“And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” Matthew 6:7-8.

Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:

Since the teaching of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount addresses the thoughts and motives of the heart, these teachings go to the “heart of the matter,” it is only right that Jesus addresses the subject of prayer and your relationship with Me. For eternal life is this: to know Me the one true God and the One whom I sent, Jesus Christ. John 17:3. He came to give you again a deep relationship with Me with no division between us caused by sin. He removed the sin and reconciled us as one. So that there is no death, only the continuum of eternal life. Absent from the body you awaken in My presence. Present with Me in fullness of joy and the delights at My right hand forever.

“But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.” Hebrews 2:9.

And so on the mountainside that day when He taught His disciples, He began talking about prayer. He opened by telling them not to act like the hypocrites that love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Matthew 6:6. This is not a personal relationship with Me but praying to yourself to glorify your holiness the way the Pharisee did in the parable My Son taught later about the Pharisee and the tax collector. But He counseled that you instead go into the inner sanctuary of your heart, the secret place, close your door to worldly distractions, and pray to Me, your Father, who is in the secret place of the heart, and I would reward you. Sanctify Me in your heart and keep up constant communication in unceasing prayer.

I talked with Abraham like a friend and I told him in one of our conversations together, “Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; your very great reward.” Genesis 14:1.

And Jesus went on to tell you how to pray in that secret place of your heart. “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” Matthew 6:7-8. And then He went out to give you a perfect model for the elements of prayer, the prayer you call by its first two words which tell you so much about what prayer is, “Our Father.”

Prayer is putting your attention and focus on Me and off yourself. Prayer is talking with Me and listening to Me as I talk with and listen to you. It is not talking to and listening to yourself while you exclude Me from joining in the dialogue of what is supposed to be your prayer time.

Many people treat prayer as a monologue and not a dialogue. They either read prayers to Me, recite memorized prayers, or pour out their hearts to Me telling Me what they want, say “Amen,” while taking off about their day hoping I heard and answered. People even say to others, “I threw up a prayer.” They are hoping I caught it. But they have no confidence that I will hear and answer.

This is not a prayer of faith but of doubt. And I tell you that the prayer of a double minded person gains nothing.

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:5-8.

People often tell those who have told them their troubles, “I prayed for you.” If they did not get an answer about you or for you, they stopped too soon. And it is better to join with the person in prayer together in My Name rather then going off and maybe forgetting to pray until you see they are phoning you.

I tell you to cast all your cares on Me because I care for you but you do that because you know and believe I will take care of it for and with you. Prayer is faith. To pray you must believe that I exist, that I hear you, and that I reward those who seek Me. You must know and believe in the love I have for you to pray the prayer of faith that heals the sick and raises the dead. To pray in a way that gets results you must pray with faith. Why? “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6.

What is faith? I define that for you in My Word, “Now faith is the assurance of (title deed to) things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1. First, faith is NOW, not something far off in the future that may happen, but now. Second, it comes by hearing and hearing My Word so that you become firmly persuaded that you already possess what I promise you, such as healing, provision, and solutions to problems. This is like having a title deed by an inheritance to a piece of property. It is already yours; you only need to receive and take possession of it. And if someone else has taken control of it, you must enforce your rights to have it returned to you as its legal owner. And that is hope, a confident expectation of possession. And it is evidence of the reality of what you do not see yet but is already given to you in Christ Jesus your Lord so you know, like faithful Abraham, that no matter what your body or the circumstances look like that promise will come to pass. That I promised it is evidence enough for you that it is yours. No doubt, for I am a just judge.

Prayer with faith, that is, worship in Spirit (faith) and truth (My Word), pleases Me and goes up like incense before Me on the golden altar of incense in Heaven as you enter behind the veil with confidence into the very Holy of Holies, My throne of grace, with Jesus, the High Priest of your confession (which in the original Greek is the word “homologia,” which means agreement with My Word) to receive mercy and find grace for help just when you need it. Right on time. NOW.

I tell you to draw close to Me and I draw close to you. You do not see Me so how do you draw close to Me? In prayer. You call to Me and I answer you.

And prayer is a divine appointment, always available, for a private audience with Me, the creator of the Universe and beyond, the sustainer of all life, and the One who planned you from before the foundation of the world. And I have great and mighty things to share with you, things you could not know.

Prayer is the joy of dialogue with the One who made you, knows you better than you even know yourself, and loves you with a love beyond all you can understand or know. And I am your source that never runs dry. I always have something new. Come you who are thirsty and receive the water of life until you overflow. If you knew My gift of the Spirit who comes to you through My gift of Jesus you would come to prayer asking for a drink and whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life. John 4:10-14. Prayer is drawing water with joy from the springs of salvation (Yeshuah, Jesus) and the water flows from My gift of the Holy Spirit in whom Jesus baptizes you. And when you get full of this life giving water pouring from My throne of grace, Revelation 22:1, rivers of living water will flow out to the thirsty world from your prayer time with Me. John 7:37-39.

When the world, the flesh and the devil bring storms, trials, and people against you, and you become fearful and anxious, then the things that you carry are burdensome, a load for the weary. You are stooped over, bowed down, and feel alone, it seems there is no rescue from the burden. But the truth is you have actually let the devil trap you into captivity. Isaiah 46:1-2. But you have a helper. You have been borne by Me from your birth and I have carried you from the womb; even to your old age I will be the same, and even to your graying years I will bear you! I have done it, and I will carry you; and I will bear you and I will deliver you. Isaiah 46:3-4. And how will this happen? In prayer.

In prayer I lift the burden off your shoulders and rest it on Mine for Jesus and I are One. “For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, . . For a child is born to you, a Son is given you, and on His shoulders dominion rests.” Isaiah 9:6. And He invited you who are burdened and heavy laden to come to Him and He will give you rest. Matthew 11:28. How do you come to get this rest? In prayer. In our secret place where I surround you with songs of deliverance.

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16.

Prayer is tapping into the abundance of My house, My riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house; and You give them to drink of the river of Your delights. For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light. Psalm 36:7-9.

In prayer I lead and guide you to green pastures and healing waters. I guide you in paths of righteousness and bring you out of dark valleys of the shadow of death. I prepare an abundant banquet for you in the sight of your enemies and anoint you with fresh oil. And you can remain in My house of prayer all the days of your life. Psalm 23:1-6.

And My house of prayer is a place of answers. “One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the delightful beauty of the LORD and to inquire in His temple.” Psalm 27:4. And there I will teach you battle strategies, warn you of attacks and show you how to win, and will lead you on a level path so you do not stumble. Psalm 27:5-14. And I will make you strong and you will have no fear. Psalm 27:1-3, 14.

Prayer is a place to experience My love and care. “In his shade I took great delight and sat down, and His fruit was sweet to my taste. He has brought me to His banquet hall, and His banner over me is love.” Song of Songs 2:3-4. And in prayer as you draw close to Me, you can rest in My everlasting arms, secure and comforted in times of trouble. “Let His left hand be under my head and His right hand embrace me.” Song of Songs 2:6. And in My left hand are riches and honor, and in My right hand long life. Proverbs 3:16.

Prayer is a place of heavenly sights and sounds, visions and dreams. On the island of Patmos, John was praying in the spirit and the next thing he knew he was no longer in the dark cave and desolate place of exile, he was in My throne room in Heaven to see things no one had seen before, the things that were to come.

Prayer is our watchtower. “I will stand on my guard post and station myself on the rampart; and I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, and how I may reply when I am instructed. Then the LORD answered me and said, “Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run. For the vision is yet for the appointed time. It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay. Behold, as for the proud one, his soul is not right within him; but the righteous will live by faith.” Habakkuk 2:1-4.

Did anyone ever tell you that prayer is boring? Then they never really prayed.

I love you. Let us rejoice together in My house of prayer. I will put new songs in your heart and put your feet on the height. And always remember who you are talking with, the Most High, the creator of Heaven and earth.