Praying So That God May Be Glorified
Praying So That God May Be Glorified
Week 4, Day 5
In Matthew chapter 6 we see that God does not answer our prayers because we pray fancy, eloquent, or beautiful prayers. God doesn't answer our prayers because we pray long or wordy prayers. He doesn’t answer prayers because we pray the same thing over and over again.
So why does God answer prayer? Jesus gave us a model prayer in Matthew chapter 6. This prayer was not really intended to be recited as though it's some sort of special magical prayer, but it is an example—a model—for how we should pray. Jesus said in verse 9,
So why does God answer prayer? Jesus gave us a model prayer in Matthew chapter 6. This prayer was not really intended to be recited as though it's some sort of special magical prayer, but it is an example—a model—for how we should pray. Jesus said in verse 9,
This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.’
Hallowed is not a word we use very often in our everyday conversations, but the word hallowed means to be set apart as holy, to be treated as special, to be given great respect and honor. Another way of saying it is to be glorified.
So God answers prayer in order to glorify His name. God wants people to know what He is like. I think a great example of this is found in 1 Kings chapter 18, when the prophet Elijah—at God's command—had called together a challenge to the prophets of Baal so that the God who answered prayer would be proven to be God in Israel.
And so Elijah steps up when it's his turn to pray, and he prays this in verse 36:
So God answers prayer in order to glorify His name. God wants people to know what He is like. I think a great example of this is found in 1 Kings chapter 18, when the prophet Elijah—at God's command—had called together a challenge to the prophets of Baal so that the God who answered prayer would be proven to be God in Israel.
And so Elijah steps up when it's his turn to pray, and he prays this in verse 36:
At the time of the sacrifice the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: ‘Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, Lord—answer me—so these people will know that you, Yahweh, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.’
So God answered that prayer so that the people of Israel would know that Yahweh—He is God.
That is one of the main reasons why God wants to answer your prayers. He wants people in your life to see that He is the living God who hears and answers prayer. He wants you to know, He wants your kids to know, He wants your family to know that He is God.
So when you pray for the purpose that God might be glorified, you can pray with confidence—He's hearing and answering your prayers.
That is one of the main reasons why God wants to answer your prayers. He wants people in your life to see that He is the living God who hears and answers prayer. He wants you to know, He wants your kids to know, He wants your family to know that He is God.
So when you pray for the purpose that God might be glorified, you can pray with confidence—He's hearing and answering your prayers.
APPLICATION:
God answers your prayers in order to glorify His name.
- Ask God to enable our church to be a part of reaching 100,000 souls for Christ in the next three years through the Advancing the Kingdom emphasis.
- Pray the Lord will create in the hearts of all our people a desire to invite others to church so they can experience the presence of Jesus among our people, the love of Jesus through our people and the Gospel of Jesus in our services.
- Ask the Lord to use our online ministries to spread the Good News of Jesus throughout our city and around the world.
Posted in Advancing the Kingdom Daily Devotionals