Thanks-Giving Series #3

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The Sacrifice Of Prayer

Text: Matthew 6:5-13

Introduction (5min)

A classic definition of Christian prayer is “an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of his mercies” (Westminster Shorter Catechism)

Christian prayer is the end product of a long process of change and development in God’s relation to men

Praying in the Old Testament

Newly created man, made for fellowship with God, “walked with God.” Sin broke this intimate, direct relationship.

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Prayer in the OT)
Biblical prayer is shot through with a recognition of the distance between the Creator and the creature, of human sin and of God’s grace. The basis of a person’s approach to God in prayer is never simply “man’s search for God” but God’s gracious initiative, the establishing of the covenant, and the promise of help and deliverance on the basis of that covenant. It is this covenant relationship that gives the warrant for prayer. Thus in patriarchal times prayer was conjoined with sacrifice and obedience.

With the formation of the priesthood and the establishment of the ritual worship of the tabernacle and later the temple, the worship of God seems to be characterized by distance.

Prayer in the New Testament

The NT’s teaching on prayer is dominated by Christ’s own example and teaching.

LISTEN.....nowhere is scripture are we encouraged to pray to any mere mortal.....only to the God-man; Jesus Christ — 1 Tim. 2:5 “5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;”
Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Difficulties in Prayer

A knowledge of the will of God as it is revealed in Scripture is basic to a proper understanding of petitionary prayer and to proper conduct in prayer.

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Difficulties in Prayer

The guide for prayer is not the petitioner’s own needs, either real or imaginary, nor his feelings or state of mind when he prays, nor his or others’ speculations about the future. The guide is Scripture alone.

1) Jesus Gives Us Direction (30min)

Our Father who art in heaven (3min)

This is not a petition. It is an address!
Your prayers as a Christian is rooted both in Jesus’ intercession and the enablement of the Holy Spirit.
We recognize that the believer is a son as well as a servant. The H.S. enables the believer to come to God as their Father with their needs.
“it is necessary to bear in mind that prayer is not to be thought of in mechanical terms. Prayer involves a personal relationship with God. So the reason why God answers one prayer and not another has nothing to do with volume or length of prayers in themselves. Because prayer involves a personal relationship with God” (Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Difficulties in Prayer)
Jesus’ intercession — None of us can approach God without a mediator.
Holy Spirit — He is the one who has imparted to us the will to come to God in prayer.
Heb. 4:14-16 “14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
The title “children of God” is reserved only for those who are “adopted” into God’s family by grace through faith.
Believers are legally and personally established in God’s fatherly love. John 17:23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
To be adopted means that now God loves us as if we had done all Jesus had done. Keller, Timothy. Prayer (p. 69). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. Now, to be a child of God means ACCESS!
Illustration: Think about what it takes to get in to see the president of the United States. Only people who merit his time and attention would be allowed in. They must have credentials, accomplishments, and perhaps a power base of their own. If you are one of his children, however, it is different. Keller, Timothy. Prayer (p. 70). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Hallowed Be They Name (3min)

A prayer for God to be glorified among all nations as He is among us.
It is a request that faith in God would spread throughout the whole world.
That Christians would honor God with Christ-like holiness.
Question: What does it mean for something to be obscured? Ans — not able to see something clearly.
“Hallowed” bears the sense of having grateful joy toward God and captivated by His beauty.
Revering His name speaks to His person fully captivating us.

Thy Kingdom Come (3min)

Who believes that God is reigning right now?
Why is it then so little proven by the living of His children?
For this to be absent from your prayers is to add to your life a host of problems.
spiritual, psychological, cultural and material problems.
This is a LORDSHIP petition.
Meaning — Father, place your power on every part of me.
Rule me in the fullest extent.
This will ready your heart to receive His lordship with a heart filled with joy.
We pray this in longer for a world without sickness, tragedy, poverty and death.

Thy Will Be Done (3min)

Only those who TRUST their father will make such a request. They will pray that God would grant them grace and patience to bear their troubles.
What will happen if we do not trust God?
You will try to take God’s place! You will seek revenge on those who have harmed you, control our lives, our environment and makes things the way we thing they ought to be.
It is not getting everything we want that protects us from becoming hard hearted and bitter.....it is surrendering our wills and emotions to God.
Quote: If we know our need, and if we voice it to God, trusting Him for His provision, then we will make better us of the answer than if God forced it on us without our asking. — Warren Wiersbe

Give Us This day our daily bread (3min)

This is a prayer concerning your necessities.
Prov. 30:8-9 “8 Remove far from me vanity and lies: Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with food convenient for me: 9 Lest I be full, and deny thee, And say, Who is the Lord? Or lest I be poor, and steal, And take the name of my God in vain.”
Praying in such a way allows us to approach God with confidence to expect a positive response.
God has promised to always meet the needs of His children.
This kind of sacrificial prayer has a social aspect to it.
How do we receive food, clothing, fuel, etc.?
There has to be a thriving economy.
Praying “us” brings a overflow of blessings to “all people.”

Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors (3min)

Speaks to our relationships with God and man.
Quote: “If anyone insists on his own goodness and despises others . . . let him look into himself when this petition confronts him. He will find he is no better than others and that in the presence of God everyone must duck his head and come into the joy of forgiveness only through the low door of humility.” (Martin Luther)
This part of the prayer presents a twofold challenge:
It challenges our pride
It tests our spiritual reality
If we withdraw from valuing receiving forgiveness from God, we will be just as careless with forgiving others and seeking their good.
Seeking forgiveness from God and not providing it to man is clear hypocrisy!
Quote: “If God answered the prayers of a believer who had an unforgiving spirit, He would dishonor His own name. How could God work through such a person to get His will done on earth? If God gave him his requests, He would be encouraging sin! The important thing about prayer is not simply getting an answer, but being the kind of person whom God can trust with answer.”

Lead us not into temptation (3min)

This is a request not to avoid being tempted, but rather to avoid falling into the temptation.
James 1:13-18 “13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 16 Do not err, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”
There are two types of results from falling into temptation:
Thinking you don’t need God
Thinking all hope is lost which results in you becoming bitter toward God.

Deliver us from evil (3min)

This speaks to all the forces who wish to do us harm.

For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever, amen (3min)

This statement brings us back full circle to the fact that God is our complete sufficiency.
If you conclude your prayer with doubt and worry, you my friend have not met with the God of the Bible.
This ending reassures us of who is in COMPLETE CONTROL.
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