Jesus
said:
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for
they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be
seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when
you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is
unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when
you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be
heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be
like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
وَعِنْدَمَا
تُصَلُّونَ، لَا تَكُونُوا مِثْلَ الْمُنَافِقِينَ الَّذِينَ يُحِبُّونَ أَنْ
يُصَلُّوا وَاقِفِينَ فِي الْمَجَامِعِ وَفِي زَوَايَا الشَّوَارِعِ لِيَرَاهُمُ
النَّاسُ. الْحَقَّ أَقُولُ لَكُمْ: إِنَّهُمْ قَدْ نَالُوا مُكَافَأَتَهُمْ. 6 أَمَّا أَنْتَ، فَعِنْدَمَا تُصَلِّي، فَادْخُلْ غُرْفَتَكَ،
وَأَغْلِقِ الْبَابَ عَلَيْكَ، وَصَلِّ إِلَى أَبِيكَ الَّذِي فِي الْخَفَاءِ.
وَأَبُوكَ الَّذِي يَرَى فِي الْخَفَاءِ، هُوَ يُكَافِئُكَ. 7 وَعِنْدَمَا تُصَلُّونَ، لَا تُكَرِّرُوا كَلاماً فَارِغاً كَمَا
يَفْعَلُ الْوَثَنِيُّونَ، ظَنّاً مِنْهُمْ أَنَّهُ بِالإِكْثَارِ مِنَ الْكَلامِ،
يُسْتَجَابُ لَهُمْ. 8 فَلاَ تَكُونُوا مِثْلَهُمْ،
لأَنَّ أَبَاكُمْ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَحْتَاجُونَ إِلَيْهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَسْأَلُوهُ.
Matthew 6:5-8
Jesus is teaching us and cautioning us not to call
attention to ourselves in prideful ways as we practise our faith. The Sadducees
and the Pharisees, who were the Jewish religious teachers, were attracting
attention to themselves when they were praying instead of pointing to God.
Jesus also cautions us not to keep repeating and
babbling as we pray because pagans did that. God will not hear us just because
we keep repeating. Unfortunately we still fall in this trap individually and in
groups and in certain churches.
Unlike the Sadducees, we are to believe everything the
Bible says, including the miraculous and the afterlife. Unlike the Pharisees,
we are not to treat traditions as having equal authority as Scripture, and we
are not to allow our relationship with God to be reduced to a legalistic list
of rules and rituals.
I invite you to repeat the following
prayer for yourself:
Abba Father, I pray that out of Your glorious riches You strengthen
me with power through Your Spirit in my inner being, so that I can pray in the
manner that pleases You and builds an intimate relationship with You.
Strengthen me Jesus so that I always point to You and give You the glory. Abba
Father You know what I need before I ask and I pray that You will help me to
pray for the ‘right’ things and to trust Your choice and timing. Help me to
pray without repeating words uselessly. I declare to the world that Christ is
my Lord and Saviour. God I praise You, glorify You, and lift You up on high.
Thank You my heavenly Father for Your abundant blessings and Your deep, everlasting and inseparable love. Now to Him who is able to carry out His purpose and do
infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams, according to His
power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in
Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Ephesians 3:20-21 (AMP) Amen.
Jesus loves you,
In Him,
Wagdi Henein
