Articles
Prayers Of Supplication
Have you ever wondered why Jesus in Matthew 6 prayed, “thy will be done”? Despite having divine knowledge, Jesus still prayed for God’s will to be done on this Earth and not just His own. Jesus teaches us that no matter how powerful, righteous, or knowledgeable we may be, nothing is more so than God. God sits on His throne in Heaven as the ruler of all things. Being able to go before the King is an amazing opportunity and we should be making sure that we are going before Him in the proper way.
Psalm 37:4 explains that God will grant the desires of the heart to those who seek Him. Many people will take this to mean that God is like a genie or a vending machine of blessings. As long as you follow Him and say a prayer, then God will give you what you want in life. In context, however, this verse is talking about God’s people having a heart that is full of righteous desires and a mind that is focused on bringing glory to Him as our relationship grows with Him. God should always be the first priority of Christ’s followers. Romans 8:26-28 states that God’s children will be granted His Holy Spirit to help them glorify God. If their hearts are righteously focused and set on listening to the Spirit, then the Spirit will guide them on how to pray in a manner that glorifies God.
Jesus starts the Lord’s Prayer by acknowledging God’s righteous authority with “hallowed be thy name”. Going to God in prayer entails more than just telling God our struggles and making requests on behalf of ourselves and others. Prayer is focused on speaking to God in order to grow in our relationship with Him. Two people are required for growing in a relationship. God acknowledges us and we should be acknowledging Him as well. A prayer of praise is said in Jude 1:24-25. This prayer starts off by acknowledging God’s power to sanctify and ends by saying that His glory and authority is before all time. Paul in Ephesians 1:16 mentions that prayer is an opportunity to give thanks to God and remember others. However, the first thing Paul mentions is giving thanks to God. If we can remember to put God first in our prayers, then how much more will it help us put God first in other aspects of our lives.
