Today’s Podcast
Today’s Scriptures
Today’s Bible reading plans include:
Ready – Matthew 6:5-18
Set – Matthew 6-7
Go! – Psalms 87; Matthew 5-7
Matthew 6:5-18
5 Likewise, when you pray, do not be as hypocrites who love to pray loudly at synagogue or on street corners—their concern is to be seen by men. They have already earned their reward. 6 When you pray, go into a private room, close the door, and pray unseen to your Father who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not go on and on, excessively and strangely like the outsiders; they think their verbosity will let them be heard by their deities. 8 Do not be like them. Your prayers need not be labored or lengthy or grandiose—for your Father knows what you need before you ever ask Him.
9 Your prayers, rather, should be simple, like this:
Our Father in heaven,
let Your name remain holy.
10 Bring about Your kingdom.
Manifest Your will here on earth,
as it is manifest in heaven.
11 Give us each day that day’s bread—no more, no less—
12 And forgive us our debts
as we forgive those who owe us something.
13 Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
But let Your kingdom be,
and let it be powerful
and glorious forever. Amen.
14 If you forgive people when they sin against you, then your Father will forgive you when you sin against Him and when you sin against your neighbor. 15 But if you do not forgive your neighbors’ sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
16 And when you fast, do not look miserable as the actors and hypocrites do when they are fasting—they walk around town putting on airs about their suffering and weakness, complaining about how hungry they are. So everyone will know they are fasting, they don’t wash or anoint themselves with oil, pink their cheeks, or wear comfortable shoes. Those who show off their piety, they have already received their reward. 17 When you fast, wash your face and beautify yourself with oil, 18 so no one who looks at you will know about your discipline. Only your Father, who is unseen, will see your fast. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
Today’s Devotional
From today’s background scripture God might say:
People make prayer so hard. All I want is a conversation with you. Through the years some have tried to put prayer into flowery 16th century language, thinking I can hear that better. Some think I can even hear Latin better than their native tongue. Some think they can even learn some celestial language so they can talk to Me. None of that really works. Because I want to hear from your heart. You speak from your heart when you talk to your best friend in your every day language. No airs. No pretense. No hiding. Just talking.
I enjoy your conversations. I enjoy hearing about what is going on in your life and the life of those you love. I like to know what you want to ask Me. I want you to tell Me think. I want you to talk to Me like you talk to a friend. I want to answer you questions. I want to hear your inner most thoughts. I want you to tell Me those things you just can’t tell anyone else. I want to know your fears and help quell them. I want to know your failures and turn them into successes.
I want to hear from you all day long. I am with you ready to listen. I want to walk with you along the path you take and help you make the right turns at every fork in the road. I want you to spend time with Me learning about Me like you learn about your closest friends. How do you do that? In coversation. So pray. Talk to Me. And listen for My voice.
Don’t get hung up on the words or the format. Don’t worry about hurting My feelings or saying the right things. Just talk to Me. Tell Me everything. I know what you’re thinking, anyway, but I want to hear your voice focused on Me. I want you to talk to Me. That’s all prayer is. I taught My disciples a simple prayer on the mountainside that day, and all it contained was a simple conversation between a father and son. That’s all.
That’s the kind of relationship I want with you. I’m your God, your Father in heaven. Think about that relationship and talk to Me. You talk to your earthly father and share things with him, so do the same with Me. Share with Me.
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