Matt. 6:9 You then pray in this way: Our Father who is in the heavens, Your name be sanctified; (10) Your kingdom come; Your will be done, as in heaven, so also on earth. (11) Give us today our daily bread. (12) And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. (13) And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
[Part 1 of 2] A prayer that is up to the standard must be one in which man is not praying for himself or for others, but for God. Even when we pray for sinners to be saved or for the brothers and sisters to be revived, we ought to be praying for God. In the Bible there are many examples of such prayer. For example, in Daniel chapter nine, Daniel prayed that God would hear and be gracious to Daniel and this people, not for their sake, but for "thine own sake" (v. 19). The highest meaning of prayer is that it is a means by which God may gain His authority and benefit. Apparently, you may be praying for many people, for many things, or for yourself, but you must be able to go to the root of the matter and say, "O God, all these prayers are for Your sake. Whether or not my prayers are answered is of very little significance, but Your authority and benefit in these matters are of immense importance. Therefore, although I am praying for these people, events, and matters, actually my prayer is for Your sake." May the Lord cover me with His blood and allow me to share something from my own experience. There were quite a few times when I suffered want in material things and necessities. The moment I went to pray concerning these things, I was immediately put to the test. As I knelt down before God, there was an asking within, "Are you praying for yourself, or are you praying for God's sake?" Whenever there was such an asking within, I prostrated myself before God and said to Him,"O God, if it were for myself, it would not matter if I suffered poverty and starvation even unto death, but Your authority and benefit are involved. Although I am asking for some material things from You, it is still not for my own sake, but for Your sake." (Continued tomorrow)
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible and Words of Ministry from Lessons on Prayer by Witness Lee, pp. 26-27. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. Please visit us at www.emanna.com. Send comments to: [email protected].
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