Praying

Recap

Over the last couple of weeks we have been talking about the disicplines that Jesus expects from every believer as found in matthew 6.

Fasting

We started by talking about fasting

and we have been fasting as a body

I have talked to many of you as you have joined us.

Tomorrow is the last day of the corperate fast

but I pray that you take time through the year to fast regularly.

Giving

Then last week we talked about giving

and more specifically living a life of generosity

and we saw how when we give what we have to god

He blesses is

and then when we are generous with it he blesses is even more

And I hope you have put that into practice in your life this week.

Today

We are now in verse 5 of matthew 6

and Jesus is talking about another expectation of believers

Lets read it again..

Matthew 6:5–13 ESV

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this: “Our Father 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 lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Prayer

Jesus says..

When you pray

Just like the other disicplines we have been talking about

Jesus doesnt give any question as to the expectation he has of prayer in the life of a follower

He expects us to pray

and thus he through this passage teaches us how we should pray

But what is prayer?

What is prayer?

SImply put, prayer is our communication and communion with god.

It is talking with .. not just too.. but with god.. communication

and spending time with God.. Communion

Scripture

We see this example set all throughout scripture from geneisis to revelation

people talking with god

and spedning time with god.

Jesus

Even Jesus.. who was fully god

dedicated much time to prayer

John records that it was the practice of Jesus to get alone and prayer regularly..

to spend time talking with

and comuning with god..

Jesus through example shows us the importance of prayer.

Prayer is now..

I want to point out one misconception though..

prayer is not just giving a laundry list of requests to god..

its not just asking him to do this or that..

or for this or that..

dont get me wrong

requests are important and they have thier place in prayer..

but prayer is much more important thant just simply asking god for needs..

Prayer is one the primary ways through which we build relationship with god

Communication

I want you to think about the relationships you have in your life..

and then think about how important communication is to those relationships..

ex

for those of you who are married..

some of you remember the days you fell in love..

and you spend hours and hours on the phone..

you know.. the one with the 20 foot cord..

just talking..

because you wanted to know everything about the other person..

and you found out everything about the other person..

communication helps us grow in our relationships with each other..

Bad communication

but bad communication leads to broken relationships..

we can all think of a time when communication was bad with somone..

and it damaged our relationship with them..

Either sometime wasnt communicated..

or somone lied..

or someon just flat our refused to talk to you..

and this led to bigger issues..

FOundation

The fact Communication is the foundation of all relationships.

without communication relationships are setup for failure..

Communication with god

And the same is true for our heavenly father

Communication, or prayer.. is one way through which we build relationship..

in prayer we talk to god..

BUT HE SPEAKS WITH US AS WELL..

we share our heart. .

and pour ourselves out

and he responds in love, wisdom, and guidance..

and through this communication we grow our relationship with our father..

Communion

but prayer is not just comunicating..

its also comuning..

or spedning intimate time with our father..

sharing time together..

and this is important..

Because its in these times that God can through the holy spirit minister to us..

He shares he love for us..

He mends our broken hearts..

he ministers forgiveness of our sins..

He gives us guidance and direction

he shares is will and helps us align ours..

its in prayer that we spend private time with god..

AND WE NEED BOTH COMMUNION AND COMMUNICATION TO HAVE A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD..

prayer is something that should occupy time in every day of our lifes..

its that important..

Its so important that Jesus doesnt just say we should do it..

but he teaches his followers how here in this passage..

so how do we pray?

Jesus teaches us to pray

Jesus in this passage gives us some pointers for prayer

many people see the lords prayer pray it word for word..

and while the word of god will not return void when its spoken..

Jesus point here it not to prayer the words he says..

infact he speaks against that when he says dont just heap up empty phrases

rather Jesus is giving us a guideline if you will

a fill in the blank for prayer..

Get alone

bthe first thing Jesus says.. is get alone..

Matthew 6:6 ESV

But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Jesus says find some time for you and the father..

Go into your room and shut the door

Jesus

Remember Jesus practiced this ..

He would go the mountain..

or the garden..

He even went into the wilderness for 40 days..

ALONE WITH GOD..

We have to find time to get alone.

Corperate

does that mean we shouldnt pray together?

no of course not..

Does it mean we shouldnt pray in public..

no of course not..

those are different kinds of prayers for different kinds of purposes..

BUT JESUS SAYS..

IN your regular prayer life..

practice some solitude with god..

get alone

AND TALK WITH YOUR FATHER..

Keep is simple and sincere

the next thing jesus tells us to be sincere not religous..

Matthew 6:7–8 ESV

“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Jesus says dont just say abunch of empty phrases..

this is your father your talking to..

Jesus is encouraging his followers to just sincerely talk to the father..

Dinner

How many of us prayer for dinner?

now how many of us prayer the same prayer.. word for word.. for dinner

if its so repatisous.. that we can say it without even thinking..

its is sincere anymore?

Jesus is telling us that praying just to pray isnt th epoint..

but sincere conversation with god it the point..

and then he goes on to explain the times of things we should pray..

he tells us to start by honoring god..

Spend time Honoring God

Matthew 6:9 ESV

Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

when you go to the father..

take time to honor him..

to worship..

to remember who your talking to..

I heard somone one time say that this was .. addressing your prayers..

remind yourself who your talking to..

how big god it..

what he has done..

and give him honore

This sets the stage as we prayer and will help use to pray in faith..

Align your will with the father

Next Jesus tells us to align ourselves with the fathers will..

not our own..

Matthew 6:10 ESV

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

One bible scholar wrote that this was the same as putting ones foot down in prayer..

and demanding gods will and not outs..

why?

you might ask why do I need to do that?

well for one. god knows better than us..

if we ask for what he wills..

we will lead a better life..

because he knows what we need..

secondly..

Gods ways are better than ours..

we tend to ask for what we want many times..

when we should ask for what we need.

and God knows what we need.

and in aligning our will with Gods.

We ask and pray for the right things..

because Jesus says we should try to do these two things before we get to the next part..

requests..

Give your requests

Matthew 6:11 ESV

Give us this day our daily bread,

what is daily bread?

its whats sustains us..

its what we need.

Jesus spends a big chunk of this passage talking about what we need..

and that the father knows what we need..

But Jesus tells us here..

tell god your needs..

Why?

you might be asking..

well if god knows what I need..

why do I need to ask him for what I need?

simple..

in asking were putting our faith in him for our provision instead of something or someone else..

rmemeber.. were building a relationship through prayer..

and in asking god for the things you know he supplies..

we are conintually reminded he is our supplier..

Not all

requests might now be the all be it to prayer..

but they are important..

and they are important to god..

Check your heart

the next thing Jesus tells us to do is check our heart..

Matthew 6:12 ESV

and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Notice Jesus doesnt jesus say to ask for forgiveness..

but he says as we forgive..

later Jesus will says that our forgivness is so important that God cannot forgive us if we will not forgive others..

Jesus says we should ask for forgivenss..

Psalm 139:23–24 ESV

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

why

why would we pray this daily?

because we need to forgive daily..

we forgive those we come in contact with

we forgive those continually who are hard to forgive..

THIS IS THE DAILY MAINTANANCE OF OUR HEART..

AND THE FACT THAT WE ARE NOT PRAYING ENOUGH IS EVIDENCED BY HEARTS THAT ARE FULL OF THINGS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN CARE OF..

Ask for Wisdom and guidance

Finally Jesus says ask for wisdom and guidance

Matthew 6:13 ESV

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

help us today lord

to not run somone off the road..

Lead me

and guide man..

Jesus says ask god to help yoou through your day..

Conclusion

You see Jesus is teaching us not to be religous..

he is teaching us to simply have a relationship with the father..

and ongoing relationship with the father..

Its all about Relationship

and you know thats the reason Jesus came..

So we could be returned in relationship with God.

Speaking of Jesus.. John Wrote in JOhn 1:12.

John 1:12 ESV

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

children of god..

WE serve a god who doesnt want to loyd himself over us as servants..

He wants to love and embrace us as children..

and Jesus is the way through which he does that..