As Christians, we often talk about the importance of prayer in our spiritual lives. But how much of our prayer is truly motivated by a desire to align our hearts with God’s will? In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches us the true essence of prayer – not as a performance for others, but as an intimate conversation with our Heavenly Father.
The Danger of Performative Spirituality
Jesus begins by warning us against practicing our righteousness before men to be noticed by them (Matthew 6:1). The Greek word used here for “to be noticed” is the same word from which we get the English word “theater”. Too often, our spiritual lives can become a stage where we perform for the applause and approval of others, rather than seeking to please God.
This attitude can even seep into our prayer lives. Jesus cautions against praying like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in public places so that they may be seen by others (Matthew 6:5). Their reward is the fleeting admiration of men, not the eternal rewards of God.
Performative spirituality can take many forms in our daily lives. It could be volunteering for a service project to impress others, rather than out of a genuine desire to serve. Or it might be sharing prayer requests with others more out of a desire for attention than a need for intercession.
The subtle trap of performative spirituality is that it shifts our focus from God to self. We start to measure our spiritual worth by the approval of others, rather than the approval of God. And in the process, we miss out on the true joy and intimacy of a relationship with Him.
The Secret Place of Prayer
Instead, Jesus invites us to enter into the secret place of prayer, where we shut the door and pray to our Father who sees in secret (Matthew 6:6). In this hidden place, we can pour out our hearts to God without the pressure of performance or the need for eloquent words. We come to Him as we are, with our needs, our desires, and our hunger for more of Him.
The secret place of prayer is where we can be most vulnerable and authentic with God. We don’t have to put on a façade or pretend to have it all together. We can bring our doubts, our fears, our struggles, and our sins to Him, knowing that He loves us unconditionally and is ready to forgive and restore us.
Cultivating a consistent habit of secret prayer is essential for our spiritual growth and intimacy with God. It might mean setting aside a specific time and place each day to meet with Him, whether that’s in the early morning hours, during a lunch break, or before bed at night. The key is to prioritize this time as a non-negotiable appointment with the King of Kings.
Nehemiah’s Example of Heartfelt Prayer
The Old Testament figure Nehemiah provides a powerful example of this kind of heartfelt prayer. When he heard about the devastation of Jerusalem, Nehemiah sat down, wept, and mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven (Nehemiah 1:4). His prayer was born out of a deep burden for God’s people and a desire to see God’s name glorified.
Nehemiah’s prayer in chapter 1 is a beautiful model of intercession and surrender. He begins by acknowledging God’s greatness and faithfulness (v. 5), then confesses the sins of Israel that have led to their current state of distress (v. 6-7). He reminds God of His promises to restore His people if they return to Him (v. 8-9), and then he presents his specific request for favor with the king (v. 10-11).
Throughout his prayer, Nehemiah demonstrates a posture of humility, reverence, and complete dependence on God. He recognizes that the fate of Jerusalem is ultimately in God’s hands, not his own. And he aligns his own desires with God’s purposes, asking for success not for his own glory, but for the glory of God’s name.
Nehemiah’s prayer wasn’t just empty words; it was the overflow of a heart that was fully surrendered to God’s purposes. He was so consumed with the need that his own physical needs became secondary. This is the kind of prayer that moves the heart of God.
As we face the challenges and burdens of our own lives, we can learn from Nehemiah’s example of heartfelt, persevering prayer. We may not have the same level of influence or authority that he did, but we serve the same God who is able to move mountains and change the course of history. When we align our hearts with His and bring our requests to Him in faith, we can trust that He will work all things together for His glory and our ultimate good.
Praying According to God’s Priorities
When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He gave them a model prayer that reflects God’s priorities (Matthew 6:9-13). The Lord’s Prayer isn’t just a formula to recite, but a framework for aligning our hearts with God’s will. Let’s look at each of the six petitions in more detail:
1. Hallowed Be Your Name
The first priority in prayer is the glory and reputation of God’s name. We ask God to sanctify His name and to rescue it from being profaned by the disobedience of His people. Imagine the impact if every Christian lived with this as their primary concern – to see God’s name hallowed and glorified in the earth.
In a world that increasingly marginalizes and dismisses God, praying for His name to be hallowed is a bold declaration of His supremacy and worth. It’s a way of aligning our hearts with His eternal purposes and seeking His glory above all else.
2. Your Kingdom Come
Next, we pray for the coming of God’s kingdom, both in its future consummation when Jesus returns, and in its present advancement as people experience redemption. Every soul that is saved is a triumph of God’s kingdom over the domain of darkness. Our prayers should be consumed with a longing to see God’s kingdom expand.
Praying for God’s kingdom to come means surrendering our own little kingdoms of self-rule and self-interest. It means being willing to lay down our own agendas and ambitions for the sake of His eternal purposes. And it means joining Him in the work of redemption, as we share the gospel and disciple others to follow Jesus.
3. Your Will Be Done
Surrendering to God’s will is at the heart of true prayer. We ask for God’s will to be done on earth with the same swift obedience that the angels display in heaven. This means yielding our own plans and desires to the higher purposes of God, even when it involves suffering or sacrifice.
Praying for God’s will to be done is an act of trust and submission. It’s acknowledging that His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9). It’s being willing to say, like Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, “Not my will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42).
4. Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread
In a culture obsessed with accumulation and consumerism, Jesus teaches us to pray for daily bread – for just what we need for today. This kind of prayer requires a childlike faith and dependence on our Heavenly Father. It’s a declaration that He is enough for us, and that we trust Him to provide for our needs.
Praying for daily bread is also an act of contentment and gratitude. It’s recognizing that every good and perfect gift comes from above (James 1:17), and that we can trust God to sustain us one day at a time. It’s learning to live with open hands, holding loosely to the things of this world and finding our ultimate satisfaction in Him.
5. Forgive Us Our Sins as We Forgive Others
Receiving and extending forgiveness is essential to the life of prayer. We can only approach God on the basis of His mercy and grace, not our own merits. And as recipients of His forgiveness, we’re called to extend that same forgiveness to those who have sinned against us. Withholding forgiveness hinders our fellowship with God.
Praying for forgiveness is an act of humility and repentance. It’s acknowledging our own sinfulness and need for grace, and it’s choosing to forgive others as we have been forgiven. This can be one of the most challenging aspects of prayer, especially when we’ve been deeply hurt or wronged. But as we choose to forgive, we experience the freedom and healing that comes from letting go of bitterness and resentment.
6. Lead Us Not Into Temptation, But Deliver Us From Evil
Finally, we pray for God’s protection and deliverance from temptation and evil. We recognize our own weakness and susceptibility to sin, and we seek God’s strength to overcome. At the same time, we trust that even when God allows trials in our lives, His ultimate purpose is to deliver us and shape us into the image of Christ.
Praying for deliverance from temptation is an acknowledgement of our own frailty and dependence on God. It’s recognizing that we can’t resist sin in our own strength, but that we need the power of the Holy Spirit to enable us to live a life of righteousness. And it’s trusting that no matter what we face, God is able to use it for our ultimate good and His glory (Romans 8:28).
The Role of the Holy Spirit in Prayer
As we seek to cultivate a life of prayer that aligns with God’s will, we must recognize our own inability to do so apart from the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit who helps us in our weakness and intercedes for us when we don’t know what to pray (Romans 8:26-27).
The Holy Spirit is our ultimate prayer partner, guiding us into all truth and revealing the deep things of God to us (John 16:13; 1 Corinthians 2:10-11). He illuminates the Scriptures, making them come alive in our hearts and minds. He convicts us of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8), and He empowers us to live a life pleasing to God.
We should ask the Holy Spirit to fill us afresh each day, to empower us for the work of prayer and ministry. As we yield ourselves to His control and guidance, we’ll find our prayers aligning more and more with the heart and will of God.
Overcoming Common Struggles in Prayer
Even with the best of intentions, we all face struggles and obstacles in our prayer lives from time to time. Here are a few common challenges and some practical strategies for overcoming them:
1. Distraction:
It’s easy to get sidetracked by wandering thoughts or external distractions during prayer. To combat this, try finding a quiet, solitary place to pray, free from interruptions. You might also try journaling your prayers, or using a prayer list to keep your mind focused.
2. Doubt:
Sometimes we struggle to believe that our prayers are making a difference, or that God is truly listening. In these moments, it’s important to remind ourselves of God’s faithfulness and the promises in His Word. We can also look back on past answers to prayer and trust that He is still at work, even when we can’t see it.
3. Feelings of inadequacy:
We may feel like we don’t know how to pray “correctly,” or that our prayers aren’t eloquent enough. But remember, prayer isn’t about impressing God with our words; it’s about connecting with Him from a heart of sincerity and faith. He is more concerned with the posture of our hearts than the polish of our words.
4. Busyness:
In our fast-paced, overscheduled lives, it can be challenging to carve out dedicated time for prayer. But like any important relationship, our relationship with God requires intentional investment. Try setting aside a specific time each day for prayer, and treat it as a non-negotiable appointment. Even a few minutes of focused prayer can make a significant impact.
Remember, prayer is a spiritual discipline that takes practice and perseverance. Don’t be discouraged if you struggle at times – every prayer, no matter how imperfect, is a step towards greater intimacy with God.
The Power of a Praying Life
Throughout history, countless Christian leaders and saints have testified to the transformative power of a life devoted to prayer. From the apostle Paul, who prayed without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), to great intercessors like George Müller, we see the impact that fervent, faith-filled prayer can have on individuals, communities, and even nations.
Take George Müller, for example. This 19th-century evangelist and orphanage director relied solely on prayer to provide for the needs of the thousands of children under his care. He never solicited donations or made his needs known to anyone but God – and yet, over the course of his lifetime, he received the equivalent of millions of dollars in answered prayer. His testimony of God’s faithfulness and provision through prayer continues to inspire believers around the world today.
His story remind us that prayer is not just a personal discipline, but a powerful weapon in the hands of God’s people. When we pray in alignment with God’s will, we partner with Him in His redemptive work in the world. We have the privilege of being co-laborers with Christ, joining with Him to see His Kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Reflect and Respond
Take a moment to reflect on how you can apply these truths to your own life:
1. What aspects of the Lord’s Prayer challenge you the most? Where do you find your own priorities and God’s priorities in conflict?
2. Think about your typical prayer life. How much of it is motivated by a desire to see God glorified versus a desire to get your own needs met?
3. What is one practical step you can take this week to cultivate a heart of prayer that is aligned with God’s will? Consider committing to a specific time each day to shut the door and pray, using the Lord’s Prayer as a guide.
4. How might your life look different if your greatest desire was to see God’s name hallowed and His kingdom advanced? What might need to change in your priorities, your relationships, or your daily routines?
Remember, prayer isn’t about perfection, but about the direction of our hearts. As we consistently turn our hearts towards God in prayer, He will continue the work of transformation in us, molding us into the image of His Son and using us for His glory.
Here are some practical action steps you can take to cultivate a life of prayer:
1. Set aside a specific time and place for daily prayer. Make it a non-negotiable appointment with God.
2. Use the Lord’s Prayer as a guide for your own prayers, focusing on each of the six petitions.
3. Keep a prayer journal to record your requests, God’s answers, and what He’s teaching you through prayer.
4. Find a prayer partner or join a prayer group for accountability and encouragement.
5. Commit to praying for one specific need or situation in your life, your church, or your community until you see God’s answer.
6. Study the lives of great men and women of prayer throughout history, and learn from their examples of faith and perseverance.
As we devote ourselves to prayer, may we become a people known for our passionate pursuit of God’s presence and our joyful submission to His will. May our prayers be a fragrant offering, rising before His throne and touching His heart. And may He use us to accomplish His purposes in the earth, for His glory and our good.
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)
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