Secret Doing and Prayer that Pleases God (Mt 6:1-18)
Only what's done in "secret(hidden / inner part of a person" will be rewarded
Do in secret --> means we care more about God than men (it's ok that people don't understand and value us, God understands us) --> you find your reward from God!
- When you care less about people's opinion but care more about what God thinks about you, we will be less vulnerable to insinuation (Satan's attack)
- Human honour - that's all you get (no further reward) --> risk of hypocrisy arises, defeat the purpose of why we do things to begin with (we wanted to pray to listen to God, honour God but in the end we pray to impress --> but it will become not noble in the end because we are seeking for personally glory) --> disgusting in the eyes of the Father
- Don't feel punished or afraid when you realize you are here --> if you come before God uprightly, He will help you
Act with God in view, receive from Him. Rewards may come from the form of
- Fruit of HS
- Little things (if we are faithful in little things that people cannot see, God will use us greatly for His ministry)
How to pray?
You love the truth, but loving the truth leads you to prayer?
Promise --> pray --> to do God's will = preach gospel to the ends of the world
- Then you will taste the power of God. If you believe in the word, the word itself gives you power
- How not to pray?
- Self-centered
- Habitual
- One way
- Problem-centered prayer (crisis prayer)
- Outcome-centered prayer --> want a change! (But you should ask, after prayer, are you more drawn to God, your heart changes, you are more humble)
- Feeling-based prayer
- Prayers that work - start from putting down own presumptions
- Sometimes we analyse a lot of things and think this is the best option forward --> little did we realize that those are still presumptive!
- Pray with contents that Jesus taught
- Relationship with father - that makes you can talk to him about anything and everything without fear
- God-centered: this declares that God's truth outweighs everything (my bitterness, situations, emotions etc) | mission-directed (or you may miss out new convictions God is giving you in your current situations)
- Pray for daily needs
- Repent - sin impairs our relationship with God, sin draws our attention and assurance from God, drains our spiritual power
- Against dark forces
You cannot learn prayers, because prayers is about needing
- You realize FODs coming in and out of life, how vulnerable we are
- Prayer is not a bunch of words but a state of seeking God in all things (constantly seeking conviction)
- Goal of prayer = not problem-solving or removal of bad feelings, but be Holy Spirit-filled (I can see God's perfect will, I can transcend )
- Only when we are praying rightly that we will start to receive power to like holiness, and able to see self living in grace no matter what conditions in
- Prayer is the how, the God-given method
How to affirm prayer answers
How you know you have prayed correctly and you've been affirmed through prayers?
- Spiritual state will be in line with God's truth (transcending peace, no fear of condemnation, heart of repentance; restore the great vision and mission of God despite humble conditions: received a heart of being loved by God despite low moments, rough times and hurts; watchful spirit though in a smooth sailing state, burning heart to pray for lost souls)
- Translate into action - eg loving god and man (evangelism) ; fighting mode
- God's power will follow you
Sometimes it feels so hard to pray. But HS is really our helper, always prompting us where the problem is and give us the pressing spirit to face God, even when we don't feel like praying .
Prayer is a state of seeking God.