PETER’S PRAYER

Jesus instructed His disciples concerning prayer… He even taught them how not to pray.

“Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people … Don’t babble like the Gentiles, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words” (Matthew 6:5, 7).

Jesus told a story about a religious muckety-muck … “standing and praying like this about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like other people—greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get’ ” (Luke 18:11–12). Don’t pray like that!

In short, Jesus explained that it’s not the number of words, or the number of syllables in the words that matter to God. We needn’t use the flowery words of the King James Version with its “thees” and “thous,” nor do we need to pray three points punctuated by a poem.

There is a memorable event that makes my point. The story unfolds immediately after Jesus fed five-thousand men and their families with a little boy’s lunch. After Jesus dismissed the crowd, He sent His disciples across the Sea of Galilee. When a storm arose, Jesus came walking across the waters. Seeing Jesus, they were afraid, fearing that maybe He was a ghost (Matthew 14:26). Jesus comforted the weary men with, “Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid” (Matthew 14:27).

Astonished, Peter… and only Peter… called out: “Lord, if it’s you … command me to come to you on the water”(Matthew 14:28). With great courage and faith, Peter swung his leg over the side of the boat. A bit wobbly at first, he defied the laws of nature and stood upon water. Looking ahead to Jesus, step by step, he walked across the sea. “But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink” (Matthew 14:30).

Here, the Bible records a simple, short, and effective prayer. Peter “cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ ” (Matthew 14:30).

Just three words … earnest, urgent, and faithful words.

“… think on these things” (Philippians 4:8, KJV).