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If there is anything we need to do more of it is pray. If there is anything that will bring revival to this country and peace to this world it is prayer. It is the one thing that Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them. Everything else they sort of “caught” as they watched Jesus minister to people, but prayer was the one thing they actually asked Him to teach them when in Luke 11:1 they said, “Lord, teach us to pray.” In response to their ask, Jesus said in Matthew 6:9-13 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10  your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11  Give us today our daily bread. 12  Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

From these verses, I would suggest to you that prayer provides spiritual nurturing for our hearts.

1. Pray to nurture your heart.-Our Father in heaven…

What I mean by this is that prayer centers us on the fact that we are in a relationship with God as our Father. It is this relationship that is life-giving. It is this relationship that is mind-settling. It is this relationship that is strength-building. We can know that no matter what happens to us, we are going to be OK because we have a perfect Heavenly Father who knows what we need and can provide what we need when we need it.

This is a real thing, this relationship with a perfect Heavenly Father. In fact, he is our Abba Father. There are many names for God, as He has revealed Himself in multi-faceted ways, but perhaps the name Abba Father is the most significant when it comes to understanding how God wants to relate to His people. This word, “Abba” is an Aramaic word that can really appropriately be translated as “Daddy.” This is a word that was commonly used by young children to call upon their fathers. This word helps us understand that we are to have a close, nurturing and intimate relationship with God, one that allows us to completely trust Him and not to worry, just as a child would fully trust a loving earthly father to take care of whatever was needed.

2. Pray to center your heart.-Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

We live in a culture with restless heart syndrome. Just my opinion, I suppose, but it seems many are looking for love or fulfillment or contentment in all the wrong places. Only when we seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness will all these things be added to us (Matthew 6:33). Prayer centers our hearts on that which will fulfill, on that which will last for eternity.

When you pray, pray for the ability to know the will of God, the wisdom to choose the will of God, and the power to accomplish the will of God. That kind of prayer keeps your heart anchored to what matters most. Praying “Your will be done” will keep us from living “My will be done.”

  1. Pray to express your heart. I am so glad Jesus inserted verse 11 into His model

    prayer: Give us today our daily bread.

Prayer gives us a way to think about what we truly need. It helps us probe our hearts so that we can appropriately express them to God. What do you need today? Prayer gives you a strategy whereby you can ask what you need. When you talk to God, tell Him what your longings and desires are. Tell Him what you need. Is it healing? A new job? A better relationship with your spouse? A friend? Do you need to pass a certain test? Do you want your future to be different from your past? Pray about it, and pray about it daily. We’re talking “daily bread.” Until God answers—whether yes or no, pray about it. Your heart isn’t meant to simply hold your dreams or your emotional stress. Those things are meant to be expressed to a loving, Almighty God, who can give you what your heart desires. Psalm 37:4 tells us God will give us the desires of our hearts as we express them to Him.

4. Pray to clear your heart. Verse 12: Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Confession of sin is a super important component of prayer. If we will do it regularly, daily, we will walk in unbroken fellowship with God. If we don’t incorporate confession into our prayer life, we will minimize stuff and it will become a major problem between God and us. We’ll start to drift spiritually. We’ll start to care less and less about the will of God until we couldn’t care less. And let’s be honest, who is going to be concerned about doing the will of God if they are consumed by their own will and by the vices of sin?

The reality is, you can’t receive anything good from God when your heart is cluttered with sin and with damaging emotions that come from unforgiveness. The Bible tells us when cherish sin in our hearts, our prayers won’t be answered (Psalm 66:18). If you wonder why your prayers aren’t being answered, ask yourself when the last time was that you confessed anything to God and that your prayed to forgive those who have done you wrong.

  1. Pray to protect your heart. Verse 13-And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

This verse can be a bit confusing at first read. Jesus isn’t suggesting that God would lead us into temptation as if He was somehow trying to get us to sin. There is only one being who wants us to sin and that is Satan, the evil one. Life is full of temptations where sin is concerned. You can’t watch a commercial without being tempted to sin. You can’t scroll social media without being tempted to sin. You can’t watch a movie without being tempted to sin. Temptation is everywhere.

The focus here is on the protection and deliverance that can be ours through prayer. If we will pray to resist the devil, we will gain spiritual strength to say “No” to the temptation. If we will pray to avoid the addictive behaviors that are being dangled in front of our nose, we will gain power to turn and go the other way. If we will pray for spiritual protection and help, God will send His angels to help us in our time of need. He will work out situations and circumstances to reroute the enemy and the demons that are chasing us.

Good things come to those who pray. God-things come to those who pray. Prayer nurtures our hearts, bringing an awareness of God’s perfect love for us. Prayer enables you to know and do the will of God in the power of God. Prayer gives you the opportunity to tell God what you need. Prayer clears your heart of stuff that weighs you down and cuts you off from God’s favor. Prayer protects you from Satan’s attacks.

Prayer is that which is done in the natural, but is that which produces supernatural results. Everyone can do it. You don’t have to have experience or special skills to pray. You only have to have a heart that wants to seek the Lord in prayer.

James 5:14-16 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint
John 8:1-11 1Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the
Jesus prayed a lot. Prayer was routine for Jesus. Luke 5:16 says, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”