I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Thursday morning, the 2nd of January, 2025, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

We go straight to the Gospel of Matthew 6:8. Jesus said:

“Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.” 

Now just before that, the Lord tells us that He is not interested in vain repetition when you pray, not fancy words. I love what C H Spurgeon says. He talks about “homemade prayers”.  If there is one thing I really desire for you as we go into the new year, is that this year be a year where you learn to speak daily to the Lord Jesus Christ, prayers which come straight from the heart, speaking straight to Jesus Christ - no flowery Christianese, but honest day to day language. The Lord understands it, just that ordinary layman’s language to a Carpenter, just tell Him exactly how you are feeling, tell Him how things really are, and ask Him to help you. It is not so much about the words even, is it? It is more about the heart of the prayer. 

We need to speak to Jesus through the Holy Spirit, just as you would speak to your workmate in the office, in the field, in the workshop. David Wilkerson, in his book, The Cross and The Switchblade, said sometimes, when he would pray the Sinner’s Prayer with those young gangsters from the ghettos of New York, their vocabulary was non-existent. Every second word was a swear word and they prayed the Sinner’s Prayer in blasphemous language, they were unaware of that, but their heart was pleading with God.

I remember, just after I had given my life to Christ, we were sitting in a circle in a prayer meeting, probably the first one I had ever been to, and each one of us had to pray. The leader said, “Just pray” and we had never prayed out loud. The turn came to one old gentleman, his name was John, and I have never forgotten his prayer. His prayer came from the depths of his heart. He was in big trouble and he said, “Oh God, please help me!” And the Lord helped him. 

As you go into this new year, make prayer a priority in your life, every single morning and right through the day, and last of all at night, before you go to sleep. Speak to Him in homemade prayers.

Jesus bless you and goodbye.