A close and good friend of mine was talking with me on the phone one night when he started to talk negatively about one of our governmental leaders. I stop him in mid-sentence and asked him, “have you prayed for that person today. If not then you can not complain about them”. That portion of the conversation stops right there.

If we pray with God’s heart for other people we will begin to see them as God see them and loves them as He loves them. The bible instructs us both to pray for the leader over us 1 Timothy 2:1-3 ESV also pray for those who mistreat you Luke 6:28. This does not me we have to agree with their policy, actions, or character. Just like a parent does not always agree with or approve of their children’s choices and actions but we continue to pray and love them.

How should we pray? 

Jesus shares with his disciples how to pray, and most everyone has heard the Lord’s Prayer that He shared with them. The verses before and after giving us a complete heart attitude and posture when praying for others. 

And Jesus said “5And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11Give us this day our daily bread, 12and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

14For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Matthew‬ ‭6:5-15 ‭ESV (italic added)

What prayer should NOT be like? 

• Praying for attention or trying to look more holy than others.  Jesus says don’t pray like the hypocrites,(v. 5) these are people that are part of God’s kingdom.
  • Believers sometimes think if they pray more that God will approve of them. We need to only increase our prayer time for the purpose of spending more time with God and not to gain approval or get more.
  • Other believers will be the first to publicly give a long and eloquent pray not out of a sincere heart, but to be seen as more godly. What does God say about people that have religious action without a true relationship, “depart from me for I never knew you”
  • Believers that come to God with a hypocritical, self-focus attitude, the verse about states that they “have received their reward”.
• We should not “heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles.”(v7) Gentiles are people that are not part of God’s kingdom.
  • In this time frame of the bible, there were many temples of idol worship in Israel. The people of God would hear these prayers from the temples and began mimicking them. 
  • praying with empty repetition, not from the heart, of just saying the prayers over and over thinking if they are said enough God will act. 
  • Praying to the universe is one of these gentile phrases I have heard a lot in the last few years. These prayers are empty phrases they may sound good but not God. I have heard of churches praying also praying to the universe. 
• From a place of unforgiveness (v14) Forgive others their trespasses or God won’t forgive your trespasses.
  • In the above verse debts and debtors in the original writings were offenses and offenders
  • It is easier to forgive people that agree with you, spiritually, socially, culturally, and even politically. Jesus says that even sinners do that.
  • Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Matthew‬ ‭18:21-22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
  • By not forgiving “everyone” the Father can not forgive you. You are nullifying part if not all of what Jesus Christ did for you. 

We have to seek out and apply forgiveness to our lives and towards others. Part of God sending Jesus was that he would be an offering for our sins, that we could be forgiven. If we have unforgiveness towards others, the Father does not forgive us. We are unable to enter His throne-room or His courses, we are unable to lay our request before Him. We have to deal with our heart and ask if there are any areas of offense so we can have a pure heart.

Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation.‬‬

Psalm‬ ‭24:3-5‬ ‭ESV

My friend that I have that phone conversation with above, he posted on Facebook about our conversation. He shared what God shared with him, when you are praying for anyone or a person that has authority over you, are you praying condemnation and judgment? If you want to make sure of your heart, imagine yourself standing in their office. How are they going to fell once you are done praying? They should feel comforted, encouraged, edified, and loved. This is the heart of God.

There is a great deal that we can be offended with in the place a “Stay at Home Orders”. Where seemingly the government is trying to restrict churches and religious organizations for meeting together. This has caused many to be offended and hold unforgiveness towards people.

After dealing with any unforgiveness, verse six is another key in prayer. “…go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”. Not that you should never pray in public, there are times where you will need to pray with other people. I believe this is talking about praying from an intimate place. A place where you and God are dwelling together.

APPLICATION

• Search you heat for any offenses, and ask for his heart for that person.
• Seek God’s forgiveness that you may have a clean heart
• Take time daily to pray for that person. (maybe for a whole month)
• Find that intimate place where you and God can dwell.