Discover Your Motive for Ministry

Every day at noon for one month, our pastor organized various leaders in our church to facilitate a different topic of prayer for our community. My pastor asked if I would lead one of the gatherings. Although I was nervous to speak in front of a large congregation, I accepted the invitation. 

I spent hours studying in preparation for the prayer meeting. I dressed in my Sunday finest on a Tuesday and arrived at 11:30 a.m. to ensure I got myself situated. I sat in the first pew with my highlighted outline and leatherbound Bible. Fidgeting, I glanced from my notes to my watch and then back again to my notes. 

At 11:55, I found it odd that no one had entered the sanctuary yet. I assured myself they were probably rushing from work or grabbing a quick lunch. As the clock struck noon, I started to second-guess myself. Did I have the right location? I double-checked my calendar. I triple-checked my texts. Yes, I was in the right place at the right time. Yet, I was alone. No one showed up for the service but me. 

At first, I was aggravated. You’ve got to be kidding. I spent hours preparing for a message I won’t deliver, and prayers no one will hear. And then, the sting of conviction pricked my heart. Maybe the message was for me, and me alone. I tucked my papers back into my Bible, rose from the pew, and sank to my knees at the altar.

In a sanctuary built for a thousand, I knelt alone before God’s throne. Not because I was so holy but because I realized how far from holy I was. God cleared my schedule and everyone else’s (it seemed) to provide me space to experience communion with Him. I may have been selfishly desiring something else that day when, all the while, He’d simply been seeking time with me.

Prior to this experience, I never would have thought the following scripture would be applicable in my life. However, I’m guilty of what Jesus told His disciples not to do. In Matthew 6, He says, “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly, I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:5-6).”

I want to be clear, this isn’t a slight against public prayer. There is certainly a time and a place for that. In fact, the gospel records Jesus praying privately (Matthew 14:23) and publicly (Matthew 14:19). The point isn’t where we communicate with God, but about the posture of our hearts when we do. 

So, how do we move from hypocritical to heartfelt? What does authentic and submissive prayer look like? Thankfully, Jesus doesn’t just leave us with instructions on how not to pray. He gives us a guide in what we now call, The Lord’s Prayer, which reads, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one (Matthew 6:9-13).”

Through this prayer, Jesus models how we should approach our Heavenly Father. Above all, we should honor the holiness and deity of God. We worship Him first for who He is. Then, we beseech God for His perfect purposes to be accomplished in this world and the next. Keeping these objectives at the forefront of our thoughts guards us against becoming self-seeking. Instead of desiring our name, kingdom, and will first, our greatest longing is pursuing His name, His kingdom, and His purposes. He is always our greatest reward. 

Father, thank You for being willing to communicate with me and being available to listen. Forgive me for acting in ways that were self-seeking to gain attention for myself. I don’t want to be hypocritical. I want everything I say and do to be heartfelt, with a pure motive to honor Your name and bring You glory. Let Your Kingdom come, and Your will be done. In Jesus’s name, amen. 

Questions:

I look forward to reading your responses to one of the following questions:

• Have you ever experienced a time you realized you had the wrong motives for serving God? If so, how did He redirect your focus to seek Him first in your service? 
• What steps do you need to take to devote more time for communion with the Lord?
• How can you consciously ensure you seek to glorify God’s name, Kingdom, and will instead of your own?