Happy New Year!!!!

Whew....here we are another year.  I have been quiet lately, not because of anything bad or tragic.  I am in good health; my family is well it’s been because the Lord has been quiet lately.  He truly leads my words and prayer....I was affirmed of this whenever I would sit in front of my computer to maybe try to write something or have a thought to share….. I would be completely blank. I hadn't a clue why or what I was going to say or write.  It has been a VERY humbling experience to say least.  Glory to be God!!!

Jesus taught prayer and the importance of it.  We are to pray without ceasing and know that if we let God lead our prayers in supplication for His will you will always pray for His glory.  We are to pray in good and bad times.  Prayer is not a means to an end which sometimes happens. The end sometimes ends up being for selfish reasons.  When you feel like things should go a certain way and they don’t, you pray for them to go your way.  Prayer has a way of getting the wrong perspective…prayer is for God and not for US!  Prayer is more than an intimacy and privilege to commune with God.  Prayer is an opportunity to manifest His Glory. It is a vehicle for God to show us His majestic will and works.  Through prayer God is able to show His character to impress us with His glorious work.  It is also to impress us with His glorious character.  Prayer is not for us to impress Him but for Him to impress us.  We don’t pray to glorify ourselves, we pray to glorify God!

In Matthew chapter 6:9-13 “The disciples prayer”

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,
   but deliver us from the evil one.’

   ¹⁴ For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

True worship and prayer begins with God.  Look at verses 9, 10, 11, 13, these verses are not about us but about God’s will for us.  All our needs, all our troubles, all our problems come only when God is put in the proper place.  Unfortunately, we claim things on God and we demand things on God because through our faith in Him, God is to grant anything if we demand them of Him.  This turns our prayers to us and not for God’s glory.  We don’t go to God affirming and demanding what is to be for us.  Prayer IS FOR GOD!!!

John 14:13

¹³ And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

When we go to God, let’s go to God knowing that He is a Loving Father.  He is a Father that is a forgiving Father that cares whether you are moral or immoral, righteous or unrighteous, NO MATTER WHAT HE CARES!!  All prayer should begin with knowing that He cares and that will hear you.  But put God in the proper place, not for us to get what we need or want but to have God show us His Glory.  It will draw us to pray without ceasing.  Go into this New Year with God in the proper place. 

Our Father in heaven, help us to focus on you.  Help us to recognize what You will for us as we pray.  Father, we thank You that You do care for us and know our heart’s.  We want to know You and want to pray prayers to glorify Your Name, so help us to pray to glorify Your Name.  May we live this new year and commit to Your Word and prayer for Your Glory.  That we live to see Your good works and glorify Your Name with complete understanding that Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven…..In His Holy Name, Christ Jesus….AMEN!