GOD KNOWS YOUR HEART WHEN YOU PRAY
You may speak with the Almighty GOD – also your Father and your Friend
Sakkie Parsons
I would like to share with you a question about prayer that someone contacted me about.
The person mentioned to me that there are people who pray such beautiful long prayers – for example, 5 minutes long – and he/she wonders why they cannot do the same.
Here is how I replied, as I understand it from our Lord’s Word:
I also sometimes wonder about certain people’s long prayers, especially those who, during their prayers, suddenly use another tone of voice and even a completely different way of speaking.
Although there are indeed people who truly pray beautiful long prayers, I have a problem with those I have just mentioned – especially when they suddenly pray in almost a different kind of voice and in a different manner of speaking.
But Jesus Himself – He who is God who became man – also had a problem with the way some people prayed.
Do you remember:
Matthew 6:5–8
5 “Also, when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets so that they may be seen by people. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, they [already] have their reward in full.
6 But when you pray, go into your [most] private room, close the door, and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees [what is done] in secret will reward you.
7 And when you pray, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
8 So do not be like them [praying as they do]; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”
This, of course, does not mean that we may not pray in public together with other people. Of course, we may.
Jesus Himself often prayed in public.
But we must always remember the words of Jesus that you just read.
Personally, because I am blind and very sensitive to sound, I quickly become uncomfortable when I hear someone praying in that timid, unnatural way of speaking – almost, if I may say with a smile, whining or groaning while they pray.
Then, of course, there are also those who begin praying, but then continue into a whole well-prepared sermon directed at the people around them. It seems they may not have an opportunity to preach from the pulpit – but preach they will, in their prayer.
Here is, in short, how I understand prayer from the Word:
First, I remember with whom I am speaking, and this knowledge must stir the proper reverence, respect, and awe within me.
Two examples:
Isaiah 43:11–13
11 “I, only I, am the Lord, and there is no Savior besides Me.
12 I have declared [the future], and saved [the nation], and proclaimed [that I am God], and there was no strange [alien] god among you; therefore you are My witnesses,” declares the Lord, “that I am God.
13 Even from eternity I am He, and there is no one who can rescue from My hand; I act, and who can reverse it?”
Isaiah 45:5–7 (AMP)
5 “I am the Lord, and there is no one else;
There is no God except Me.
I will embrace and arm you, though you have not known Me,
6 That people may know from the rising to the setting of the sun [the world over]
That there is no one except Me.
I am the Lord, and there is no other,
7 The One forming light and creating darkness,
Causing peace and creating disaster;
I am the Lord who does all these things.”
This is what I must never lose sight of.
And yet, while I know these things, my God wants me to know that although He is the one and only Almighty God, He is also my Father – and in His great divine loving grace He wants me to know that He desires to be my Father.
That is why Jesus comes and tells us, with that same great loving grace as our Lord and Savior:
Matthew 6:9–10
9 “Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father, who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come,
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven…’”
Finally, in my prayer I may also remember – and how wonderful and comforting this is! – that when I speak with the Almighty God of heaven and earth, who is also my Father, I also remember that He is my Redeemer, my Savior, and my Friend, who gave His life so that I may not only now speak with Him, but also, because of what He did for me, if I honor Him all the way through this life as my God, my Father, and my Friend – then I will also spend eternity with Him.
And concerning fear, He – who is my God, my Father, and my Friend – also says to me, His friend:
Luke 12:4–5
4 “I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have nothing more that they can do.
5 But I will point out the One whom you should fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority and power to hurl [you] into hell; yes, I say to you, [reverently] fear Him!”
Now I want to say to you, concerning your prayer:
It is not important how long or how beautiful your words are – or even the tone of your voice – when you pray.
What matters is whether you truly realize with whom you are speaking, and whether you truly have an intimate love-relationship with your God, your Father, and your Friend.
And this truly sincere, intimate love-relationship can only begin when you have sincerely accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
As I have so often said in the past, I say again now:
If you are reading this today and you are uncertain whether you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior – then you can be sure, you have not yet accepted Him.
If you read this and say to yourself:
“I have not yet in so many words accepted Jesus as my Redeemer and Savior, but I am also not against Him.”
Then Jesus again says to you today that you are in fact against Him:
Matthew 12:30
“He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not [unequivocally] gather with Me scatters.”
Remember also what you have read up to now: because every person is created in God’s image and therefore, like Him, has a will of their own – when I leave this life, I will enter the hereafter alive. And because I am immortal (since I am created in the image of God, who is immortal), I will enter eternity as an immortal being – in one of two places.
If I enter eternity on the other side of the grave with Jesus, I will enter the eternal glory of heaven, to be with Jesus forever – and not only to be with Him, but to be like Him:
1 John 3:2
“Beloved, we are [even here and now] children of God, and it is not yet made clear what we will be [after His coming]. We know that when He comes and is revealed, we will [as His children] be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.”
But if I enter eternity on the other side of the grave without the Holy Spirit of Jesus living in me, I will enter hell – to eternally suffer the most terrible death. Yes, to lie there eternally, so to say, on the most dreadful deathbed, forever wishing that I could die – but never, for all eternity, being able to die.
Listen carefully:
Hebrews 3:7–12
7 Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says,
“Today if you hear His voice,
8 Do not harden your hearts as [your fathers did] in the rebellion [of Israel at Meribah],
On the day of testing in the wilderness,
9 Where your fathers tried Me by testing [My forbearance],
And saw My works for forty years.
10 And so I was angered with this generation,
And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart,
And they did not know My ways’;
11 As I swore [an oath] in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest [the promised land].’”
12 Take care, brothers and sisters, that there not be in any one of you a wicked, unbelieving heart [which refuses to trust and rely on the Lord, a heart] that turns away from the living God.
You know that today, right now, you again have the opportunity to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
You do not know if you will ever again have such an opportunity, or if our Lord will ever again speak so clearly to your heart as He is now.
If you want to make use of this opportunity right now, you can, where you are, in full sincerity, say to your God – who also wants to be your Father and your Friend:
“Lord, I, this person full of sin, confess to You right now that I know if I were to die now, I would not enter heaven.
I turn my life around from today.
I turn my back on the life I have lived, and I ask You:
Forgive me for the life I have lived.
I open my heart to You – come in, Lord, and let Your Holy Spirit lead me from today. Help me, Lord, that I may hear Your voice in my heart and follow You in obedience. And let me know, every time I pray, that You hear me and that You answer me when I ask anything according to Your will. Yes, Lord, let me know with full certainty”:
1 John 5:14
“This is the remarkable degree of confidence which we [as believers are entitled to] have before Him: that if we ask anything according to His will, [that is, consistent with His plan and purpose] He hears us.”
Now, seek out a congregation that accepts the whole Bible as the precious Word of our Lord. Go as soon as possible to one of their services.
Make contact with the pastor of that congregation, tell him what you have done, and ask him for further guidance.
If you have difficulty finding such a congregation, contact me, and I and my co-worker will try to help.
Greetings,
Sakkie