When you pray, say: “Father, hollowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.” -- Jesus
Often times, when someone preaches on something like prayer, the approach is something like this: “Jesus prayed often! You pray little! How much more should you pray if Jesus prayed all the time!” The question that comes to my mind is, how does that way of preaching or thinking motivate us? Here’s how that approach motivates us; the motivation is out of guilt and shame. “Jesus prayed all the time, you don’t. Jesus got up early in the morning to pray, how much more should you?” These motivate out of guilt and shame. Is that what Jesus wants? Is that what Jesus is looking for? No. Paul would say, it “Is the love of Christ that constrains me.” Our motive to pray cannot be guilt and shame, but rather our hearts should me moved out of hope and joy! The wondrous thing about the scripture above is that it is the standard. It is one that can hardly be achieved in our hearts. In fallen nature it is impossible to pray that prayer above with full integrity. What do I mean? That prayer is totally God-centered. It’s sole intent and purpose is to exalt the Father in heaven in all aspects of our life. Now do you see? It’s hard to pray that with full integrity because often times our requests really have nothing to do with ensuring the Father’s name is renowned, that His kingdom would be more established through our prayer and circumstances, and that the Kingship of the Lord would be more established in our own lives. So the standard is a divine standard.
Following the passage above, Jesus tells us a parable about prayer, one that describes you and me perfectly. It is a story of a man who has a friend who comes to his house at a late hour. As this man knocks on his door, the man of the house is panicked because he has no food for his guest. So, out of fear of social shame because he couldn’t feed his late night visitor; not out of concern for his friend, the man runs to a nearby neighbors house to get some food. So his motive was simply to save face, and in that, his motive was selfish at heart. Conversely, the man’s house he ran to in order to get food to feed his visitor, only finally opened the door to give him some food out of the mans unashamed persistence. It wasn’t because he wanted to bless his friend. His motive was also self-centered. So we have a standard of how to pray, we have the reality of who we are in the parable, (self centered), and finally, the wondrous nature of our God who in the face of that, encourages us to pray anyway! Jesus finally says, “If you then who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
You see; Jesus doesn’t motivate by guilt and shame. He says, “I know you are evil.” I know you can’t pray like this with full integrity. But I want you to pray not because of who you are, but how great I am.” We are not motivated by our performance, or lack of performance. We are motivated by the wondrous love and grace of Jesus Christ, that begins to constrain our hearts to pray like He asked us. I pray we come to our Father like little children, whose hope and joy is established in the person and work of Christ alone!
Jesus would much rather have you pray once a week out of hope and joy in Him, then a hundred times out of guilt and shame!
Glory Be!
