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Pray To Your Father

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Prayer - Pray To Your Father - Matthew 6:6 - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Prayer – Pray To Your Father – Matthew 6:6 – Growing As Disciples

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.  Matthew 6:6 (NIV)

In Secret

Here I am Father. I have shut the door to my room. There are no distractions. I have closed myself off to all the noise and demands of the world. This time we have together has been carved out of my schedule and set aside for the sole purpose of meeting with you. At first it was a challenge to make this time to be with you a regular practice in my life, but now it’s not at all. Why is that? For a very long time I let all the loudest voices scream for my attention. What do you mean by that? Well, there were voices of duty and my “to do” lists which demanded my attention and were never completed. I foolishly thought I didn’t have time to meet with you. Somehow, I thought that at some point I would get around to meeting with you during the day. But you usually never did. That’s right. What changed for you? I’m not sure exactly. I guess I just got weary and felt very unfruitful in my life. I was getting a lot done. But, I began to wonder how important were all the things that I was getting done. I began to ask myself, “What will all these ‘accomplishments’ add up to in light of eternity? What answer came back to you? The answer was “not much” or maybe even, “next to nothing”. So, out of a sense of futility a desire grew within me to meet privately with you. Where do you think that desire came from? I know now that you gave me this desire to withdraw from the world to a time of being with you in your presence. Yes, it was me. Tell me now how this time with me all began with you. I already know, but I want others to hear your story. 

One day it occurred to me to set aside just a few minutes to meet with you to pray and read your word every day. How did that work out? It worked great. How so? I think you guided me to select a specific time and place that could become sacred for us. When and where was that? It was in my room and just before I went to bed at night. At night, that seems a little odd, doesn’t it? Not really, I knew that nothing would ever compete with this time and place so I dedicated it and myself to meeting with you then and there. What happened then? As you know, we began to meet together every night. Out of this time, my hunger and thirst for you grew like never before. I began to taste your goodness, mercy, and love. I began to understand better your will and what you wanted to do in and through my life. What was that? You wanted to change me into the person that you had planned that I would become. Have I been doing that for you? Yes, you most certainly have. You have also been showing me how you want to use me for your kingdom and glory. I now have a sense of purpose and hope that comes from you. I now know that I am bearing fruit through my life, with your help, that will last for eternity. Do you believe that the promise of secretly meeting with me has come true for you? Have I been rewarding you as you have met with me? Yes, Father, you most certainly have been rewarding me as I have met with you. Now I would not trade our time together for anything else in all of life. It is my joy to be in your presence. Just to know you and love you is reward enough.

Father, I know that you have been waiting for me to come to you in prayer. I have been busy and distracted by many things. Sorry, that I have kept you waiting. I am here now to wait and to listen to all that you have to say to me. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Matthew 6-6 – Pray To Your Father – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

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By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                                               Copying not permitted                                                               http://www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Close The Door

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Promises - Day 44 - Matthew 6:6 - Close The Door - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Promises – Day 44 – Matthew 6:6 – Close The Door – Growing As Disciples

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:6 (NIV)

Close The Door

Will you do that? Will I do what? Will you go into your room and close your door so you can pray? Will you leave worldly distractions behind so you can meet with me in prayer? Will you quiet yourself before me? Will you enter my presence? Will you draw near to me so I can draw near to you. Will you focus your heart and mind and life on me so you can hear from me? Will you listen to what I have to say to you? Will you receive my guidance and follow my instruction? Will you allow me to guard and guide your life? Will you turn all your worries into prayers to me? Will you bring all your wants and needs before me? Will you allow me to hear and answer your prayers? You have asked me a lot of questions, for which I have only one answer. What is your answer? My answer is yes, a hundred times yes, a thousand times yes. I will say yes to whatever you ask of me. That will be very good.

Why will it be important for you to set a time and place to meet with me in prayer? Why will it be a very good thing for you to enter your room and close the door so you can pray? Why will it be well worth your time to meet with me in secret? Why will you never regret the time you will spend with me in prayer? If I don’t set a time and place to meet with you in prayer it will never happen. Why is that? Life is busy. Life is distracting. Life clamors for my time and attention. A day without prayer can become a week without prayer, a week without prayer can become a month without prayer, and ultimately months turn into years and years can add up to a lifetime without prayer. That will not happen to me. Why is that? Meeting with you in prayer will be the priority of my life. That will be very good. I know you will hear and answer my prayers. I know you will mold and shape my life as I meet with you in prayer. I know I cannot remain the same as I remain in your presence. You will allow me to think your thoughts, speak your words and take your actions. You will work in and through my life as I live my life in an intimate relationship with you. Yes, I will do all these things for you as you draw near to me. That is what I will continue to do as I close the door and meet with you in prayer. That will be very good.

Heavenly Father, I will close my door to the worldly distractions of this life so I can spend time with you in prayer. I know you will hear and answer my prayers. I know you will reward me for the secret time I spend with you in prayer. It is my joy to pray to you. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Promises – Day 44 – Matthew 6-6 – Close The Door – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

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Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Close The Door

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Becoming Like Christ - Day 20 - Matthew 6:6 - Close The Door - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 20 – Matthew 6:6 – Close The Door – Growing As Disciples

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:6 (NIV)

Time To Pray

That is exactly what I will need. What’s that? I need to close the door to the world so I can open my heart in prayer to you. That will be very good. I would like to ask you a question. Go ahead, I’m listening. Why is it necessary for you to close the door to the world so you can open your heart in prayer to me? The world is a busy and noisy place. I need to separate myself from the world so I can hear from you. I need to leave the frantic pace of life so I can slow down to listen to you. I know myself. You know me. Yes, I do. Setting aside a special time and place to meet with you in prayer is essential. Why is that? If I don’t make a firm commitment to meet with you in prayer, it won’t likely happen. I am easily distracted. Minutes and hours and days race on by me. Days become weeks and weeks become months and months become years more quickly than I could imagine. I don’t want opportunities to meet with you in prayer to race on by me. There is no place I would rather be than in your presence. There is nothing I would rather do than meet with you in prayer. I have no higher desire than to live in an intimate relationship with you. So, I will close the door to the world and open my heart to you in prayer. That is very good.

Will you always need to close the door to the world so you can open your heart in prayer to me? Will that be the only time and only place in which you will pray to me? Certainly not, it is my hope and dream and desire to live my life in a constant dialogue of prayer with you. Will there be a time when I no longer need to close the door to the world so I can open my heart in prayer to you? Will I move beyond this need? Absolutely not, I will always need to withdraw from the noise and busyness of life to meet with you in prayer. This is my starting point. In our time together you will teach and train me. In our time together I will hear from you and you will hear from me. This is where living my life in a dialogue of prayer will begin and continue and never end. So, I will always close the door to meet with you in prayer. I will carry our times together in prayer out into every moment of life. That’s good. That’s true. That’s right. Yes, you will. I will hear and answer this hope and dream and desire of yours.

Heavenly Father, I will shut the door to the world so I can open up my heart in prayer to you. Help me to leave the noise and busyness of life so that I can hear clearly from you. I want to live in an intimate relationship with you as you hear and answer my prayers. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Becoming Like Christ – Day 20 – Matthew 6-6 – Close The Door – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Your Giving May Be In Secret

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - So That - Matthew 6:3-4 - Your Giving May Be In Secret - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – So That – Matthew 6:3-4 – Your Giving May Be In Secret – Growing As Disciples

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:3-4 (NIV)

I See

I see everything that you do. Nothing falls outside my notice. You don’t need to jump up and down or make a big show to secure my attention. I am watching over your life. You are my child. My hand is on you. I am guiding you to where I want you to go to do what I am asking you to do. I have a purpose and a plan for your life. Your future is in my hands. I have good works designed for you to do. How does all this sound to you? It sounds great. It will be my pleasure to do your will. I have great peace in knowing that you have designed ways for me to serve you. I want to serve you with all my heart and mind and soul and strength. I will follow you to where you lead me. I will do all that you ask of me. That is very good.

I want you to remember that you are serving me. How could I forget? I’m not sure what point you are making. All that you do for others in this life you will be doing for me. Do you know why it is important for you to hold on to that thought? No, I’m not really sure. Let me ask you a few questions. Go ahead. Has anyone ever asked too much of you? Has anyone ever asked you to give more than you wanted to give? Has anyone placed requests for your time, talent and resources that were beyond what you were willing to give? Have you ever had the overwhelming desire to be comfortable rather than inconvenienced? You know the answer to your questions. Yes, I have placed a limit on what I was willing to give. I don’t expect that you will say yes to every request that comes your way. I do expect that you will carefully consider if the request for help comes from me. Will you confer with me about every request for help that comes your way? Yes Lord, I will. Good, then you will know what I am asking you to do for me.  There is another very important point I want to make. What’s that? You are not working for applause and recognition from the world. Remember you are serving me. I will ask you to do many things quietly in ways that will go unnoticed. Don’t seek rewards and acknowledgement from the world. I will applaud all your efforts. I will see all that you have done for me. Your reward for all that you have done for me in this life will be given to you when you join me in heaven. Can you wait? I can hardly wait, but I will. It will be my pleasure to do whatever you ask of me. I will always remember that I am serving you. That will be very good. 

Heavenly Father, I don’t need to give to the needy so others can see my good deeds. I don’t need recognition from mankind. I want to serve you. That’s enough for me. Thank you, that one day you will reward me for doing what I have done in secret for you. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

So That – Matthew 6-3-4 – Your Giving May Be In Secret – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com