2020-04-27
Matthew 6:5 MSG
God loves it when we come to Him in prayer. It’s an opportunity for us to share our concerns, listen to His voice, and connect with Him on a deeper level. But sometimes we pray for all the wrong reasons. Let’s take a look at some: 1) Misdirected prayers. If we’re annoyed at someone we can communicate our frustrations through our prayers. We might pray out loud about the person who has annoyed us, in the hope that they realise just how much they’ve hurt or upset us. 2) Performance prayers. We can find ourselves praying in order to show other people how holy we are. We reel off long, wordy prayers which make us look and feel superior to others. But the Bible says: ‘When you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production.’ 3) Judgmental prayers. In these prayers we judge others and think that we know better than God. Maybe someone’s prayer hasn’t be answered, and we ask God to change the person because we think they’re the problem. This is us judging others and trying to figure things out on God’s behalf. 4) Faithless prayers. Sometimes we can be tempted to think that we need to pray with a big group of people if we want God to answer us. But with God, what matters is the faith we have when we pray, not the number of people. So how can we pray the right way? Matthew 6 gives us some insights: ‘When you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private’ (v.6 NLT). We need to be coming to God with humility and expectancy. And we need to make sure we’re coming to God with the right motive – to spend time with Him.
Dan 11-12; Mark 4:26-41; Ps 144:9-15; Prov 10:22-23
Psalm 35:13 NLV
Misplaaste gebede. Sommige mense maak die gebed voor ete ‘n geleentheid om hulle frustrasies in die publiek te lug. Ander mense bons hulle gebede van God af in die hoop dat dit die persoon oorkant die tafel sal tref – die een wat hulle vir Christus probeer wen. Moenie dit doen nie. Jesus het gesê: ‘Wanneer julle bid, dan moet julle nie soos die skynheilige mense bid nie… Hulle doen dit sodat die mense hulle kan sien…’ (Matteus 6:5 ABA). Veroordelende gebede. In een kerk het ‘n kinderlose egpaar vir ‘n baba gebid. Die gebedsgroep het sommer besluit dat die man nie ‘goddelik’ genoeg was om ‘n pa te wees nie, dus het hulle gebid dat God hom moet verander. As God net aan perfekte ouers kinders gegee het, sou die mensdom uitgesterf het! Die Bybel sê: ‘…Ons vra dit nie omdat ons regverdig is nie, maar ons smeek U omdat U barmhartig is’ (Daniël 9:18 NLV). Kworum-gebaseerde gebede. Jy dink daar is ‘n beter kans dat jou gebede beantwoord word wanneer jy ‘n klomp mense betrek, soos om ‘n kworum in ‘n vergadering te hê. Die geloof waarmee jy bid, nie die aantal mense nie, is egter wat vir God saak maak. Jesus het gesê: ‘…Al wat nodig is, is dat julle regtig sal glo en nie in julle harte twyfel nie’ (Markus 11:23 NLV). Wanneer jy egter voor ‘n situasie te staan kom wat te groot is om alleen te hanteer, is dit wys om na iemand wat God waarlik ken en wat in ooreenstemming met jou kan bid, uit te reik. ‘…As twee van julle hier op aarde sou saamstem oor enigiets wat julle van God behoort te vra, sal my hemelse Vader dit vir julle doen’ (Matteus 18:19 NLV). Het jy gebedsvennote na wie jy kan uitreik? Is jy ‘n gebedsvennoot vir iemand anders?
Sielskos: Dan 11-12; Mark 4:26-41; Ps 144:9-15; Spr 10:22-23
2020-04-26
Mark 11:25 NIV
When someone hurts us, our natural response is to either hurt them back or hope they will suffer for what they have done to us. Yet as redeemed children of God, we know this is the wrong response. That is when we discover forgiving someone doesn’t come naturally or easily; it requires supernatural grace on our part. And where do we get that? Through prayer! Jesus said, “When you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” Recalling God’s grace toward you leaves you no choice but to extend that same grace toward someone who hurts you. Someone once said, “Forgiveness is a decision to set a prisoner free, and then discovering that the prisoner is you.” So if you have a desire to forgive someone, get excited; the Holy Spirit has already done half the job. To complete the other half, humble yourself and pray: “Father, I turn from every desire I have to avenge this wrong. You saw the situation before it happened, and in Your infinite wisdom You allowed it to be so. Your Word says that “all things work together for [my] good” (Romans 8:28), so from this moment on, with the help of Your Holy Spirit, I forgive them. I will not dwell on the situation but will declare Your Word instead.” That’s called “a prayer of release.” And you’re not just releasing your offender; you’re releasing and repositioning yourself to walk in God’s blessing. That’s why you must forgive them!
Soul food: Matt 5:8; Ps 24:3-6; 2 Pet 3:3-14; Ps 51:10
Mark 11:25 NIV
When someone hurts us, our natural response is to either hurt them back or hope they will suffer for what they’ve done. But as children of God who have been forgiven and saved, we know this is the wrong response. Forgiving someone doesn’t come naturally or easily; it requires supernatural grace on our part. And we get that through prayer. Jesus said, ‘When you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.’ When we remember how God has shown grace toward us, we realise that we need to show that same grace to those who have hurt us. Sometimes we can feel that we have a right to hold on to unforgiveness, or that if we forgive people we’re letting them get away with what they did to us. But actually if we don’t forgive people, we’re keeping ourselves tied to the hurt and the person who caused it. Bitterness and unforgiveness actually hurt us more in the long run. And the people who have hurt us will be judged by God. He calls us to forgive people, just as He has forgiven us. Jesus told a story about a servant who couldn’t pay his debt. He begged his master to take the debt away, and he did. But then someone owed that servant money, and he refused to take their debt away (you can read this story in Matthew 18). The servant had been shown kindness and grace, but refused to show the same kindness and grace to the person who owed him money. And the same is true when we don’t forgive people. So, before we go to God, let’s make sure we’ve shown the same grace to those who have hurt us as He’s shown to us.
Matt 5:8; Ps 24:3-6; 2 Pet 3:3-14; Ps 51:10
Markus 11:25 NLV
Wanneer iemand ons seermaak, is ons natuurlike reaksie om hulle óf terug seer te maak, óf om te hoop dat hulle sal ly vir dit wat hulle ons aangedoen het. As verloste kinders van God is dit egter die verkeerde reaksie. Dis dan wanneer ons besef dat vergifnis nie maklik of natuurlik kom nie; dit verg bonatuurlike genade van ons kant af. Waar kry ons dit? Deur gebed! Jesus het gesê: ‘Maar wanneer julle besig is om te bid, vergewe eers enigeen teenoor wie julle ‘n grief het. Dan sal julle hemelse Vader ook julle oortredings vergewe.’ Wanneer jy God se genade teenoor jou onthou, het jy geen keuse as om dieselfde genade aan die persoon wat jou seergemaak het, te bewys nie. Iemand het een keer gesê: ‘Vergifnis is ‘n besluit om ‘n gevangene vry te laat en dan agter te kom dat die gevangene jy is.’ As jy dus die begeerte het om iemand te vergewe, raak opgewonde; die Heilige Gees het alreeds die helfte van die werk gedoen. Om die ander helfte te doen, moet jy nederig word en bid: ‘Vader, ek staan elke begeerte wat ek het om wraak te neem, teë. U het die situasie gesien voor dit gebeur het en in u oneindige wysheid het U toegelaat dat dit gebeur. U Woord sê dat U ‘…alles ten goede laat saamwerk vir hulle wat [U] liefhet…’ (Romeine 8:28 NLV), dus, met die hulp van die Heilige Gees, vergewe ek hulle van hierdie oomblik af vorentoe. Ek sal nie oor die situasie tob nie, maar eerder u Woord daaroor spreek.’ Dit word ‘n ‘gebed van bevryding’ genoem. Jy bevry nie net jou oortreder nie; jy bevry en herposisioneer ook jouself om in God se seën te stap. Dis hoekom jy hulle moet vergewe!
Sielskos: Matt 5:8; Ps 24:3-6; 2 Pet 3:3-14; Ps 51:10
