Matthew 6:5-8 “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into
Michael Martin thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth n secret shall reward thee openf’hurrh ly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.”
One minister has written in a book that he was praying for God to give him a bicycle. And he prayed for a long time for this bicycle and God didn’t give him a bicycle. And finally, one day he said, “Lord, I’ve been praying so long for a bicycle. Why haven’t you given me the bicycle?” And the Lord said, “You didn’t tell me what kind you wanted. You know, there are ten speed bikes, there are cruisers, and there are all kinds of bikes.”
Poor God didn’t know the kind of bike the fellow needed. And so, he had to wait for the fellow to tell him, “I want a ten speed Schwinn, green with silver stripes.” I don’t accept that!
The Bible tells us that know knows our every need even before we need it. He knows even before we know we need it. Look at verse 8 again. “Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.”
I have read some pretty foolish things written by “ministers” but this one seems to be terribly idiotic. We serve the Creator of the Universe, who packed the earth’s crust with everything mankind is likely to ever need, yet this “minister” thinks God would withhold blessing because he didn’t specify what type bicycle he wanted.
Psalms 38:9 “Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee.” All my desire is before thee and God couldn’t figure out what kind of bicycle he wanted? I shake my head in wonder at some of these “men of God” who is ignorant of the attributes of God.
In my life I have found out that when I pray, I get one of three answers. The one I always desire is for the LORD to say yes. But God can also say, No or even Wait. My problem in many cases is found in the Book of James. James 4:2-3 “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”
Ye have not because ye ask not or you ask amiss. Jesus gave His disciples the perfect prayer in Matthew.
Matthew 6:9-13 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
First Jesus teaches us to hallow God’s name. Hallow means to “Consecrate to a sacred use.” Then he tells his disciples for the kingdom to come, and God’s will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Jesus specifically tells us that God is revered and obeyed in heaven.
Our daily bread is important, being forgiven is important, and leading us not into temptation is very important. Delivering us from evil again is very important. Now the admission that God has a kingdom He has alsolute power and should be glorified by us, forever. Amen (so be it).
So God is the benefactor of the entire world. It is sad that most do not know it.
Matthew 5:45 “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”
We specifically are supposed to acknowledge God in all His glorious attributes.
The prayer that is always answered is this…But not my will by thine be done. If we place our situation in God’s hands and ask Him to take care of the problem as He sees fit, then it will happen just as we ask. Try adding.. .not my will, but thine be done… to the end of your prayers. By placing your burden or prayer in God’s hands to deal with as He sees fit, you have done the best you can do.
