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The Power of a Devotional Prayer Life
Matthew 6:5-8 (TPT) says, “5 Whenever you pray, be sincere and not like the pretenders who love the attention they receive while praying before others in the meetings and on street corners. Believe me, they’ve already received in full their reward. 6 But whenever you pray, go into your innermost chamber and be alone with Father God, praying to him in secret. And your Father, who sees all you do, will reward you openly. 7 When you pray, there is no need to repeat empty phrases, praying like those who don’t know God, for they expect God to hear them because of their many words. 8 There is no need to imitate them, since your Father already knows what you need before you ask him.”
Matthew 6:5-8 (KJV) says, “5And 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. 6But 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. 7But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.”
The Pharisees, or better yet “the pretenders” or “masked men”, did not have a devotional prayer life. They prayed in public to be seen or heard, but they did not pray in secret, and when they did, it was out of a place of insecurity, ambition and competition (Luke 18:11). They covet men’s applause, but when faced with adversity, they did not know how to pray. They pray to an absent God rather than “Abba”. They repeat traditional phrases and use the same words over and over again when they pray, never expressing their true heart to God. They influence other people to mimic their words and pour out their wish list of wants and needs. God already knows what you need, and so why spent your entire prayer life focused on them? Our prayers should not be church driven, but kingdom driven! This is how Jesus taught is disciples to pray, and it is the secret, devotional prayer life that hears from God and launches you into obedience and carrying His kingdom!
If you have been with Jesus all week, then you do not have to pray to be “anointed”. You have been with the Messiah, or “The Anointed One”. You only have to pray to be anointed if you want God to excuse you of your prayerlessness! You can’t be anointed and wear a mask. A devotional prayer life is not fixated on praying about all the needs others and you have. It is about taking the time to be in silence and listen to the voice of God. It is about reading the Word so God can speak to you from it and then meditate on it in giving the Holy Spirit the opportunity to minister to you from it. It is not to help you prepare another sermon or make a spiritual Facebook post, but to grow spiritually before God on a personal level. Then, when those intense moments come, you will be more prepared for them.
When we become addicted to religion, our devotions bow down at altar before a God who cannot be known (Acts 17:22-23). It is how the Pharisees shut up the kingdom of God, so that no one could enter in, including themselves (Matthew 23:13). When we try to go through man’s ideas, philosophies, knowledge and pride to get to God, we will never have access! It is time we abide in a relationship by being devoted to the presence and will of the Father where nothing else matters!
How impactful is a devotional life before? Noah’s devotional life won the attention of God that it spared his family from judgement while encouraging him to still preach repentance and righteousness to the people of his day. Moses’ devotional life of fasting and prayer positioned him to hear from God in giving commandments concerning Israel in being separate from the world while being illuminated with the presence of the LORD and led by His Spirit. David’s devotional life allowed him to be faithful to God in the shepherd’s field when facing the lion and bear, preparing him for Goliath and kingship over Israel. Daniel’s devotional life paved the way for God to bring him through the lion’s den and reshape an entire empire’s governmental system. Paul’s devotional life caused the prison doors to be shaken and his chains to fall off, along with the other soldiers in the other cells. These are just a few examples, but you don’t have to crave for the signs, wonders and miracles when you maintain a consistent, persistent and continual prayer life before God because He is with you and already at work!