Prayer is the way we approach God. Our eagerness to draw near is a measure of how we are doing with the first Rule: Love the Lord your God with all your heart. Jesus taught on how to pray and what prayer should and should not be like.

Interestingly He gave two parameters for prayer. Do not pray like the hypocrites, and Do not pray like the pagans. Do not pray like the hypocrites for they love to pray in front of others to be seen by them. Hypocrites don’t pray to draw close to God and express love to Him, they pray for the way it makes other people see them. They long to be thought of as someone close to God, but their eyes are not on God, but on everyone else. I think there are two kinds of hypocrites. Those who don’t care about God at all but are only using the trappings of religion for the social and economic standing that it can give them. These are the “den of vipers” that Jesus rebuked. But there is another sadder kind of hypocrite. These believe that God is stern and strict, that He judges us and compares us to one another. They spend their whole lives looking at others and trying to measure up, even one up everyone else. They pray because they fear Him (and not in a “thrilling” way). They pray because they doubt His goodness, so they pray but not to draw near, but to build a defense against the judgment they expect to hear, and their eyes are on everyone else to make sure they are not the weak or slow one. It’s a herd mentality that lives by the motto that as long as I’m doing better than most the wolf will eat someone else. Don’t pray like a hypocrite!

Do not pray like the pagans. They babble on and on thinking they will be heard for their many words. Some pagans dance and sing and bring offerings to their gods to appease them so the gods will leave them alone. Some pagans dance and sing and bring offerings to their gods so that the gods will do them favors. Either way the idea is that God is a powerful spiritual version of me. He wants things and can be petty or vengeful when He doesn’t get them. He could destroy me and take everything I have away! I don’t want Him as an enemy, so I’ll negotiate. Maybe if I give Him some of what He wants, He won’t take away the rest. Or maybe it’s the world that seems so frightening. Anything could happen, and I’m just one small mortal. He’d be a good ally when I need a little extra muscle, so I’ll negotiate. I’ll flatter Him and bring Him gifts. I come to God not to love Him or draw near Him. I come to God to protect my interests, to seek from Him a way to advance or preserve my agenda. If my first offer does not get results, then I bring a bigger offering. I sweeten the deal. Maybe I just keep trying and trying the same things over and over never quite sure what He thinks of me. Don’t pray like a pagan!

When you pray, pray “like a child:”

Our Father (My Daddy!)

Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name! (You are King of everything and totally awesome!)

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (I want to be just like You, when I grow up! You’re awesome and know what’s best! )

Give us this day our daily bread (I’m hungry! What do you have for me today? Oh and what are we gonna do today?)

Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. (Daddy, something bad happened to me, and I don’t know what to do. What would you do?)

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. (Daddy, don’t go. I’m scared of the dark. Can you leave the light on? Please!?)

For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. (Thanks Dad! You’re the Coolest!)

Amen {I love you too, Little One}