11.14.2011

Prayer: Motivated by fear, or quiet relationship with God? (by Anna O'Connell)

This last Saturday morning at the Free Store, we opened our discussion by reading Matthew 6:5-13.  Jesus talks to his disciples about how they should pray, pointing out the importance of making prayer a private act versus something one does in order to appear holy or close to God.

As we began talking about this message, someone mentioned that Jesus' referral to hypocrites who "love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corner to be seen" reminded him of a man he saw standing in front of a Chik-fil-A.  The man had a speaker system and was preaching to passers-by that they should repent.  We all agreed that this kind of tactic is annoying and bothersome, and ultimately repels people instead of inviting them to have a relationship with God.

The conversation continued when someone else pointed out that often times people repent out of fear and miss the idea that turning to God is about a daily relationship with Him.  Someone in the group pointed out that God is loving and caring, and not the vengeful figure portrayed by fire and brimstone preachers.  Someone else pointed out that sometimes, unfortunately, fear can be a strong motivator.  But fear is what keeps us from having a personal relationship with God.

Another friend then pointed out that sometimes fear can actually be more of a healthy respect for authority.  We respect that God controls everything, and because Jesus was sacrificed for our sins we no longer have to be afraid of God's wrath.  We can experience God's love for us on a daily basis, and one of the ways we can continue to develop our relationship with Him is to pray, quietly and sometimes privately.

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