DAILY TEXT, Today Friday September 13, 2024, Let my prayer be before you as incense prepared before you (Ps. 141:2).

Let us examine the Scriptures every day 2024

Friday, September 13, 2024

Let my prayer be before you as incense prepared for you (Ps. 141:2).

In our prayers, we should not speak to Jehovah with excessive familiarity but with deep respect. Consider the awesome visions that Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and John had. They all describe Jehovah as an awesome King. Isaiah saw Jehovah “sitting on a throne, high and lifted up.” (Isa. 6:1-3) Ezekiel saw him seated in his heavenly chariot and surrounded by “rainbow-like brightness.” (Ezek. 1:26-28) Daniel saw the “Ancient of Days” dressed in white and seated on a throne from which flames of fire issued. (Dan. 7:9, 10) And John saw Jehovah seated on a throne that was surrounded by “a rainbow like an emerald.” (Rev. 4:2-4) Meditating on Jehovah’s incomparable glory reminds us that praying to him is an incredible honor and that it is very important to do so with deep reverence. w22.07 20 par. 3.

“YOU SHOULD PRAY THIS WAY”

What do we learn from the first few sentences of the model prayer? (Matthew 6:9, 10)

(Read Matthew 6:9, 10.) In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught his disciples to pray in a way that God approves. After saying, “You should pray this way,” the first matters he mentioned have a direct bearing on Jehovah’s purpose: that his name be sanctified; that the Kingdom that will destroy all of God’s enemies come; and that the blessings he has promised for the earth and for humans be realized. By bringing up these matters in our prayers, we demonstrate that Jehovah’s will is important to us.

Why do we know there is nothing wrong with praying about personal matters?

In the next part of the model prayer, Jesus showed that there is nothing wrong with praying about personal matters. We can ask Jehovah to give us daily food, forgive us our sins, protect us from temptation, and deliver us from the Evil One. (Matt. 6:11-13) When we ask Jehovah for these things, we acknowledge our dependence on him and express our desire to gain his approval.

Should we pray only for the matters mentioned in the model prayer?

Jesus did not want his disciples to simply mention the words and topics of the model prayer in their prayers. Other prayers he prayed included other matters that were of concern to him at the time. (Matt. 26:39, 42; John 17:1–26) We too can pray about anything that concerns us. For example, when we have a decision to make, we can ask for wisdom and understanding. (Ps. 119:33, 34) When we have a responsibility that seems difficult, we can ask Jehovah for insight and discernment. (Prov. 2:6) Parents can pray for their children, and children can pray for their parents. In addition, all of us can and should pray for our Bible students and for the people to whom we preach. But praying is not just a matter of asking.

Why should we praise Jehovah in our prayers?

In our prayers, we should also remember to praise Jehovah. He deserves our praise more than anyone else. The writer of a psalm said to him: “You are good and forgiving.” He added: “You are a merciful and compassionate God, patient and full of loyal love and faithfulness.” (Ps. 86:5, 15) We have plenty of reasons to praise Jehovah for who he is and for all that he does.

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