Meditating and praying the Scriptures is important because when left to ourselves, we just will pray what is in our minds, our desires, and our concerns and wants. We just tell God our wish list and treat Him like a genie in a bottle or a vending machine. But when we learn to pray His Word, and specifically the very prayers that His Word give us, our prayers become more tethered to reality and the bigger picture of God’s will and work in our lives. Jesus doesn’t leave us in the dark on how to pray well. And not only does He tells us how to pray, but even how not to pray. Learning to pray the Lord’s Prayer does not mean just memorizing it and reciting it as if it is a magic spell or lucky charm. Rather, it gives us guidance on how to shape our very personal prayers so that we can marry our hearts with His heart. The Psalms were even specifically given to God’s people to be their prayer book and their hymnal. These prayers were designed to be sung by God’s people as a means for them to express their own hearts and concerns in a unified way.

Scripture References: Matthew 6:5-13

From Series: Being Built Up | More Messages from Jobey McGinty

From Series: "Being Built Up"

Uniting Our Hearts With God's - Notes

Meditating and praying the Scriptures is important because when left to ourselves, we just will pray what is in our minds, our desires, and our concerns and wants. We just tell God our wish list and treat Him like a genie in a bottle or a vending machine. But when we learn to pray His Word, and specifically the very prayers that His Word give us, our prayers become more tethered to reality and the bigger picture of God’s will and work in our lives. Jesus doesn’t leave us in the dark on how to pray well. And not only does He tells us how to pray, but even how not to pray. Learning to pray the Lord’s Prayer does not mean just memorizing it and reciting it as if it is a magic spell or lucky charm. Rather, it gives us guidance on how to shape our very personal prayers so that we can marry our hearts with His heart. The Psalms were even specifically given to God’s people to be their prayer book and their hymnal. These prayers were designed to be sung by God’s people as a means for them to express their own hearts and concerns in a unified way.

Scripture References: Matthew 6:5-13

From Series: Being Built Up | More Messages from Jobey McGinty

Uniting Our Hearts With God's - Notes