Devotionals

Luke 11:11 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. (KJV)

Are you asking the Father to teach you to pray?

Have you ever asked the Lord to teach you to pray? When you first got saved, did someone teach you about prayer as a part of discipleship or new members’ class. If so, did you establish a posture of prayer based on what you learned? If not, did you just mimic what you saw and heard? Do you still pray the same type of prayer the same way? Even if it has been a year, five years, ten years or more? Do you think encounters with God should have changed how you pray?

Think about how children sound when they first learn to talk. They don’t speak the same way as they grow up and mature. Do you try to make sense of the things you experience by attributing human characteristics to God? Do you say things like, “This must have happened because God is mad at me or God is getting back at me for what I did?” Are you expecting your desired answer to your prayer because you are acting like you are sharing something with God, He does not already know? [I know God is going to do this because I am a tither and a giver, and I am standing on the word.] Are you trying to command the hand of God through fasting and/or by putting the words “I decree” and “I declare” in front of your statements? If you are doing any of these things, you might be diminishing God’s Deity in your eyes.

Matthew 6:5-8  “Whenever you pray, be sincere and not like the pretenders who love the attention they receive while praying before others in the meetings and on street corners. Believe me, they’ve already received in full their reward. 6 But whenever you pray, go into your innermost chamber and be alone with Father God, praying to him in secret. And your Father, who sees all you do, will reward you openly. 7 When you pray, there is no need to repeat empty phrases, praying like those who don’t know God, for they expect God to hear them because of their many words. 8 There is no need to imitate them, since your Father already knows what you need before you ask him”. (TPT)

Please keep in mind, God is God, the omniscient, omnipresent and sovereign One. Yes, you can go to Him boldly, however you must also go in reverence and humility. You must realize, not only does He have the answer, He is the answer; whether or not it is the one you want. It is much easier and rewarding to ask Him for the words to say and the heart to accept His answer.

Please agree with me as I pray. Then ask the Lord what your prayer should be and wait for His response:

Father, with each time I bow before You, I learn more and more about me, about You, and about prayer, and I am grateful. You are teaching me just as Jesus did for His disciples. I repent for every time I came to You with a problem; I had already determined how You should solve. I repent for every time I asked You to take care of an issue, my way. Thank You for teaching me more about who You are, what Your will is, and how You work in my life. I am now in a place where every time I share my heart with You; I wait for You to answer. My posture has changed. Not only are You teaching me how to pray, You are also teaching me what to pray. You continue to expand my knowledge of You because You are teaching me how to talk with You. I know You will respond. I no longer pray selfish prayers; I no longer pray vain, repetitious, and lofty prayers. Father, You are teaching me to come to You with a pure and earnest heart. I will wait on You in my prayer time. You identify the things You are pleased with and those You are not. In my time with You, I confess my faults and flaws, not because You don’t know them. I confess because, if I do, I know You will heal me, cleanse me from all unrighteousness, and stand up tall in my life because You love me. I don’t have words to express how grateful I am that You are not like me. I repent for dealing with You as if You were. I repent for thinking I could share something with You; You didn’t already know. As if I could influence You to do what I wanted. Continue to teach me how to talk with You and I will continue to be Your eager child…

Ask the lord what he wants to say to you about today’s devotional and journal it here: