Intentional Prayer

What’s up?!

I just wanted to share with you today something that the Lord convicted me of this last week. 💗

In Sunday morning youth, we are breaking down the sermon on the mount in Matthew 6. As we were going through, I was struck with the section called “The Lord’s Prayer.”🙏 I stumbled through my reading of it because I was reading in ESV and, for some reason, have this section memorized in King James. 😅 The wording differences had me stumbling through and reading like an elementary kid for a second. 

As I sat there trying to give it a second attempt real slowly, God highlighted a verse a little before the actual Lord’s Prayer. 📔 Matthew 6:7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do…” - ESV

For many people, the Lord’s prayer has become what this verse describes. A stack of empty phrases, void of any meaning, that we recite blindly in hopes of appealing God or looking righteous. It really is an easy trap to fall into. At a funeral, recite the Lord’s Prayer. At a Christian event, recite the Lord’s prayer. Pre-game at a sporting event of a Christian team, recite the Lord’s Prayer. We throw this around so commonly, yet don’t really understand nor mean any of the words we are saying. 😱

This initial thought then began to soak into other areas of my life. How often I pray empty words. 🤯Thanking God for a meal or praying at gatherings. I need to grow in intentional prayers to the Lord. My prayers need to be meaningful, not just spoken out of habit.

May You Truly Pray This Week,

Asher Day