking for the spirit to mold our minds, hearts, and words so that we may have a mindset focused on the coming kingdom and the gospel. It allows us the opportunity to sacrifice our desires for the betterment of the kingdom to come and provides perfect practice for sacrificing our desires for our families, friends, and strangers for the gospel they need.
Y – Finally we can see Christ asking for those things which he yearns for. We see Him asking for daily needs, and we see him asking for spiritual necessities. As the final part of our prayer, once we have spent the time praising God, reflecting on our lives, and aligning ourselves with God, we should then ask for what we desire. The hope is by that time what we desire will be the same as what the Lord desires. By this we allow ourselves to be an active participant in God’s plan and help to live a gospel-centered life.
So, when you pray, whether it be for a new job, healing, the salvation of a loved one, or just to start your day, remember when you bow your head, P.R.A.Y.
Crossway Bibles. (2001). The Holy Bible English Standard Version. Wheaton : Good News Publishers.
Hillsong Church. n.d. What we believe. Accessed May 11, 2022. Hillsong.com/What-we-believe/.
KCM. n.d. God hears your prayers. Accessed May 11, 2022. KCM.org/Real-Help/Prayer/Believe.
