the journey experience

<p><span>Sunday, May 19, </span>Pentecost 2013</p> <p>“Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?” – Corrie Ten Boom</p> <p><span><strong>How Not To Pray</strong></span></p> <p>Matthew 6:5-8</p> <p><span><strong><em>“Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites,</em></strong></span></p> <p>Don’t pray like a hypocrite</p> <p>Play-actor</p> <p>pretender</p> <p>How did the hypocrite pray?</p> <p><span><strong><em>“…they love to pray while standing in synagogues and on street corners so that people can see them.”</em></strong></span></p> <p>What was their “reward”?</p> <p><span><strong>Truly I say to you, they have their reward.</strong></span></p> <div>They were seen.</div> <p>In contrast to the hypocrites, how are we to pray?</p> <p><span><strong><em>“But whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.”</em></strong></span></p> <p><strong>one-on-One session</strong></p> <p>Don’t pray like a pagan.</p> <p><span><strong><em>“When you pray, do not babble repetitiously like the Gentiles, because they think that by their many words they will be heard.”</em></strong></span></p> <p>How do pagans pray?</p> <p><span><strong><em>“babble repetitiously”</em></strong></span></p> <p><strong><em>“Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command.  Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”</em></strong></p> <p>In contrast to the pagans, how are we to pray?</p> <p><span><strong><em>“Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”</em></strong></span></p> <p>“<strong><em>But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”</em></strong> (Philippians 4:9)</p> <p> </p> <p><span><strong><em><br /></em></strong></span></p> <p><span><strong><em><br /></em></strong></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span><strong><em><br /></em></strong></span></p> <p><span><strong><em><br /></em></strong></span></p> <p><span><br /></span></p>