Day #2

Review

The Lord has blessed you with another opportunity to learn from His Word. Never take for granted the privilege of reading the Bible. In medieval times people used to stand in line for hours for a chance to read the Bible for 15 minutes. Today you will be reading the most famous sermon in the world, The Sermon on the Mount. Jesus was an inspiring public speaker and His message will touch your heart.

Read

Now listen carefully to Jesus as you read Matthew 5-8.

Reflect

Did you hear what Jesus was saying about prayer in chapter six? If you grew up with a denominational background, you might have been taught this "Lord's Prayer" for public recital. That is not what Jesus intended it for. He did not want His example of prayer mindlessly recited over and over. Jesus was giving us an pattern for how to pray, rather than telling us the exact words we should pray. Prayer is simply talking to God. When you pray you should speak your own thoughts, not recite something God has already heard a million times. Think about it. Why would God want to listen to the same thing over and over? Prayer should be a fresh and spontaneous conversation with your Father in heaven.

In your notes write down anything else you believe Matthew 6 is teaching you about prayer. Now spend some time praying. Just talk to God. He wants to hear from you. You need to commune with Him. From this day forward you should pray every day, whether it is written in your assignment or not. Quiet time is all about talking and listening to God.