Tonight we talked about prayer, the power in prayer, the need for prayer and the misuse of prayer. “Did she just say misuse of prayer?” Yes, I did! Before you get upset with me let me explain what I mean.
We were discussing Matthew 6:5-13 where Jesus teaches how to pray. He warns us about using prayer falsely. Sometimes, we tend to pretend to pray because that is what people expect us to do yet, we are thinking about something other than prayer like…lunch. Sometimes our prayers are spoken to impress the person we are praying with or around.
You see, Jesus taught us that God knows our need and he knows the heart we pray with. Our pray is to be God focused and centered…not for show. It is important for students to know that heartfelt prayer is powerful. We are to be in a spirit of prayer and devoted to prayer.
Take the Lord’s Prayer, so many students know it by heart. Yet ask them what it means? What are you saying to God when you pray the prayer? You might find yourself surprised by the answer or lack of an answer. It isn’t meant to be just another thing we can recite to say “I know it”. Is reciting actually praying? What if you don’t really understand what you are saying?
How about when we say “I’ll pray for you.” and we don’t? Is that misuse of prayer? The message paraphrasing teaches us in Matthew 5 that we are to keep our word. Not to use statements like these to sound more religious.
We took time to talk about each part of the Lord’s Prayer. What it means. The students took part in a prayer path that had them take each part of the prayer and reflect on it. It was a great night of prayer and discussion. You will find the scripture references below from tonights lesson.
Matthew 5:33 (The Message)
33-37“And don’t say anything you don’t mean. This counsel is embedded deep in our traditions. You only make things worse when you lay down a smoke screen of pious talk, saying, ‘I’ll pray for you,’ and never doing it, or saying, ‘God be with you,’ and not meaning it. You don’t make your words true by embellishing them with religious lace. In making your speech sound more religious, it becomes less true. Just say ‘yes’ and ‘no.’ When you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong.
Matthew 6:5-13
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘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 today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,[a]
but deliver us from the evil one.[b]’