Lakeland Seventh-day Adventist Church

I know it has happened to you.

And when it does, only three things matter:
You are hot.
You are thirsty.
And both your money and the soda are in the machine to stay.

When we put our money in, we expect that we will get what we paid for. Frustration sets in and we start shaking things around, kicking and cussing. OK, those of you who read this wouldn't do the last one, but we feel like we did what we were supposed to do and we want our reward.

Ready for the leap? Here we go. Do we ever act this way with God?

When we pray, do we expect that, having done our part, God will do His? Having put in our devotional “money” He will now vend the requested blessing?

We even bend such statements to the church as this one, “The power of God awaits their demand and reception,” {DA 672.1} to obligate God as we talk of “claiming the promises”. Please don't misunderstand. These promises are ours, and we can claim them.

It just isn't God's legal obligation to fulfill the promises because of anything that we have done—particularly our prayers. He fulfills promises because of what He has done. This is not the contractual relationship we are used to. He's trying to teach us a new way to relate to Him.

Jesus said, “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” Matthew 6:5-6.

Jesus has a lot to say about prayer in this chapter of Matthew. Over the next few weeks, let's think about what prayer is all about. This is the point Jesus is making today: Prayer is not about how to get the reward; it is about how to get close to God.