Matthew 6:1 – “Examine your motives…”

Today, the Lord challenged me with challenging thoughts, and out of that, some powerful encouragement arose in my heart and mind. What was the challenge and encouragement?

Motives are possibly more important to God than acts—the why more than the what catches His eye.   In the matter of prayer, Jesus brought to light the reality and need to be simple, concise, and real.

Recently, I heard the LORD say, “Just talk to me. Don’t beg Me and try to manipulate Me. Just talk to Me.”  In Matthew 6, Jesus instructed us on the pathway to effective prayer. Some think that if they repeat a prayer, phrase, or declaration enough times, it influences God. Not according to Matthew 6.

Jesus said, “Follow this example of prayer…”

• Acknowledge God and His sovereignty.
• Make God the center or foundation out of which all we think and do streams.
• Invite God’s presence into our lives and situations.
• Embrace His purposes in our lives and open our hearts to His kingdom realm and authority.
• Acknowledge with Thanksgiving and Gratitude His provisions daily.
• Forgiveness – from Him to us and from us to others.   EVERYTHING!
• Release others from the chains of our judgment and release our judgments to God.
• Ask for and expect God’s deliverance in EVERY TRIAL, TEST, or TROUBLE.
• Recognize and verbalize God’s Lordship and power.  Bask in the reality of who He is.

Then, to remind us of the key element in effective prayer, He adds vv. 14-15 – “And when you pray, make sure you FORGIVE the faults of others SO THAT your Heavenly Father in heaven will also forgive you. 15 But if you withhold forgiveness from others, your Father withholds forgiveness from you.”

• What do we want most? 
• What is most valuable to us? 

Is it God and His purposes or our desires and preferences? This will reveal the motive of our prayers and our actions.

Matthew 6:22 is revelatory, “The eyes of your spirit allow revelation-light to enter your being.  If your heart is unclouded, the light floods in!”

What clouds the heart?   Anything that is elevated above or detracts from God and His purposes.  

The Golden Rule of Matthew 7:12-14 is critical in achieving peace, purpose, and power in God.

Matthew 6:12 – What we call the Golden Rule is not a stand-alone verse or truth.  It is connected to verses 13-14: “Enter through the narrow gate (treating others the way we want to be treated and following the precepts of God’s Word).  The wide gate to destruction is (living selfishly and mistreating others).” It says, “…nearly everyone chooses the crowded road (the road of self).  The narrow gate and difficult way (treating others the way we want to be treated and forgiving) the road that leads to life – so few find it.”

The way, the truth, and the life are ours, as is the promise that effective prayer moves mountains.   We have been called to be citizens of the kingdom and empowered to demonstrate it in this world.  

May the Spirit of the LORD guide you into the pathway of effective prayer and overwhelming victory in Jesus!