The Best Of Greek For The Weekنموونە

Do You Pray With Your Head On Straight?

Are you a balanced thinker? That is, can you look at all sides of a situation and not be carried away by it? In today’s world, it’s so easy to lack balance in the way we think. We’re constantly inundated with so much news, opinion, and social interaction that it’s easy to accept something hook, line, and sinker without first considering what we’ve just swallowed. 

Take politics, for example. We all have strong feelings toward political ideals, even when we avoid discussing them. Because of the nature of politics, it’s easy to go full throttle right away when news breaks. Sometimes, we do so without fully grasping what really happened!

Other things can move us emotionally, too, so that we fail to gain proper perspective. This has an adverse effect on our prayers. 

We find this principle when Peter discusses Christ’s return. Sensitive events will take place before then. Believers will have to be discerning and mature in their thinking, without getting caught in the briars of other people’s opinions. Peter says, “Therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers” (1 Peter 4:7). Here, the Greek word for “self-controlled” is sophronesate. This means to be “intellectually sound” and “evaluate situations maturely.” In classical history, this word was used to describe chastity because it deals explicitly with restraint. A person who used self-control in their thinking restrained their thoughts from going bananas. 

Next, we find the word “sober-minded.” This is the word nepsate in Greek. This meant “to have a clear head” and “be a rational thinker.” It described a person who was completely unaffected by the influences of alcohol.

Together, these words describe a solid, stable thinker who doesn’t get emotional, carried away in their thinking, or swayed by other people’s opinions. Peter is teaching that prayer based on maturity and sound analysis has a far greater impact than prayer that is flaky, uninformed, and based in overreaction or irrationality. 

Are there certain things in your life that you’re not looking at with proper perspective? Have you gone overboard in your thinking about a relationship, someone else’s behavior, or the actions of an authority in your life? Before you go to prayer, ask the Holy Spirit to give you the proper outlook. Let Him take you through the Word of God on the issue. If you work on the way you think, you’ll improve the way you pray.