Based on Matthew 6:5-13
MEMORY TEXT: “I have called upon Thee, for Thou wilt hear me, O God: incline Thine ear unto me, and hear my speech” (Psalm 17:6).
If God knows what is best for us and will do only what He wants to do, why bother to pray at all? While He will do only His will, He wants us to be partners in the endeavor. Prayer is our initiative. God doesn’t force His will on us.
Some kind of choice, you say! That is like saying you either do what He wants or you don't do it at all. But wait. When we understand who we are praying to, we wouldn't want it to be any other way. Our heavenly Father wants far better things for us than we could ever want for ourselves.
When we enroll in the school of prayer and attend faithfully, two things will happen. One is that we will never graduate, and the other is that we will never fail! I love the prayer text that is like a safety net: "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God." (Romans 8:26, 27). Isn't that a wonderful promise!
Here are three things you can do to improve your prayer experience:
> Make sure there is nothing in your relationship with your earthly father that would make it difficult for you to relate to a heavenly Father. If you discover there are some problems, ask God for the wonderful gift of forgiveness.
> Get a Bible concordance and look up the word "holy." Read the texts that refer to the holiness of God. Make sure you have a clear concept as to what the Bible means when it says that God is holy.
> Tell God you are willing to do His will in every aspect of your life. Think of specific changes that need to be made to bring this about.
The love of God wants the best for us. The wisdom of God knows what is best for us. The power of God can accomplish it.
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