Sunday March 9 2025

Intentional Worship: Prayer

Matt 6: 5-15

Matthew 6:5–15 NIV

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. “This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today 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 the evil one.’ For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

3 Key Takeaways for Prayer

-1-

Matthew 6:5–6 NIV

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

The Wesleyan Bible Commentary, Volume 4: Matthew–Acts (2) Prayer (6:5–15)

The thing He was condemning throughout this section was making a display of one’s piety in order to win the praise of man.

—> Jesus isn’t saying you can only pray in private.

—> Public prayer is fine with the right intention

—> God not us!

—> John 11:41-42

John 11:41–42 ESV

So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.”

-2-

Matthew 6:7–8 NIV

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

The Wesleyan Bible Commentary, Volume 4: Matthew–Acts (2) Prayer (6:5–15)

Vain repetitions are to be avoided, such as using names of deity over and over in a short prayer. This is neither respectful nor reverent. God hears the sincere petition without repetitiousness.

—> Pray with a KISS

—> Keep it short and simple

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament Chapter 6

Therefore we should be extremely careful in all our prayers to mean what we say; and to say only what we mean from the bottom of our hearts.

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament Chapter 6

one great office of prayer is, to produce such a disposition in us: to exercise our dependence on God; to increase our desire of the things we ask for; to make us so sensible of our wants, that we may never cease wrestling till we have prevailed for the blessing.

The Wesleyan Bible Commentary, Volume 4: Matthew–Acts (2) Prayer (6:5–15)

Simplicity is what Jesus urged in praying. As an example He gave what is known as the Lord’s Prayer (vv. 9–13). It is a model of simplicity and unselfish consecration.

-3-

Matthew 6:9–15 NIV

“This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today 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 the evil one.’ For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

-a-

“Our Father in heaven”

—> Address

—> familiarity and reverence

The Wesleyan Bible Commentary, Volume 4: Matthew–Acts (2) Prayer (6:5–15)

The Prayer may be divided into three sections. First is the address: Our Father who art in heaven. The first part of this suggests familiarity; the second demands reverence. Ward comments, “True prayer begins with adoration.”

-b-

“hallowed be your name”

—> worship

—> “let your name be sanctified”

“your kingdom come”

—> Kingdom goals over personal interest

“your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

—> Your will not mine God

—> The most powerful prayer we can pray

—> Jesus prays this in the Garden of Gethsemane

—> Matt 26:42

Matthew 26:42 NIV

He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”

The Wesleyan Bible Commentary, Volume 4: Matthew–Acts (2) Prayer (6:5–15)

The second section consists of three petitions. The first petition is not one for personal needs, but rather an act of worship—Hallowed be thy name. Literally this is “let thy name be sanctified.” The Jews put much emphasis on “the sanctification of the Name.” The second petition, Thy kingdom come, enjoins us to be more concerned about the prosperity of the Kingdom than about our personal interests. Filson defines the Kingdom as meaning “the full and effective reign of God.” The third petition is: Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. This is very comprehensive in its scope. It takes in all relationships of life—domestic, community, national, international; economic, religious, social—as well as one’s own thoughts, words, and deeds. There is no greater prayer that anyone can pray. Jesus Himself set the example in Gethsemane (26:42).

-c-

“Give us today our daily bread”

—> deeper than asking for daily prevision

—> a reminder to us about the provision of god long ago from the Exodus.

—> But a reminder that God cares about our Physical needs too, not just our Spiritual ones.

“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors”

—> debts = sin

—> We need to have both a repenting heart and a forgiving one.

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

—> Keep temptation away from me

—> Help me when the devil tries his schemes and tricks on me

The Wesleyan Bible Commentary, Volume 4: Matthew–Acts (2) Prayer (6:5–15)

The third section likewise includes three petitions. But these, unlike the previous three, are concerned with personal needs. The first is: Give us this day our daily bread. While the prayer for material needs to be supplied is not to come first, it has its place—even in this brief model prayer. God is interested in our physical as well as spiritual welfare. The second petition, forgive us our debts, has attached to it the very significant condition: as we also have forgiven our debtors. For the professing Christian with an unforgiving spirit this is a dangerous prayer to repeat. Debts means sins (cf.