How NOT to Pray

You probably already know Jesus taught His disciples how to pray. We sometimes call that prayer “The Lord’s Prayer” or the “Our Father” prayer. But did you know that before Jesus taught His disciples how to pray, He taught them how NOT to pray? In Matthew 6:5-7, Jesus says, “‘When you pray, do not be like those who only pretend to be holy… When you pray, go into your room. Close the door and pray to your Father, who can’t be seen… When you pray, do not keep talking on and on. That is what ungodly people do. They think they will be heard because they talk a lot’” (NIrV). Does that confuse you a little bit? If we’re not supposed to pray where other people can see us and if we’re not supposed to use lots of words, why is it okay to pray in church or at prayer meetings? Jesus wasn’t saying we can never pray in front of people. He did it all the time! Jesus was reminding the disciples that prayer is talking to God. We’re not supposed to worry about sounding smart or extra holy when we pray. We’re not supposed to pray just so we can get lots of attention. Our number one focus in prayer should be God! Are you ready to learn more about prayer? Come back on Wednesday to hear more!