Have you ever prayed this prayer: “Dear God, if you will just get me out of this mess, I will never do this again”? I think we probably all have prayed this at some time in our lives.
When we pray this prayer, we are very sincere. We need God in a very powerful way. We will promise anything. But we must beware!
“Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few…….When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it…..It is better not to vow, than to make a vow and not fulfill it……..” Ecclesiastes 5:2, 4 5.
This simply means that God expects sincerity in our promises. He expects us to have an open and honest relationship with Him, to go to Him with our needs and our fears. But this relationship should always be a truthful one that will give back to God what He desires.
In Matthew 6 Jesus teaches His followers how to pray; He follows this pattern:
“Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name..
We must first of all recognize that God is in heaven and He is Holy. The He encourages us to ask of Him:
“Give us this day our daily bread…..”
He wants to give to us, to always be there for us (“...for I will never leave you or forsake you….” Deuteronomy 31:6) but more than that, He wants us to faithfully honor Him by making sure our promises are sincere. As we give back, He gives more.
Have a blessed day!
In Christian love,
Diane