Matthew 6:7-8 (NKJV) And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
We converse with people daily. Likewise, prayer is having a conversation with God. Therefore, prayer should be something natural to us, just like breathing. Nonetheless, we must be sincere, honest, and transparent before God. You and I can treat God as our best friend and pick up the conversation where we last left it. Prayer is not hard because God makes it easy for us. We can speak to Him at any time and in any place without formality, but it must be uttered in faith. Prayer is interesting because we get to see how God works in our lives, and it can become a very natural part of our lives.
Just like couples should not avoid having deep conversations because they are fearful of confrontations, we must also not avoid having deep and honest conversations with God so that God can speak into our lives. Do you know that you can freely share with God how irritable some people are in your lives? We are allowed to lament and complain to God. In fact, some of these conversations can turn our lives around when we make ourselves vulnerable.
However, if we want to converse deeply with God, we must consecrate our lives to Him. Consecration goes beyond living out God’s will for our lives. Of course, it covers living intentionally, purposefully, and consecratory, but it begins with being set apart to live a holy and righteous life. We need to fully grasp and appreciate how Jesus has redeemed us and brought us out of the captivity of sin so that we will want to live for Jesus.
The struggle between our flesh and God involves living apart from the world and wholly for the Lord in every aspect of our lives. This fight between the flesh and the need to walk in the Spirit happens daily and whenever we need to make a particular decision, and God knows this. We are at our happiest when our upward relationship with God is at peace as we align with God’s will for our lives, and when our horizontal relationships with people are also at peace by not allowing difficult interpersonal relationships to steal our joy and peace.
All of us need constant reminders to practise these truths in our lives. If we first seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, all these things we need in life will also be added to us (Matthew 6:33). Indeed, our enemies will also be our friends when our ways please God (Proverbs 16:7).
Sermon Series: Lord, teach us how to pray (part 2)
与神深入交谈
马太福音 6:7-8你们祷告、不可像外邦人、用许多重复话．他们以为话多了必蒙垂听。 你们不可效法他们．因为你们没有祈求以先、你们所需用的、你们的父早已知道了。
我们每天都与人交谈。同样，祷告对我们来说应该是像呼吸一样自然而然。然而，在神面前祷告的我们必须真诚、诚实和透明。你我可以把神当作最好的朋友，拾起上次留下的话头接着聊。祷告不是件困难的事儿，因为神使之变得容易。我们可以随时随地、无拘无束地与祂说话，但必须以信心发声。祈祷是有趣的，因为我们可以看到神如何在我们的生活中动工，并且它能成为我们生活中非常自然的一部分。
就像夫妻不应该因为唯恐发生冲突而避免进行深入对话一样。我们也不应回避与上帝进行深入和诚实的对话，好教上帝得以对我们的生命说话。
你知道你可以自由地告诉上帝你生命中有些人多么令人恼火吗？我们被允许向上帝哀叹和抱怨。事实上，当我们毫不设防赤诚以待时，一些这样的对话可以扭转我们的生命。
然而，如果我们想与上帝深入交谈，我们必须把自己的生命分别为圣给神。分别为圣分不仅仅是为了活出神对我们生命的旨意。当然，它涵盖了活出刻意的、有目的并且分别为圣的生命，但它首先是被分别出来活出圣洁公义的生命。我们需要全然理解和珍视耶稣是如何救赎了我们，解救我们脱离了罪的捆绑，这样我们才会渴望为耶稣而活。
我们的血气与神之间的角力，包括远离世俗，在我们生活的各个方面完全为主而活。这种血气与“行在圣灵中的需要”之间的角力每天都在发生，每当我们需要作出某个决定时也会发生，上帝对此一清二楚。当我们与神对我们生命的旨意一致时，纵向来说，我们与上面神的关系是和平的；横向来说，当我们不允许难搞的人际关系偷走我们的喜乐和平安，与周遭的人和平共处，这个时候，我们是最快乐的。
我们所有人都需要不断的提醒，要在生活中实践这些真理。如果我们“先求他的国、和他的义。这些东西都要加给你们了。”（马太福音 6:33）。事实上，“人所行的若蒙耶和华喜悦、耶和华也使他的仇敌与他和好。”（箴言 16:7）。
讲章系列：主啊，教我们如何祷告（第二部分）
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