Called to Care – Day 21

₅“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites! They love to stand up and pray in the houses of worship and on the street corners, so that everyone will see them. I assure you, they have already been paid in full. ₆But when you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.

₇“When you pray, do not use a lot of meaningless words, as the pagans do, who think that their gods will hear them because their prayers are long. ₈Do not be like them. Your Father already knows what you need before you ask him. ₉This, then, is how you should pray:

₁₄“If you forgive others the wrongs they have done to you, your Father in heaven will also forgive you. ₁₅But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive the wrongs you have done.

₁First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, requests, and thanksgivings be offered to God for all people;

₂₆In the same way the Spirit also comes to help us, weak as we are. For we do not know how we ought to pray; the Spirit himself pleads with God for us in groans that words cannot express. ₂₇And God, who sees into our hearts, knows what the thought of the Spirit is; because the Spirit pleads with God on behalf of his people and in accordance with his will.

₂₈We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him, those whom he has called according to his purpose.