Never a Bother
Matthew 6:5-15
“When you pray, don’t be like hypocrites. They love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners so that people will see them. I assure you, that’s the only reward they’ll get. But when you pray, go to your room, shut the door, and pray to your Father who is present in that secret place. Your Father who sees what you do in secret will reward you. “When you pray, don’t pour out a flood of empty words, as the Gentiles do. They think that by saying many words they’ll be heard. Don’t be like them, because your Father knows what you need before you ask. Pray like this: Our Father who is in heaven, uphold the holiness of your name. Bring in your kingdom so that your will is done on earth as it’s done in heaven. Give us the bread we need for today. Forgive us for the ways we have wronged you, just as we also forgive those who have wronged us. And don’t lead us into temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. “If you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you don’t forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your sins.
We get calls from both our sons, but the younger one calls more frequently. He calls not only on birthdays and holidays, but every day. When I was still on staff at the church, he would call so often that when my phone rang during a meeting, our lead pastor would quip, “Tell Ben I said hello!”
Though Ben’s timing was sometimes inconvenient, I never tired of answering. It didn’t matter to me that those calls were usually about insignificant things because I just enjoyed talking with him.
Sometimes when I read today’s quoted verse, I have wondered why God would be interested in my prayers. After all, God already knows what I need. Then I remember Ben’s phone calls.
We need not worry whether or not our prayers seem important. We are not bothering God when we talk about our concerns. Sure, God knows what we need before we ask, but Jesus teaches us about “whenever we pray,” not “if we pray.” Why not reach out to God right now? God loves to hear from us!
Today’s Prayer
Loving God, forgive us for doubting your care for us. Remind us that we can always connect with you through prayer. Amen.
Peter Caligiuri has been writing poetry since he was a teen-ager. Some of his short poems and devotionals have appeared in various periodicals such Secret Place, Breakthrough Intercessor and The Upper Room. Peter holds a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education/English from Western Connecticut State College as well as having attended Elim Bible College. https://christiandevotions.us/viewauthor/430
Yes, God knows what we need even before we speak . Even a desire is a prayer and God answers it.