FAITH CAPSULE: Approach God or respond to God with specificity or orderliness.
Matthew 6:5-14
Through all the pages of scripture, every of God’s command came with specificity, orderliness and with details. In the days of Noah, when He was going send rain to flood God gave His command, “Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch. 15 And this is how you shall make it: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. 16 You shall make a window for the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubit from above; and set the door of the ark in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third decks.” (Genesis 6:14-16) God’s salvation plan for Noah and his family was with clear details. The same way that God gave out a well detailed and clearly specified salvation plan to Noah and his family, we also received our salvation plan from God. God will constantly and consistently expect a full compliance to every detail of His command. Also, when God sends a message through His messenger, He wants the details of His message to be delivered and not more or less than what He requests from His messenger.
After giving Jeremiah the message for His people, He commanded him, “Therefore prepare yourself and arise, and speak to them all that I command you.” (Jeremiah 1:17) God that is consistent in giving commands in details will expect His children to respond and comply obediently in detail. The point here is, God that gives command with specificity and details will also expect us to ask Him with specificity and in details so He can respond to us in full. He is God of order and He does not settle for disorder. Evidently, this must be one of the reasons why the word of God encourages us that, when we ask in prayer, we should avoid repetition. Jesus specifically said in Matthew 6:7, “And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. ”
At every time there is addition to His word, the one that adds to His words becomes exposed to the devil. God gave instruction in the Garden of Eden, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:17) When the serpent approached Eve, Eve responded by adding to the command of God, “…Nor shall you touch it, lest you die.” (Genesis 3:3) The word of God cannot be reduced neither should it be added to. God is a God of order and you shall approach Him or respond to Him with specificity or orderliness.
Prayer for Today: Ask God to help you in responding to all of His instruction and teaching in the way you should go.