(Matthew 5:33-37) “Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ 34 But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.
Reminder: "praying effectively" involves knowing God's will. When we pray in His will (in His name), He may choose to not answer those prayers in the time period that we would like, or HOW we would like - but He will answer those prayers!
It is God's will:
- that we fulfill any vows (promises) made to God (5:33)
- that we do not make false vows (false promises) to God, which would be lying to God (5:33)
- that we do not make vows (promises) at all to God (5:34)
- that we do not make oaths (promises) to God even in our thoughts and prayers (5:36)
- that we speak plainly and honestly all of the time, without grand gestures or using God's name in vain (5:37)
Today's prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for being faithful and always keeping Your promises! And thank You for speaking honestly with us all of the time. You are our perfect example of how to speak the truth - letting us know what we need to know and not just what we think we want to hear. May we hear Your words of truth and embrace them! Help us to be more like You.
Help us keep our marriage vows. These types of vows are obtainable. But help us avoid making promises of grand gestures which we will not be able to keep, so we will not be viewed as liars and hypocrites to the world. And help us avoid thinking that we can bargain with You in our prayers. Guide us towards being honest with You, others and ourselves. Amen.
Reminder: "praying effectively" involves knowing God's will. When we pray in His will (in His name), He may choose to not answer those prayers in the time period that we would like, or HOW we would like - but He will answer those prayers!
It is God's will:
- that we fulfill any vows (promises) made to God (5:33)
- that we do not make false vows (false promises) to God, which would be lying to God (5:33)
- that we do not make vows (promises) at all to God (5:34)
- that we do not make oaths (promises) to God even in our thoughts and prayers (5:36)
- that we speak plainly and honestly all of the time, without grand gestures or using God's name in vain (5:37)
Today's prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for being faithful and always keeping Your promises! And thank You for speaking honestly with us all of the time. You are our perfect example of how to speak the truth - letting us know what we need to know and not just what we think we want to hear. May we hear Your words of truth and embrace them! Help us to be more like You.
Help us keep our marriage vows. These types of vows are obtainable. But help us avoid making promises of grand gestures which we will not be able to keep, so we will not be viewed as liars and hypocrites to the world. And help us avoid thinking that we can bargain with You in our prayers. Guide us towards being honest with You, others and ourselves. Amen.
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