Prayer

Starting a new series on the Fundamentals of the Christian Faith.

Core of what it means to walk with Jesus through life and faith.

What the Bible says about it.

How our ancestors dealt with these fundamentals.

Practical ways we can hold and practice these beliefs in our busy lives.

This week we will be discussing prayer. Why prayer?

Prayer tends to be where things begin, and it’s what we as people keep coming back to over and over again as it is the natural way to commune with God through Christ Jesus.

When we as people hit rock bottom and decide that God is the only answer, we call out to Him. In reality, He’d been calling to us for some time, but we call out to Him in desperation. And then throughout the walk of faith, we consistently go back to prayer. As we should. This is a relationship and prayer is how we communicate, after all.

Living in the reality of the New Testament, we have this beautiful opportunity to learn from Jesus’s teachings and examples. So what better way to start our look into prayer than the Lord’s Prayer.

Matthew 6:9–13 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.

This is from the Sermon on the Mount.

Jesus saw a massive crowd of people coming towards him, so he climbed a ways up a mountain, sat down (which was normal for a teacher of that day - it signified he was teaching), and began to teach his disciples.

We know that the crowd heard at least much of the sermon, as we’re told they were amazed.

But Jesus was really teaching his disciples. THE PEOPLE WHO WERE WITH HIM ALL THE TIME, KNEW HIM, AND WERE ALREADY FOLLOWING HIM. - Let that sink in for a moment.

This wasn’t for those who didn’t already believe in him, but for those who already had a relationship with him.

Let’s dissect this for a moment.

Jesus begins his prayer example with him...

Recognizing God as Father in heaven (A caring and loving father, who protects, watches out for, and wants good for His children.)

Recognizing that God is holy, even His name. (Holy as in separate, special, above all others.)

Asking for the kingdom of the God of All to be upon us. (Not focusing on this world and earthly kingdom, but on the kingdom of God that is behind the scenes and in Heaven.)

Asking for God’s will to happen on earth just as much as in heaven. (Asking God to use His authority.)

Jesus moves from God to Us.

Give us our needs daily (Not looking so far ahead, and not focusing on desires, but needs.)

Forgive us

Because we have forgiven (Forgiveness is KEY!)

Deliver us from evil, even temptation (The TRUE enemy is evil, not the foes that we think we see. - Love the person, not the sin.)

And this is a great formula, or format to follow. In fact, if you notice, I tend to start my prayers with thanks. It’s important that we not only tell God what we need or want, but that we also recognize the blessings that He has already done for us. - Which is very import during those difficult and depressing times. Focus on the good, and watch the Spirit of God work.

Was this all that Jesus gave during the prayer portion of this sermon? No. In fact, Jesus gave a few more great pointers.

Matthew 6:5–6 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.

Jesus isn’t saying that we shouldn’t pray in public. Never in church history has this been taken this way.

Jesus is saying that the heart behind this matters! If you pray in public so that others will think you are holy, then their thoughts are the reward you will receive.

If you want to truly speak to God, speak to him earnestly.

True prayer is measured by weight, not by length. A single groan before God may have more fullness of prayer in it than a fine oration of great length.

Charles Spurgeon

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.

Empty phrases, or the sort of stock saying that we use. I find myself caught in certain prayer patterns at times, and have to ask God to forgive my weak vocabulary and to hear my heart.

Again, it’s not about the length, or the eloquence of the prayer. It’s about the earnest leaning into God.

So what is prayer?

Prayer is vocalizing our relationship with God.

We can do it in our head in silence. We can do it with our eyes closed, with our eyes open, with our hands folded, with our hands pressed together, with our hands lifted high. We can do it bowing in reverence to God almighty. We can do it while lifting our faces to the heavens.

Different cultures and traditions do it differently. And there is simply no right or wrong way to do it, at least physically.

Some of my prayers are like simple chatter, like calling a good friend on the phone - but with speaking to Jesus.

Some of my prayers, I’m asking God to help others, and I really don’t know fully what to say, other that “help.” And this is important - PRAY FOR EACH OTHER, and don’t give up. Prayer truly makes a difference!

Some of my prayers I’m so broken and weak that I’m crying on my bed and can’t even do anything but sob. And you know what, God hears these ones too. This is what Paul is talking about in Romans 8.

Romans 8:26 ESV

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Don’t worry about the form and the format. Find what works best for you. The most important thing to remember here is to speak with God.

He did everything to repair the relationship with His creation. With you! He longs to have that relationship with you. I can guarantee you that He’s calling out to you, even if you’re not hearing it. And that line goes both ways. Is it time for you to pick up the phone and call Him?

I would encourage you - if you feel God drawing you back to His heart this morning, pray and come back to Him.

Prayer of salvation / rededication.

If you prayed that, I would ask that you let us know. Fill out a prayer card on the table, or an offering slip on the chair and put it in the prayer box. I pray over anything that goes in the box every week. And we want to celebrate with you and encourage you on our walk with Jesus.

Prayer -

Father, thank you so much for restoring relationship with us, your creation. Forgive us for the times when we have taken this life for granted. Please, continue to draw us ever closer to you, as there’s really not much of a point to life without you. Give us what we need to do the tasks and live the lives that you are calling each and every one of us to. Help us to have the courage and the strength to forgive others when we are wronged. And help us to continue to pray, even when we aren’t sure it’s making any difference at all We love you, Lord.

In Jesus’ name. Amen