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“...my prayer that goeth not out of feigned lips....”
By:  Rev. Joostens

   Certainly prayer is a most important part of our life; if not the most important!  Our instructive Confession, The Heidelberg Catechism, calls it “..the chief part of thankfulness which God requires of us.”  (Cf. Lord’s Day 45) But I don’t know whether we always give prayer that large a billing in our daily lives.  Oh, don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying that we do not pray. We do.  We pray at the prescribed times of the day and faithfully teach our children this good habit. But I ask you to think the matter through with me for a moment. Do we give this most important spiritual exercise the attention and preparation it deserves and requires so we can take the words of Psalm 17:1 upon our lips that our prayer does not go out of our mouth as feigned, i.e. as pretentious and a sham!

  Oh, there is so much that stands in the way of a sanctified and holy prayer life.  Let’s begin with the biggest culprit - that’s our sinful self. Christ gives us the lesson of the self-righteous pharisee. He loved to pray for the sake of attention. He stood in prominent places to deliver his prayer in order to be seen of men! He, no doubt, uttered petitions that were formally beyond reproach. But all these outward things were not able to cover his inward arrogance which God despises, nor could they lift him into God’s holy presence in Christ. Or perhaps we are irreverent in our inattentiveness to God’s greatness and holiness. Maybe, our unwillingness to confess our sins and adhere to God’s commands make our prayers null and void. I’m sure each could add more to this list...!

  Indeed, prayer is a most important and integral aspect of Christian living. Let us not neglect it! Let us engage in it with utmost reverence and respect. Let us practice this holy art with required humility, respect and awe. May our prayers reflect the lessons of God’s Word in passages such as Matthew 6:5ff.; Psalm 17:1, 32:5+6; Proverbs 15:8, 28:9 and Romans 8:26; a study of the topic in one’s concordance will greatly enhance our speech with God!

  May the Lord know us as a children who are busily engaged in the “chief part of thankfulness!”