Praying as Adopted Children: Foundations of Prayer

Matthew 6:9–15 ESV

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. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Jesus just got done answering…

What kind of God is it that we think we’re serving by giving charity?

Or prayer.

Jesus repeats the name “Father” 18 times in this section to highlight the nature of the God that we come to.

Jesus had just warned them about a hypocrisy that practices their righteousness before others to be honored by them.

Jesus now turns to give an instruction on prayer.

Our Lord’s prayer was notable.

Prayer was central to Him.

We are told that Jesus would go and pray all night (Luke 6:12-13).

So substantial that His disciples would ask Him…

Luke 11:1 (ESV)

“Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”

There was a dependence that Jesus had on His heavenly Father.

It’s important to understand the form of the Lord’s prayer before we get into the details.

The Form of the Lord’s Prayer

The Pharisee’s loved to be seen by others.

They loved the honor that comes from men more than from God.

But Jesus on the other hand gives a completely different model for prayer.

He gave a model which was simple, basic, and yet deeply profound for us to follow.

Jesus just condemned in the Pharisee’s for…

Pursuing an honored among men hypocrisy.

Pursuing the desire to be thought of as spiritual.

He condemned long and lengthy prayers in an effort to be heard because of the many words.

It would be contrary Jesus then to take this teaching on prayer and make it a standard by which we measure how spiritual a person is.

It would be foolish to think that if we pray it over and over in a hyper-ritualistic manner that we will be heard for the many words.

A formula approach would think,

“Ok, Jesus taught us how to pray, now we need to always pray in this way and never depart from it.”

“Jesus taught us to pray, we should pray this over and over again because God will hear our requests if we do that.”

Both of these hearts still miss what Jesus is aiming at which is a revolutionary understanding for prayer.

This prayer is brief, simple, and child-like in the way that Jesus instructs us to pray.

Brief, Simple, and Child-like

Brief

The prayer that Jesus teaches His followers to pray is not impressive.

It is not lengthy.

There is a brevity to this prayer that is striking.

Rather than praying BIG, LONG, ELOQUENT prayers; Jesus teaches a brief and simple prayer.

Simple

Though this prayer is simple it is theologically deep.

There is a simplicity that even a child can understand, yet it has a depth that theologians don’t get.

Listen to the prayers of the “professional prayers” and you will become discouraged that you will never “sound like them.”

But if eloquence is our aim than nobody should come.

But Jesus is inviting His followers to pray and to do so with simplicity.

Child-like

Another feature of this prayer is the child-like dependance that it exudes.

By child-like dependance, we are not talking about baby-talk in some immature manner.

But we are describing the characteristics of a child that prays expectantly with child-like prayer.

G.K. Chesterton once observed how the sinful heart of man does not make us more like a child but less.

The sinfulness of man drives us further and further from what God designed us to be like.

Chesterton describes what our secular age desires us to be like by comparing an businessman to his young office boy who would help.

He describes how the office man will say things like,

“When you’re older, you’ll understand the complexities of life.”

“When you get more experience the intricacies of how the world works and you’ll grow up to see the world is dull and boring.”

Chesterton described our world as “Elfland” and by this he meant the magical and beautiful creation under the hand of a heavenly Father.

“[Children] always say, "Do it again"; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, "Do it again" to the sun; and every evening, "Do it again" to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.” —G.K. Chesterton

Chesterton’s point here is not that God is literally younger than us but more that He delights in monotony.

Not just in monotony, but He delights as we have seen to provide in our everyday affairs.

The Basis of Our Prayer – Grounded in Our Adoption

The doctrine of adoption in the Bible is often overlooked.

It is overlooked to our shame.

“Our understanding of Christianity cannot be better than our grasp of adoption.” —J.I. Packer

Our grasp of Christianity cannot rise higher than our grasp of this doctrine.

Our grasp of Christ cannot rise higher than our grasp of adoption.

If a person thinks of God and they only view Him as a far off distant judge ready to drop the hammer on them…

then they will try relentlessly to appease this God.

They will set up rules and systems to try and guard themselves from sin.

Not because they love God but because they’re terrified of His judgment and wrath.

In prayer they will not want to offer too many “petty” requests because God doesn’t care about these small petty things.

Or if a person thinks that they themselves are too “far gone” and unable to be loved by anyone.

Then they’ll stare inwardly and see how unworthy they are to be loved.

I think this is what Packer was getting at.

Our prayer lives reflect what we believe about God.

If we’re too far off because He is too lofty, we misunderstand what God is like.

If we’re too afraid to draw near, we misunderstand what God is like.

Even if we’re too jovial and laid back, we misunderstand what God is like.

In the OT, people were not said to be individually in relationship with God as Father.

This was unheard of. God did describe Israel though on multiple occasions as being in relationship with God in this manner.

Exodus 4:22–23 ESV

Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son, and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’ ”

This is ultimately the reason that God judged Pharaoh by taking his first born son.

Pharaoh refused to release God’s son, then he would judged with his son being taken.

But for a person to claim that God is their Father was viewed by the Jews of Jesus’ day as blasphemous.

John 5:17–18 ESV

But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

The Jews understood the significance of what Jesus was claiming.

They knew the significance of what Jesus was claiming.

The language of sonship in the Scriptures are significant and underneath what Jesus claims here for believers is even more significant.

But notice how Jesus instruct us to pray…

Matthew 6:9 ESV

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

There was a very insidious idea several years ago called, “The Universal Fatherhood of God.”

The idea that God is the intimate father over all and we’re all brothers.

If God is the universal Father of all, then why did Christ come?

If God is the universal Father of all, then we all just need to recognize his fatherly hand?

We DON’T reject the doctrine Fatherhood of God.

John 1:12–13 ESV

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

So when we hear Jesus calling us to pray, “Our Father…”, don’t miss the wonder of that invitation.

“Were I asked to focus the New Testament message in three words, my proposal would be ADOPTION THROUGH PROPITIATION, and I do not expect ever to meet a richer or more pregnant summary of the gospel than that.” — J.I. Packer

Adoption Through Propitiation

The NT claims that Christians (especially Gentiles) but all were at one time aliens and strangers to the covenants of promise.

At one time you were not a child.

But God has brought us into His family through the blood of Jesus alone.

We are called into relationship with the Father as adopted children.

Matthew 6:9 (ESV)

“Our Father…

Immanence – God’s Nearness to Us

Imminence is merely the theological word that means “God’s nearness to us.”

How much closer can a person be than described as Father?

How much more familial can you get than that?

Many do not think that when they hear the name Father.

But Jesus describes the Father in the most intimate terms imaginable.

Paul makes a similar argument when he says…

Galatians 4:1–2 ESV

I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father.

Paul centers upon an illustration of a son who is too young to receive an inheritance.

He argues that a son that is too young to take over his fathers property is no different than a slave.

The son is under a “guardian and managers” until his father sees fit to hand over the inheritance.

This guardian that Paul is referring to is the OT law that Israel was placed under.

The guardian was there to protect them and keep them walking in obedience like guardrails.

Galatians 4:3 ESV

In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world.

“Elemental principles” would be thinks like “earth, wind, or fire”

It would have been the kind of pagan idolatrous practices.

Paganism simply defined is,

“If I do good, God will bless me. If I do bad, God will curse me.”

Paul draws a direct link in verse 3 between the pagan practices to Judaizer’s misuse of the law.

Paul describes this guardianships as enslavement.

We were enslaved under the yoke of the law.

Galatians 4:4–5 ESV

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

Do you see that?

We were once enemies and aliens to God.

But the beauty of the doctrine of adoption is we are now consider adopted sons through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Not only were we brought into the family of God.

We are considered sons of God through Jesus Christ.

“Adoption is the highest privilege that the gospel offers: higher even than justification.. . To be right with God the Judge is a great thing, but to be loved and cared for by God the Father is greater.” — J.I. Packer

God is no longer our Judge, since the punishment for sin is paid.

God is no longer condemning His children because the condemnation has been finished.

God is NOW our Father with Jesus as our elder brother.

Jesus tells to pray in light of the fact that we are adopted into His family.

Galatians 4:6–7 ESV

And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

“The image of “adoption” tells us that our relationship with God is based completely on a legal act by the Father. You don’t “win” a father, and you don’t “negotiate” for a parent. Adoption is a legal act on the part of the father — it is very expensive and costly only for him. There is nothing the son does to win or earn the status. It is simply received.” —Tim Keller

Transcendence — God’s Greatness Over Us

Matthew 6:9 (ESV)

“Our Father in heaven…”

In the 1960’s, the USSR sent the first astronauts into space.

They were the first humans to be in space and one of the pilots famously quipped.

“Some say God is living there [in space]. I was looking around very attentively, but I did not see anyone there. I did not detect either angels or gods”

Should we be surprised that astronauts did not see “god” in space?

It reveals people’s conception of God as some grandpa in the sky.

God is NOT just our Father in some earthly way.

He is our Father who dwells in the heavens.

Isaiah 57:15 ESV

For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.

Ecclesiastes 5:2 ESV

Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few.

Psalm 113:5–6 ESV

Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth?

Psalm 115:3 ESV

Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.

God’s transcendence means that He is far above you and I.

We are not talking about the god’s of the pagan nations.

We’re not talking about the gods of crops or fertility.

We’re talking about the God who dwells in eternity.

We’re talking about the God who is boundless in power.

When we pray, we must always hold two realities together.

Though they seem contradictory on the surface, they are of equal importance.

God’s fatherly love for us, and His inexpressible power over all.

God loves like a father, with complete sovereign power over all.

These two realities must govern our prayer times.

The Aim of Prayer – Aimed at God’s Glory

Matthew 6:9 ESV

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

The Aim of Prayer – Aimed at God’s Glory

When I used to work at ABL, one of the first things they teach you about explosives is really as simple a child can understand it.

THEY ARE DANGEROUS.

Don’t play around with them.

Don’t be jovial with a cavalier spirit around them.

You need to treat them with reverence.

I would contend that when we approach God there needs to be a similar kind of heart posture.

We need to recognize the sheer greatness and magnitude of what we’re doing.

We’re approaching the One to whom nations bow down.

We’re approaching the One to whom super-novas obey.

We’re approaching the One to whom every person will bow one day.

Jesus tells us to pray, “hallowed be your name.”

Now the word “hallow” means to “treat as holy” or “revere.”

We still use this in some senses when we say, “This place is hallow ground” meaning that it is “unique”, or “set apart.”

Think about how different this is from other aims in prayer.

Applications for Unbelievers

The unbeliever has as many aims and goals in prayer as they are different people.

“Our Father in Heaven, make my reputation great.”

“Our Father in Heaven, make my family great.”

“Our Father in Heaven, make my business great.”

“Our Father in Heaven, make America great.”

Do you see how different what Jesus tells us to pray here?

Before we pray for anything else, Jesus tells us to pray aimed toward the glory of God.

Humans do not have the ability to pray neutrally.

We are always giving glory to something or someone.

Whether that is ourself in idolatry and sin.

Or it is giving God the glory that is due His name.

Warning Against Praying Flippantly

This is a request that God’s creation make keep His name as holy.

There is an implication here with the request that we ourselves will speak of God as hallowed.

It’s a request with the expectation that we will live in step with our request.

Applications for Hallowing God’s Name

Matthew 6:9–10 ESV

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.

The Desire of Prayer – “Come, Lord Jesus”

I’m reminded as I spoke with Ronny last week of the situation that Christians find themselves all around the world.

To be a Christian in any other context is to experience harrowing persecution.

Of life, liberty, and all the things we hold dear.

But Jesus tells us to pray for God’s kingdom to come.

May your rule and reign be brought here.

The rule and reign and authority that Jesus has over the cosmos is current.

God has never lost complete and universal sovereignty over the cosmos.

But although God rules completely and entirely over the cosmos.

His saving reign is not always recognized.

Jesus inaugurated the salvific rule in His earthly ministry which culminated in His exaltation.

But not everyone recognizes this rule and reign and authority.

May your will prevail here as in heaven.

It is essentially like Jesus exhorts us to pray for God’s righteousness to be fully accomplished HERE as it is accomplished right now in heaven.

“We pray that the kingdom would come, as Jesus says in the next part of the prayer, by causing His will to be done on earth as in heaven. We're praying for the restoration of the original created harmony between heaven and earth. And we're praying that we would be part of that restoration, so that as we hear and do what Jesus says, our lives will be set on a rock rather than on sand and that we will bring heaven to earth.” (Peter J. Leithart)

I want to end by giving us two applications from this section.

We need to know God’s will.

This seems simple enough but think about it.

We need to live in step with God’s will today.