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How Meaningful Are Your Prayers?The Watchtower—1987 | July 15
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But what about our everyday prayers? Do they give evidence of the warm, close relationship we feel we have with our heavenly Father, Jehovah God? It has well been said: “Prayer must mean something to us if it is to mean anything to God.” Do we give our prayers the thought they deserve and make sure that they really come from our figurative heart?
8. Our prayers might have what flaws due to human imperfection?
8 It is easy to let our prayers deteriorate in these respects. Because of our inherited imperfect inclinations, our hearts can easily deceive us, robbing our prayers of the qualities they should have. (Jeremiah 17:9) Unless, in most cases, we pause and think before we pray, we may find that the tendency is for our prayers to become mechanical, stereotyped, routine. Or they may become repetitious, which calls to mind what Jesus said about the improper way ‘the people of the nations pray.’ (Matthew 6:7, 8) Or our prayers may deal only with generalities rather than with specific matters or persons.
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How Meaningful Are Your Prayers?The Watchtower—1987 | July 15
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13. How may we say meaningful prayers as regards our various kinds of service to Jehovah?
13 Yes, our prayers should deal with specific things, and this requires that we give thought to our prayers. (Compare Proverbs 15:28.) While in the field ministry, we might ask God not only for his blessing on our efforts but also for wisdom, tact, largeheartedness, freeness of speech, or help for whatever weakness may tend to interfere with our effectiveness in witnessing. Moreover, could we not ask God to lead us to the ones hungering and thirsting for righteousness? Just before giving a public talk or having some part on a Service Meeting or in the Theocratic Ministry School, we can beg Jehovah to have his holy spirit dwell richly in us. Why? So that we may have confidence and poise, may speak with earnestness and conviction, so as to bring honor to God’s name and build up our brothers. All such prayers are also conducive to our having the right frame of mind when speaking.
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