Today, we continue our study into the three Kingdom principles Jesus emphasized on in Matthew chapter 6. You can look up my previous posts to get a hang on the ones you have missed.
We would wrap up with the teaching on prayer today.
Last time, we looked at what Jesus meant when He told us to pray in our closet.
Today, we will look at two more areas; let's delve in straight away.
b. Use not vain repetitions (Matthew 6:7-8)
Reading further down Matthew 6, we see Jesus pick on another culprit and cast him into the dungeon.
He says:
“But when you pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.”
C’mon Jesus, why are you tearing down all these things?
“Because I’ve come with a whole new life – a life that is full and good. And I’m showing how it is lived out,” we hear Him reply (John 10:10).
So Jesus says that we should not use vain repetitions.
Does this mean we should not repeat words when we pray?
Or we ought not to pray a request over and over again?
Listen again as I repeat this for the umpteen time:
Jesus was dealing with the intent of the heart here.
He said we should not use vain repetitions like the heathen do, WHO THINK THAT THEY WILL BE HEARD FOR THEIR MANY WORDS.
In vain repetition therefore, one is banking on the amount of words he has spoken for answer.
You had be like, “No! I do not think I have said enough for this issue to be tackled. Let me say more.”
You depend on the length of words for answer to your prayer.
For instance, when you are faced with that sick person, vain repetition has crept in once you start feeling that you have not said enough for healing to take place (that you need to say more).
At that point you are depending on the amount of words for answer, and that is vain repetition.
Vain repetition however has a big wall separating it from persevering in prayer.
Vain repetition is a thing of the lips while perseverance is of the heart.
Perseverance is when you are holding steadfastly onto God.
Here, it is not vain repetition even if you repeat the same word a thousand times, or if you keep praying a request for a long time.
Why?
This is because your heart is focusing on God… on the Cross, and not depending on the amount of words for answer.
Then Jesus goes further to tell us why we don’t need vain repetitions.
He says:
“Be not ye therefore like unto them: FOR YOUR FATHER KNOWETH WHAT THINGS YE HAVE NEED OF, BEFORE YE ASK HIM.” (Matthew 6:8)
So in prayer, you are not coming to keep saying it till God finally gives in to your petition; He has been waiting for you since! So you don’t keep saying it so that God can turn around (change His mind) and answer you.
In prayer, you are simply coming to agree with what God is already saying so that it can be made manifest on earth. So you keep saying it till you see the manifestation of that which is in the heavenly places on the earthly places.
Praise God!
c. Pray forgive us our sins (Matthew 6:12)
Before you continue, please help me read 2 Timothy 1:9-10 and John 1:14.
From the two Scriptures you read, we see that grace has been available in Christ Jesus from ‘before the world began.’ And when He appeared on earth, He was full of grace.
So we understand that everything Jesus said and everything He did (while He walked the surface of this earth) sprang from grace.
Why?
Because it is what you are made of inside that will be expressed outside… for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.
So Jesus was full of grace and therefore could only have acted out grace.
So when people tell you that the New Testament started from the epistles (after the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ), and that therefore Jesus lived and taught as one under the ‘law’; just give them side-eye and say, “Lie lie.”
Okay.
True, we only had access into the new life (the New Testament… the testament of grace) after the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ; but the life of Jesus Christ on earth was one lived in the New Testament… a life of grace.
Therefore ALL His teachings, livings and works were born out of the grace that He was full of.
So when Jesus Christ tells us to pray to our Father for forgiveness (Matthew 6:12), and then some folks arise over 2000 years later and tell you that Jesus was teaching the law here… that praying for forgiveness is not part of the new creation realities; just smile and tell them, “I know better… and by the way, I think you’re really running a reality TV show, not teaching new creation realities.”
If you sin, pray to God for forgiveness… He will forgive and forget.
Jesus was not teaching the law here!
The summary is this:
Christ came down to the earth with a Life (the eternal Life… the Life of God… the Life of Grace), He lived that Life while He was on earth, and then made that Life available for us to be partakers of after His death, burial, resurrection and ascension.
Praise God!
See you next time, as we delve into some thoughts on fasting.