"And now about prayer. When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I assure you, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father secretly. Then your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you.

Matthew 6:5-6 (NLT)

So the first lesson here about prayer is about the priorities of the one praying. It is not the praying in public that Jesus says is faulty, it is the selfish priority of the hypocrites who search for acceptance and praise from others instead of truly seeking approval from Him. This also says that the more approval we seek to recieve from others, the less we recieve from Him. Only in seeking time with Him in prayer can we be rewarded for our prayers.

And how are we rewarded? The closer we get to Jesus, the more we see His glory, the more He becomes the focus of our lives, the greater the peace and happiness we will experience in our lives. The more we focus on Him and what He thinks, the less we focus on ourselves and the lighter our problems become. We are also rewarded by the positive effects this has on our relationship with God.

So why is this important and how does it positively affect our relationship with God? Well, I spoke before on the importance of two way communication with God; this is our end of it. Communication is the ultimate and only way to extend and deepen a relationship; and as shown here the more private and honest that communication the better. That is why Jesus says to "shut the door behind you" and "secretly" pray. It is only in personal and private communication without the distractions of others and their opinions that truly unfettered communication exists.

"When you pray, don't babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered only by repeating their words again and again. Don't be like them, because your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!"

Matthew 6:7-8 (NLT)

Sometimes we forget the importance of our words. We go for quantity instead of quality. Better two words that honestly and openly express something than a thousand words whose only point is a selfish attempt at vanity. It is better to say what you mean than fill your speech with vain and pointless words that distort and confuse.

This scripture to me is powerful because it shows again the intent and focus of the one praying. Not only does it speak about vain and pointless ramblings in regards to God, but says that our focus shouldn't be on ourselves! He says He knows what we need, therefore we need not spend our entire praying time telling Him what we want and think we need, but to focus on the point of prayer! God!

So don't pray for what you want, pray for what you need. And what is that? A deeper and closer relationship with Him, a deeper understanding and knowledge of Him, a greater desire for His will, and His direction. Our focus should not be on what we think we need, because He knows what we need and our view of such is often distorted by selfishness and pride.

"One day Jesus told his disciples a story to illustrate their need for constant prayer and to show them that they must never give up. "There was a judge in a certain city," he said, "who was a godless man with great contempt for everyone. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, appealing for justice against someone who had harmed her. The judge ignored her for a while, but eventually she wore him out. `I fear neither God nor man,' he said to himself, `but this woman is driving me crazy. I'm going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!' " Then the Lord said, "Learn a lesson from this evil judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end, so don't you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who plead with him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when I, the Son of Man, return, how many will I find who have faith?"

Luke 18:1-8 (NLT)

The point of this parable was expressed in the first verse. To show our need for constant prayer and to never give up. So, as it says, the point is to show that we must never cease to pray! We must never lose faith in the justice of God and His desire to bless us and give us that which we need, not just that which we want. Often times what we think we need is not what we truly need and the circumstance we ask deliverance from is one we need not be delivered from, but one from which we need to LEARN and grow. If there is something we need, we need to continually pray to God for it and He is faithful to answer. Not because He is irritated as the evil judge and finally gives in, but because of His love and His just character.

The 4 key words for the difference there is "so don't you think." I think the more accurate way to state was He was saying there is "if this evil judge eventually gave the woman justice, don't you think God, as a just and loving God, would give YOU justice."

A lot of people seem to misintepret this scripture to mean "whatever you ask God for enough times He will eventually give it to you or deliver you from it." But I don't think that is what it is saying at all. I think this is so because of what was sought by the widow; justice. Not personal pleasure, satisfaction, property, or esteem. The focus of the widow was making things right. The point is to look at the FOCUS of our prayers. Do we have the right focus, or are we drifting in the sea of selfishness? Only when our focus is where it should be will our continual prayers avail.

(Remember that the "prayers of A RIGHTEOUS man availeth much")

There is one key ingredient of prayer. There is one phrase that I believe every prayer, every thought, every desire in our heart should contain. The way we live our life I believe should be based entirely upon this one phrase.

"Yet I want your will, not mine."

Matthew 26:39b (NLT)

Jesus was suffering greater than any human being possesses the ability to understand or grasp. No whip had yet hit his back, no crown crushed on His head, and no nail had pierced His skin; yet He knew and grasped the entire realization of what was going to happen! He knew every pain that would touch His body, every curse that was going to be shouted at Him, and every tear that would be shed. This, I believe, was His greatest moment of suffering. For the dread of His horrifying appointment was approaching and every sense in His body and spirit cried out to be spared from it! The Bible says His sweat was drops of blood He was so distraught! Yet, here, in the midst of this, He says the one phrase that stops everything. That says I am willing to suffer anything, go anywhere, if it is God's will.

This, my friends, is the one phrase that is sadly missing in our society today. We would all, it seems, rather "sacrifice" than obey. We are not willing, it seems, to be ready to sacrifice in obedience. We have not let go of everything our heart desires, even our heart wrenching cries of agony and despair, and submitting to Him plainly and clearly as in these few words that Jesus said.

The point of prayer is to tell God what you think, feel, hear, see, know, want, desire; to open your soul before God. Then put your life on His altar and say "here I am." Share with Him, and then submit to Him. But if there is no submission, there is no true opening of the soul to experience the depth of a life-giving, affirming relationship with Jesus Christ.