Praying Like Jesus

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Intro

Matthew 6:9–14 NASB 2020
“Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father, who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. ‘Give us this day our daily bread. ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’ “For if you forgive other people for their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

Truth

Jesus gave us this model prayer so that we might have an example of what healthy prayer looks like. It is a pattern for us.

I. We pray like Jesus when we begin with God rather than with ourselves.

Matthew 6:9 NASB 2020
“Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father, who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
Jesus’ prayer begins with acknowledgement of God’s holiness.
Healthy prayer is rooted in praise and worship. Those who see God move have a high view of who He is.

II. We pray like Jesus when we seek God's kingdom first over our own interests and the interests of the world.

Matthew 6:10 NASB 2020
‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.
The Lord has only promised to answer prayer which is according to His will.
1 John 5:14–15 NASB 2020
This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.
If we want to be people who want to see God move through our prayers, we must become a people who are more focused on His kingdom than we are focused on our own kingdoms.
Matthew 6:33 NASB 2020
But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.
I am convinced that the reason many Christians have weak prayer lives is that we don’t truly love God with all that we are.
Many of us are more interested in trying to use God to get what we want than in joining God in His work of redeeming and restoring the world.
This has to change, and if we pray like Jesus the Holy Spirit can move our hearts towards Christ through our habit of prayer.

III. We pray like Jesus when we pray for what we need rather than obsessing over what we want.

Matthew 6:11 NASB 2020
‘Give us this day our daily bread.
Rather than whining as spoiled children, we go before the Lord seeking our needs knowing that He knows and cares.
Luke 12:32 NASB 2020
Do not be afraid, little flock, because your Father has chosen to give you the kingdom.
Matthew 6:7–8 NASB 2020
“And when you are praying, do not use thoughtless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
Philippians 4:11–13 NASB 2020
Not that I speak from need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with little, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

IV. We can pray like Jesus when we seek forgiveness in repentance.

Matthew 6:12 NASB 2020
‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Jesus had no sin, but He prays this as an example to us.
We pray powerfully when we are walking in holiness and truth.
It is good for us to regularly repent of our sins and return to God, as we are so prone to wander from Him.
It is good for us to forgive others as we have been forgiven. We do not want to be like the unforgiving servant Jesus told a parable about.

V. We can pray like Jesus when we pray against sin and it's effects.

Matthew 6:13 NASB 2020
‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’
Rather than giving ourselves over to sin and the rule of the world, we ask the Lord to deliver us from evil and set us up firmly in His righteousness.
Joel 2:12–13 NASB 2020
“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “Return to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping, and mourning; And tear your heart and not merely your garments.” Now return to the Lord your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in mercy And relenting of catastrophe.
Romans 12:1–2 NASB 2020
Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Gospel Application

God's purpose for us in prayer is primarily about getting our heart, mind, and will aligned with His. Prayer is about coming into agreement with God so that what we desire will line up with what the King has decreed.
We have been saved not only from Hell and eternal fire, but to a new life in Christ. The way we pray sheds light on our true perspective.
Young people, has the gospel of Christ saturated you to the point that your prayers resemble the model prayer of Christ?
May the Holy Spirit move each of you, that Christ may be more than a religious figure you look up to. May He be to you the Lord whom you serve, indwelling in you because of the Spirit in you, and actively teaching you to walk in His ways at all time.
People who can earnestly and honestly pray like Jesus have the potential to be history making world changers, bringing gospel light into dark places but it truly begins with us.
It is about more than what we know. It is about Who we know and who we are in Him. If our identity is firmly rooted in Christ, there is no end to the impact that we might have.
After all, mustard seed sized faith in a Great God can move mountains but even mountain sized faith in anything else can’t even move a mustard seed.
My challenge to you is this: root yourselves in the Lord my young friends. Christ models this for us and His way is good for us and for the world which desperately needs wholly devoted Jesus people to give them the example of what true and healthy humanity looks like.
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