PRAYER IS BEST ACCOMPLISHED WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING

Prayer- secret, fervent, believing prayer- lies at the root of all personal godliness. --Carey's Brotherhood

            And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Matthew 6:5-7

       Many times when we are called on to pray during a church service we are not praying so the Lord can hear us, we are praying so others can hear us. I believe many of the times during a service when someone opens their mouths to pray…it’s as if God puts His fingers in His ears because instead of wanting to be heard of by God, the person praying wants to be heard of by man! Do you say something because you have something to say or do you say something just to be heard?

            Child of God, we have plenty to pray about! Do we pray when we ought to? Do we waste our time talking about things that mean nothing in life? Do we speak because we have something to say or do we speak because we want to say something?

PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME!

Why should we go reeling and staggering under the burdens and cares of life when we have such prospects before us?  If there is nothing but glory beyond, our faces ought to shine brightly all the time. - D.L. Moody

So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows. Psalm 61:8

There isn’t anything in this world I love to hear more than God’s Children praising His name! So often we get wrapped up in asking God for this or that, which He is gladly ready to listen. But how often do we come to the Lord not asking for anything but only to praise Him for what He has already done? Many times we just come to Him in order to ask for His help.

Why not, on this Monday morning, try something new. Let us praise the Lord each day this week for something He has already done, asking Him for nothing new. I wonder if that would change our view on the Lord, His work, His ways, and His Word…

WHAT ARE YOU SINGING ABOUT?

Our singing should be such that God hears it with pleasure-singing in which there is not so much art as heart, not so much of musical sound as of spiritual emotion. –Spurgeon

I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search. Psalm 77:6

One thing that will divide a church quicker than anything other is this topic of music in the church. I believe music has a vital purpose in a service. Its purpose is to prepare the heart for the message God has laid on His servant’s heart; nothing more and nothing less.

If the music over powers the message…we have missed the boat. We should be singing about His grace, His mercy, His love, etc. Our singing should magnify the majesty of the Lord Jesus Christ! If we don’t then we are not singing to Him!