Prayer Is For Us
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
Less than one week away. One bullet per year.
Focus & Relaxation.
Focus on target, slowly squeezing trigger.
Breathing, don’t flinch.
It requires an outward and inward balance.
Prayer has an upward and inward balance.
Last week, outward / upward focus.
The breath to center us on the Heavenly Father.
Today, we look at the second portion of the model prayer.
Prayers for Survival
Prayers for Survival
v. 11
Bread with every meal. Sandwiches, hamburgers, or just a slice of bread.
Daily bread. Role of bread. “Bread” was used as a catch all for “food.”
Daily pay to pay for daily food.
This led to food insecurity. Anxiety.
“Anxiety wrings its hands; faith folds its hands. Anxiety paces the floor; faith kneels on the floor. Prayer is an exercise of faith, not a display of anxiety.” Charles Quarles
Anxiety vs. Faith
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
We can trust Him because He hears us and God is a God who acts.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
Our prayer life, asking for daily bread, our daily needs, reminds us…
Prayer is a combination of humility and faith.
Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.
But this language reminds us of the need for food in the wilderness.
The manna, that arrived every day (except on Saturday, the Sabbath).
You have not eaten bread, and you have not drunk wine or strong drink, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.
You can trust God with your physical needs.
Prayers for Salvation
Prayers for Salvation
v. 12
The fruit of forgiveness is forgiveness.
Rabbi Akiba compares God to a cosmic shopkeeper who works “in the black.”
What we want to offer to others.
Like when you discover a great new restaurant and want other people to know!
Jesus wants people to experience that same thing with forgiveness.
The mentality of discovering something great and not wanting anyone to experience it.
More on this concept of forgiveness next week as Jesus gives a thought following the prayer.
Forgiveness is directly related to love.
The character of Jesus. And as we become more Christlike.
God’s forgiveness inspires habitual forgiveness.
Affects your character.
But it begins with salvation.
Prayers for Sanctification
Prayers for Sanctification
v. 13
The moral aspect of prayer.
An odd statement to make.
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.
Litotes - emphasis through negation
a figure of speech and form of irony in which understatement is used to emphasize a point by stating a negative to further affirm a positive.
“Not a few” = a whole bunch
All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
“never cast out” = certainly receive
“Not lead to temptation” = lead into righteousness
Which leads to 13b - away from evil.
Recognize that we are incapable.
We can’t deliver ourselves…
John Bradford, “There, but for the grace of God, goes John Bradford.”
16th century pastor who would say this as he saw people being taken off to execution for heinous crimes.
We must depend upon God for day to day spiritual and moral growth.
Conclusion
Conclusion
“Do you know who you are talking to?”
Usually a threat.
Paul to the high priest and then someone else…
For Jesus, He sets up prayer in a similar way. Instead…
Christians are empowered to bring requests to God.
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Relationship empowers requests.
We begin by focusing on who God is - Heavenly Father.
And maybe that’s the prayer you need to pray today.
