Oprah knows it. Larry King knows it. And over two million people who have bought the book know it. This secret claims to give you health. This secret claims to give you wealth. This secret claims to give you success, a smaller waistline, and a husband or wife.
What is this secret? It’s the #4 top-selling book at Amazon.com called The Secret.
The Secret is based on the “law of attraction,” which says that your thoughts and feelings determine who you are…what you achieve…and what you receive. Basically, The Secret is purported to be a way to achieve ultimate satisfaction and happiness in this life. So it’s understandable why it’s so popular in our culture today!
Now, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to be satisfied and happy in life. And there’s nothing wrong with optimistic or positive thinking.
The problem is that true and lasting fulfillment in life isn’t found in a man-made philosophy where you and I are the center of the universe. A life of vitality isn’t based on what you think or how you feel. Real success…real joy…real peace…and real happiness in this life can only be found in one place.
It’s found in praying the way Jesus prayed.
In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus gives us a model prayer…the Lord’s Prayer…which is an outline for praying. And each point of the outline teaches us something about how we should pray. Here’s what the Lord’s Prayer says:
“Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen” (KJV).
Now, to help you pray the way Jesus prayed, I want to give you a simple tool based on His model prayer. It’s the acrostic P-R-A-Y.
P stands for Praise.
That’s why Jesus started the Lord’s Prayer by saying, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.” When you begin your prayers by praising God, you’re saying, “Lord, it’s all about Your Kingdom, Your glory, Your greatness, Your name, Your honor today. It’s not about me.”
R stands for Repent.
The reason we need to make repentance a part of our daily prayers is because you and I sin every day! Yes, every stain of sin in your life as a Christian was removed at the cross. But in order to have proper fellowship with God, you need to be right with Him in every area of your life. And repenting of your sin helps you do this. Also, consistently recognizing your own need for forgiveness helps you forgive others who sin against you.
A stands for Ask.
So many people begin their prayers here! But when we pray, we really should wait to petition the Lord because what we end up asking for might be different…and more in line with His will…when we first praise Him and repent of our sins.
Y stands for Yield.
This is why Jesus says, “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.” Prayer is not changing God’s mind. It’s finding God’s mind! Praying is not the law of attraction where I am the center of the universe…it’s getting God’s will done on earth in my life.
As we discussed earlier, The Secret says, “It’s all about me. I’m the center of the universe. I can be healthy, wealthy, happy, thin, attractive, anything I want!” But the real secret is found in Jesus Christ…and yielding your life to His will through prayer!
PowerPoint® Ministries started as a vision of Dr. Jack Graham and his wife Deb. They believed that the power of God was evident in their growing church and that His Gospel message should be spread beyond the walls of that church to the world at large. They put their faith into action and purchased airtime on the Trinity Broadcasting Network. PowerPoint® Ministries was then officially launched in April 1994. PowerPoint® Ministries now reaches 31 cities and 18 states in the United States through their radio and television stations. In addition, they broadcast in over 70 countries including the U.S., Great Britain, South Africa, Iraq, Israel, and more.