Running On Empty

By Dean Hughes, Senior Pastor, Eastside Baptist Church, Topeka, KS

Read Matthew 6:8-15.

Feeling drained?  Demotivated?  Discouraged?  Jesus offers us true joy, meaning, and purpose for our lives that we could never discover on our own. A vital key to discovering (or rediscovering) the joyful, abundant life He promised is through meaningful, authentic prayer.

Jesus desires and even expects His followers to pray.  As Jesus revealed His model for prayer in Matthew 6, He said, “and when you pray.”  Prayer is most effective and meaningful when we focus first on the Lord and His plan for our lives.  It is incredible to ponder the fact that the Creator of the universe cares for us enough to listen to us as we pour out our hearts to Him. 

Prayer is most effective and meaningful when we focus first on the Lord and His plan for our lives.  Click To Tweet

As we examine His model more closely, we see that the Lord is interested in our daily needs (“give us this day our daily bread”), as well as our spiritual needs (“forgive us our debts…deliver us from the evil one”).  He also reminds us of the necessity of having an attitude of forgiveness towards others, just as He forgives us.  It is impossible to develop a close, intimate relationship with the Lord without having this heart of forgiveness. 

This model for prayer is demonstrated by the acronym “PRAY”- Praise God, Repent of sin, Ask God to meet needs, and Yield to His will.  Consistency in prayer is essential because of the challenges and opportunities each day brings.

Have you ever let your gas tank run low and thought, “I’ll be okay,” but then later ran out of fuel?  I’ve had that happen more than once. How foolish to think I could make it to my destination without fuel in the tank. Likewise, we must develop the habit of prayer to give us the spiritual fuel, motivation, and guidance for each day to continue the pursuit of the abundant life that Jesus promised.

Determine today to be intentional in setting aside regular time for prayer, following Jesus’ model.  Prayer is, and Jesus is, absolutely worth the pursuit!

Reflective Questions

1. What are some of the barriers that keep you from developing a consistent prayer life?
2. When you pray, do you find yourself focusing more on yourself or more on the Lord?
3. Would following a model (such as the acronym PRAY) help you to stay on track for more meaningful, authentic prayer?

Memory Verse

In this manner, therefore, pray: our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Matthew 6:9 (NKJV)

Prayer

Dear God, holy is Your name. I surrender to Your will today. Please provide my daily needs. Please forgive me of my sins and give me the strength to forgive others when they sin against me. Lead me not into temptation and give me strength to endure when I am tempted. May You be glorified in my life. 

Related Scriptures

Luke 11:1-4; Revelation 4:11; Proverbs 30:8; Ephesians 4:32; I Corinthians 10:13; Matthew 26:41; Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13