Heartless Prayers

When is the last time you prayed? I am not asking when was the last time you made supplications with heartless words? I am not asking when you last offered up wishful thoughts. I'm asking when you last offered up true fervent heartfelt prayers. When did you last sit down before the Lord and really pray? To have a heart to heart talk with the Lord.

A lot of praying these days is heartless. We are more concerned with the eloquence of our prayers when praying in public than praying raw honest prayers from the gut of our emotions. We do the same when praying in private offering up meaningless cliches instead of faith ignited pleas. We need more real raw honest heartfelt conversations with the Lord.

We are so timid in our praying. We have been invited to come before the Lord with confidence and boldness. There are prayer promises to claim. There are mountains to see God move. There are lost souls to see saved. Just this morning I got told by a lady that she would never attend church. NEVER! Will I offer up weak, timid, and mealy mouthed prayers on her behalf or pray with boldness and confidence for her salvation.

Hebrews 4:16 (NASB) 
¹⁶  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.

Heartless praying is producing heartless believers, heartless worship and fewer heart transformations.  You know what report I keep getting from people about church. It is lifeless and people have communicated to me they are starving spiritually. It is not that the Bible is not getting preached. It is more that it is not getting preached with a demonstration of the Spirit and power. 

Could this be attributed to the heartless praying of pastors and those in the pews. When did you last attend a prayer meeting where heartfelt praying took place. When did you last hear a heartfelt or offer a heartfelt prayer in family devotion or a worship service. 

Heartless praying will never turn the tide of evil in the nation. Heartless praying will never turn heathen hearts to Christ. God listens and answers fervent praying. Impassioned praying. Faith filled praying. 

I fear far more than I want to admit it my prayers have often been heartless. I mouthed the words but they were not ignited by faith. Much of my praying lately has felt pretty heartless. The mouthing of all the right words but no heartfelt faith behind them. Disillusioned and discouraged praying many  times have characterize my life. 

What is worse is that many times I've not felt like praying. Over the years I have to confess I have lost heart on more than one unanswered prayer. At least unanswered in the way I wanted. This is sin. There is no excuse fir offering up heartless prayers. In fact, I would submit heartless praying is not truly praying at all. May we put away heartless praying for good. May we talk to God like a child talking to his father. May we do away with vain repetitions and empty cliches. 

Matthew 6:7-8 (NASB) 

⁷  "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.
⁸  "So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.