Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International.

Friday, January 31, 2020

"And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."¹

After Jesus said these words He went on to say, "This, then, is how you should pray..." and He taught them the Lord's prayerâ€"a prayer that has only 66 words!

I have read that the Gettysburg Address has only 286 words. The Declaration of Independence has 1,322 and the government regulations on the sale of cabbage has 26,911 words!

The point that Jesus is making (when we pray) is that we need to get to the pointâ€"and not use empty, vain repetitious words that come only from the top of our head and not from the heart.

It's the meaning of the heart that God wants to hearâ€"which, of course, is the heart of all meaningful, intimate communicationsâ€"with God or man. As the simple ditty expresses it:

     I often say my prayers,
     But do I really pray,
     And does the meaning of my heart
     Go with the words I say.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, help me when I pray to share with You what my heart is saying and what I am truly feelingâ€"good or badâ€"and in so doing be ruthlessly honest with myself and with You. Always. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s name, amen.â€�

1. Jesus (Matthew 6:7-8, NIV).

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