When You Pray: Being Formed, Not Performing
Author: Rev. Daniel Johnson
January 08, 2026
Happy New Year Everyone,
I just want to take a moment to thank all of you who have been following along with this blog. I pray that these posts have been an encouragement to you and useful tools to help to keep you connected to God outside of Sunday.
I'm looking forward to seeing what the Lord has for us this year.
So this past Sunday I shared from Matthew 6 about prayer—not as a religious performance, but as a formative rhythm in the life of a disciple.
Jesus doesn’t say if you pray. He says “when you pray.”
Prayer is not meant to be an emergency response when life falls apart; it’s a normal, shaping practice for those who follow Him.
Many of us don’t struggle with believing prayer matters—we struggle with consistency, distraction, or wondering if we’re doing it “right.” But Jesus doesn’t shame us for that. Instead, He invites us into a better way.
He warns us about performative prayer—prayer done for an audience rather than for relationship. That’s why He points us to the secret place. Not necessarily a physical room, but a posture of honesty where the audience is removed and authenticity can begin.
God isn’t impressed by intensity; He’s interested in integrity.
Prayer begins with identity before activity. When Jesus teaches us to pray, “Our Father in heaven,” He reminds us that we don’t approach God as strangers trying to earn favor. Because of the cross, we come as children who belong. Prayer doesn’t begin with our discipline—it begins with Christ’s sacrifice.
Jesus then leads us into worship: “Hallowed be Your name.” Worship recalibrates our hearts and restores perspective. When prayer starts with us, it often ends with anxiety. When it starts with God, it leads to peace.
We’re also invited into surrender: “Your kingdom come, Your will be done.” Prayer isn’t about getting God to agree with us—it’s about trusting His rule. Fasting releases control of appetite; prayer releases control of outcome. Surrender isn’t weakness—it’s deep trust.
Jesus teaches us to depend daily: “Give us this day our daily bread.” Prayer forms a life of daily dependence, not self-sufficiency. God meets us one day at a time, keeping us close and attentive to Him.
Finally, prayer creates space for healing through forgiveness and guidance. Confession isn’t about shame—it’s about restoration. Prayer keeps us honest, humble, and anchored in grace.
Prayer is not about mastery. It’s about formation.
My prayer is that God continues to form us in the secret place, shaping us through ordinary faithfulness, daily dependence, and honest prayer to make us a people and a church that glorify Him!
In His Service,
Pastor Dan
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