2022: MARCH INSPIRE

You Pray – I Pray

Ingredients of Prayer

Saturday, at my house, has always been a day of relaxing, reflecting, cooking and eating. As a child, growing up, I can remember family times around the table. On Saturday morning, our family would get up a little later than our usual time of waking up during the week and get ourselves ready for a delicious meal. But when we got up, Mommy would already be in the kitchen fixing our breakfast. When I saw her cooking and smelled the aroma of bacon, eggs, sausage, etc…, I knew we were about to eat well at our house. Shortly after breakfast, I would ask Mommy if she could show me how to bake a cake so we can enjoy it with our lunch later in the day. Mommy would get out the ingredients for cake and ask me if I was ready to watch her. Step by step in the cake-making process, she would give me instructions on how much of the ingredients should go into the cake batter. After much mixing and pouring, the cake, with the many ingredients, came out of the oven with perfection.

Jesus’ disciples did something similar to what I would do on Saturdays at my house. Just like I asked my mother to teach me how to bake a cake, the disciples asked Jesus if He could teach them how to pray (see Luke 11:1). In essence, the disciples said “YOU (Jesus) pray, I (the disciples) pray.” Just like my mother, Jesus didn’t hesitate but immediately started giving them some “ingredients” of prayer. Jesus began to mentor them in prayer. The disciples wanted to do what they saw Jesus do on several occasions. They understood the power in prayer and wanted to experience that same power.

Jesus gave the disciples 10 ingredients we should include in prayer. (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:1-4)

The Person of Prayer–“Our Father” The Position of Prayer–“in heaven”

The Praise of Prayer–“Hallowed be Your name” The Priority of Prayer–“Your kingdom come”

The Purpose of Prayer–“Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” The Provision of Prayer–“Give us this day our daily bread”

The Pardon of Prayer–“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” The Protection of Prayer–“And do not lead us into temptation”

The Power of Prayer–“But deliver us from the evil one”

The Partnership of Prayer–“For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever”

These ingredients of prayer, mixed over time, will yield dynamic results. “The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].” (James 5:16, AMPC) When we pray, God hears. When we pray, God moves. When we pray, God answers on our behalf, according to His will. When we pray, like Jesus prayed, we will get the results Jesus received. So our everyday declaration should be…Jesus, YOU PRAY, I PRAY. Just like that.

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