CAC Living Water Daily Devotional | Thursday, December 23, 2021 | Repetitious Prayers
Topic: Repetitious Prayers
Date: Thursday, December 23, 2021
Read: Matthew 6:5-9
Matthew 6:5-9 Also when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward in full already.
But when you pray, go into your [most] private room, and, closing the door, pray to your Father, Who is in secret; and your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you in the open.
And when you pray, do not heap up phrases (multiply words, repeating the same ones over and over) as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard for their much speaking.
Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
Pray, therefore, like this: Our Father Who is in heaven, hallowed (kept holy) be Your name.
MEMORISE:
Out of the depths I have cried to you, O Lord (Psalm130:1).
EXPOSITION
Repetition is one of the learning techniques,especially for child’s learning, but repetition in prayer is one of the hindrances to prayer.people who pray the same prayers over and over again may disagree with this, but Jesus who authors prayer made us realise that saying the same word of prayer over and over again is not only bad but it does not show that we are believers but heathen. Jesus says, when you pray do not use gain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for there many words.
Repetitious prayer is likened to any activity that is performed on routine basis such as a military parade. The task becomes a routine so that the person no longer has to think about each separate step to be taken. He is so used to it and nothing is new any longer. God does not want the prayer of his children to get to that. Always depend on the power of the spirit to help you pray a prevailing prayer.
Jesus complained about the Pharisee and the religious leaders of his day:their prayer,apart from being repetitious , is hypocritical. How? They loved to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets. Why are they doing that? They are doing that to be seen by members of the public. Check it,most of the shouting yo do in prayer, is it not that you want somebody somewhere to know that you are praying , or that you are a prayer warrior? There is actually nothing bad in praying aloud but it becomes a crime when there are people around you that you can be disturbing with your prayer. No wonder Jesus instructs us to go into our rooms and shut the door and pray to God in secret. There are times you need to pray and no one around should even hear you. What do you make of the effective prayer of Hannah that produced Samuel? Eli misconstrued her because he did not hear what she was saying (1sam.1:12-18).
PRAYER POINTS:
1.Lord,endow me with the Spirit of prayer and power.
2.I resolve not to pray like the hypocrite from henceforth, in jesus’ name.
3.Lord,deliver Your Church from repetitious prayers.
EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: Jonah 4:10-4:11; Micah 1:1-5:7; Revelation 13:4 – 14:6
Author: Christ Apostolic Church [Worldwide]