Rutledge Methodist Church

06/03/2026

06/03/2026

OUR HEART IS EXPOSED
JUNE 3

MATTHEW 6:9_After this manner therefore pray ye…

Jesus taught us how not to pray: the hypocrites in the synagogues and street corners—the heathens with vain repetitions and no heartfelt relationship with God.

Jesus taught us how to pray: leave the outside out.

Inside, alone with God and the door closed, the depths of our heart is exposed.

There is another reason private prayer is so important. Regardless of the fact that God already knows our heart, through private prayer we learn what’s in our heart. We have managed to hide some things so deep it requires talking to the Creator to bring them to the surface. We won’t learn that as easily in public prayer.

As in the previous devotional, there is a place for prayer groups and out-loud prayers. There is also a place for sharing prayer requests.

If those requests are answered with a yes, we are not the only one praising.

Psalm 109:27 (KJV), “That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, Lord, hast done it.”

If the requests are answered with a no, hopefully we will not be the only ones thanking.

If they are answered with a wait, hopefully we will not be the only ones anticipating God’s will.

Jesus will now teach us a model prayer. He does not teach this as the only prayer to pray. Take heed to the word manner in this verse—it is important. This prayer is a pattern.

If our prayers are just asking-for-something prayers, this prayer teaches a better way.

PRAYER
Holy Creator, Teach me to pray.
In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ is the creator of prayer—He will teach me!

06/02/2026

HIS HEART’S CRY
JUNE 2

MATTHEW 6:8_before ye ask him.

In 1 Kings 18, God knew Elijah wanted the fire lit. It wasn’t necessary for Elijah to ask. But it was necessary for everyone listening to hear God proclaimed as the LORD, and Elijah as His prophet. Elijah’s audible prayer could cause some Israelites to turn from idol worship, and back to the One True God.

Not all prayers should be private. There is a place for prayer groups and out-loud prayers.

Mark chapter 10 (KJV) gives an account of a blind man named Bartimaeus, “48 And many charged him [Bartimaeus] that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, ‘Thou son of David [Jesus], have mercy on me.’ 49 And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, ‘Be of good comfort, rise; he [Jesus] calleth thee.’ 50 And he [Bartimaeus], casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. 51 And Jesus answered and said unto him, ‘What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?’ The blind man said unto him, ‘Lord, that I might receive my sight.’ 52 And Jesus said unto him, ‘Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole.’ And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.”

Jesus knew Bartimaeus was blind. Jesus knew Bartimaeus’ cry for mercy was to receive sight.

Jesus wanted Bartimaeus to tell Him—out loud.

Bartimaeus did.

And received his heart’s cry.

PRAYER
God of Heaven, I will make known to You in prayer, everything in my heart.
In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ wants me to voice my prayers to Him—I will!

06/01/2026

A FORM OF WORSHIP
JUNE 1

MATTHEW 6:8_for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of…

Because God knows our needs is not a reason to bail on prayer.
We’ve decided prayer is primarily about building relationships—getting to know each other.

If we’ve learned anything the past 150 plus days it’s Jesus’ teachings are right, holy, and true. Jesus’ teachings lead us to be salt and light.

We can learn a lot about prayer from the prophet Nehemiah. He prayed well and often.

Nehemiah 1:11 (KJV), “O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him [Nehemiah] mercy in the sight of this man [King Artaxerxes].”

Nehemiah had a large request to ask King Artaxerxes. He wanted some time off—not just a few days—years! Nehemiah wanted to leave Persia, return to his home town, Jerusalem, build a wall, and renew Israel’s faith in the LORD. He prayed before he asked the king.

Nehemiah just prayed a lot. Notice he asks God to be attentive to the prayer of His servant (Nehemiah). I learned from him. I ask God to let His ears be attentive to the prayers of His servant (me).

Prayer is not about coming to God because you feel obligated. Neither is it only about asking God to do something for you, or give something to you.

Prayer is a form of worship.

PRAYER
Jesus Friend, Thank You that I am Your friend. I want to be a loving friend who enjoys communicating with You.
In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ is my friend—I am His friend!

05/31/2026

THE ONE TRUE GOD
MAY 31

MATTHEW 6:8_Be ye not therefore like unto them…

Jesus doesn’t want His disciples to pray like the babbling heathen.

For all their crying and cutting themselves, the priests in 1 Kings 18 could get nothing from Baal. Nothing. And there were 450 priests calling on him!

The contest between God and Baal was the true god would set fire to the offered sacrifice with no help from man. Before Elijah even begins to pray, he gives God an opportunity to show His power. As said, Baal had failed. Elijah pours four barrels of water on his wood, and he does it three times!

Elijah prays.

Elijah alone.

No crowd shouting, and cutting. Elijah prays to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel (Jacob).

Carefully notice Elijah’s prayer. He never asks God to send fire. He asks three things: 1-That God make it known He is the God of Israel, not Baal. 2-That God make it known Elijah is the true servant of God, and whatever Elijah does comes from God. 3-That the Israelites return to worship the One True God.

This is true prayer from a true believer to the true God. The results were amazing.

"And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.”

PRAYER
Holy LORD, Let my prayers cause You to be known as the One True God. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ loves true prayers that honor God—I do too!

05/30/2026

CAN YOUR PRAYERS BE WRONG?
MAY 30

MATTHEW 6:7_for they think they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Can you pray wrong? Absolutely.

James 4:3 (KJV), “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”

You can pray and never receive when you ask for something that will be harmful to your character. You may think of lust as sexual, but you can lust for clothes, cars, homes, gadgets, and many kinds of things. It isn’t wrong to pray for needs or even for wants. It goes back to what we’ve learned over and over: the condition of the heart.

The heart is the center of lust and of righteousness. God, who reads the heart, knows which reigns. The one that reigns produces the prayers

Psalm 115:4-8 (KJV), “Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.”

Idol worshipers must think if they babble enough they will be heard. The problem with that is idols “have ears but they hear not.”

One of the best stories on idols and those who worship them is found in 1 Kings 18. Read this powerful, and somewhat humorous, account of God’s prophet Elijah, wicked King Ahab, Queen Jezebel, the false god Baal, and Baal’s priests.

Learn what happens when the priests call on Baal, and Elijah calls on God.

PRAYER
True God, Please show me when I am praying selfish prayers.
In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ knows a destructive prayer—He does not answer!

05/29/2026

While the Behnke family is vacationing, we're happy to have RMC's own, Rev Bill Harris, to bring the message, "The Trinity." Trinity Sunday, May 31, 11:15a.

RMC is the place to be!
Come and See!

05/29/2026

A SPECIFIC COMMISSION
MAY 29

MATTHEW 6:7_as the heathen do…

Jesus goes from reproaching hypocrites to reproaching heathens. The word heathen in this verse can be translated as Gentile.

Remember, Gentiles are not Jews. They were not under the covenant God made with Abraham. Nor were they under the laws God gave to Moses.

The Jews considered the prayers of Gentiles to be great babblings.

Since Gentiles did not serve or have a relationship with the One True God, their prayers were not directed to Him. Therefore, to whatever god or idol they prayed, all they could offer was empty babbles.

After Jesus conquered death and was about to ascend into heaven, He gave His disciples a commission.

Mark 16:15 (KJV), “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

Jesus gave Peter and Paul a specific commission: to share the gospel of the resurrected Jesus with the Gentiles. Praise God Peter and Paul obeyed the call!

We are no longer heathen just because we are Gentiles. Those of us who answer the call to become salty-lit-up disciples can enter our closet, shut the door, and commune with the Holy God of Heaven!

Hallelujah!

PRAYER
Lord Jesus, Praise You for being the God of all mankind. Praise You for making a way for Gentiles to enter Your presence .
In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ loves Gentiles—He made a way for me!

05/28/2026

KEEP PRAYING!
MAY 28

MATTHEW 6:7_use not vain repetitions…

Vain repetition means to automatically repeat phrases with no heart felt meaning. This does not mean you shouldn’t pray a certain prayer more than one time, or join in unity to pray something like the Lord’s Prayer. There is power in unified prayer. The key is whether the group is unified in heart before Holy God.

Matthew 18:20 (KJV), “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

I believe God loves to hear unified prayer.

Neither does this mean that if you have been fervent in prayer but have not received an answer you should stop praying.

Luke 18:3-7 (KJV), “And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him [the judge], saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming [emphasis mine] she weary me. And the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?”‘

This judge didn’t even believe in God. But he did what was right for the widow, because he grew weary of her continual asking.

Jesus says God will do much better than people—keep praying!

PRAYER
Holy Jesus, Praise You that You never grow weary of me.
In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ never grows weary of my prayers—He hears me!