When You Pray

Introduction

Illustration of a friend never talking to or telling them how much they love them. . . never spending time with them. . . etc.

Key Point: When we pray, we must remember to whom we are praying, and seek the treasure of the Father’s pleasure in communion with him.

Context

The gospel of Matthew presents Jesus as the new Moses who came to redeem his people from slavery to sin and give them access into the true promise land of heaven and communion with God.

The Lord’s instructions on prayer come during his sermon on the mount, which is focused on teaching about the kingdom of God.

Kingdom of God: God’s Rule and Reign as King.

The Lord’s prayer is the center of the sermon on the mount and it is by the Lord’s prayer that the disciples seek empowerment to live out the righteousness of the sermon.

The instructions on prayer are given along with instructions about giving and fasting. In each of these teachings Jesus commands his disciples to not be like the hypocrites who do these things before others to demonstrate their righteousness.

Instead, he commands them to practice these acts in secret and only do them for their heavenly Father, so that he will reward them in secret.

Now that we have understood the context, let’s read the Lord’s preliminary instructions on what we should when we pray:

Matthew 6:5–8 ESV

5 “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. 6 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. 7 “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. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

“And When You Pray”

What is prayer?

Prayer is pouring out our hearts to God in praise, petition, confession of sin, and thanksgiving.

Psalm 62:8 ESV

8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah

Why should we pray?

It is the best way we can praise and give thankfulness to God, it is commanded by God, and it is God’s will for our lives.

Psalm 50:14–15 ESV

14 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, 15 and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 ESV

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

With what attitude should we pray?

With love, perseverance, and gratefulness; in humble submission to God’s will, knowing that, for the sake of Christ, he always hears our prayers.

Philippians 4:6 ESV

6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Prayer is only possible through faith in our Great High Priest and Mediator, Jesus Christ.

In the OT, only the high priest could enter the holy of holies.

Christ’s death has torn the veil, and now we have access and can commune with God freely through Christ.

Consider this, if we neglect communion with God in prayer, we are removing the significance of Jesus’ sacrificial death for our sins.

This is why we pray “in Jesus name.”

Notice Jesus says “when you pray.”

Prayer is expected and a normal practice for his disciples.

As a child of God, prayer should be the most natural thing we can do.

Example of Graysen or Emmy talking to me.

Prayer can feel unnatural because we often forget who we are praying to.

Prayer can feel unnatural because we often forget who we are in Christ.

Two Commands When You Pray

Both of Jesus’ commands in verses 5-8 have a negative and positive aspect. Jesus tells us what we should not do and what we should do when we pray.

Both commands are centered on the motivations and intentions of the heart, and connected with theme of “knowing to whom we are praying.”

Don’t be like the Jews (Religious Hypocrites)

His first command is negative in verse 5: “You must not be like the hypocrites.”

For the hypocrites pray for their own selfish glory and they seek the applause from people by praying in the synagogue and on the street corners.

Jesus was not condemning public prayer but prayer practiced with the desire to be seen and praised by others. “Standing” in the synagogue meant to stand in the front in order to be seen (see Luke 18:11).

Some people specifically timed their afternoon prayers so they would be in the busiest part of the street so the whole town could see them pray.

These people are “hypocrites” because by praying, they put on a mask and try to make themselves appear holy, but inwardly they are evil and are only seeking selfish gain.

Those who seek praise from people will receive their reward on earth from the people’s applause.

“Too often, Christians think of hypocrites as people who do one thing but feel another. But that’s not hypocrisy. Hypocrites publicize one set of beliefs but live by a different set of beliefs. . . Doing what is right when you don’t feel like doing what is right is maturity. Professing one thing in public but living a different way in private is hypocrisy.” -Kevin DeYoung

Instead of seeking the applause of others through prayer, Jesus says: “go into your room and pray to your Father who is in secret.”

Jesus commands his disciples to go into their “inner room” where no one could see or hear them pray except the Father.

Prayer is about talking to God and praising him, not others.

This was the example of Jesus (Matt. 14:23; Mark 1:35).

Matthew 14:23 ESV

23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,

Mark 1:35 ESV

35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.

Jesus’ disciples had to ask him how to pray because Jesus often prayed in secret to his Father.

The Father will give an eternal reward to those who pray to him in secret.

It is all about the heart and attitude of prayer for the disciples. Their desire to pray should not be so that their righteousness can be seen by other people, but so that it can be seen only by God.

They should not seek to impress others with their prayers but God alone. They should want to pray because they love the Father and want to be with him. Thus, praying in secret will not be difficult for the disciple who only cares about communing with God.

The question we must ask ourselves is: why are we praying? Who are we trying to please? Who are we trying to be seen by? Are we seeking a temporary reward or an eternal heavenly reward?

We must know to whom we are praying. . . why seek a temporary reward from people when we can receive an eternal reward from God?

The reward of prayer is communion with the God of the universe! We should want to pray because we get to talk to our Creator, Lord, and Savior!

We must have an “Audience of one” perspective when it comes to prayer.

Don’t be like the Gentiles (Unbelievers)

Similar to verses 5-6, Jesus gives a negative and positive command on what the disciples must do when they pray.

First, in verse 7, they must not stammer and babble many useless words like the pagans who chant to their false gods.

1 Kings 18:26 ESV

26 And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped around the altar that they had made.

The number of words does not make it more likely to be heard.

If we think our many words will force God to hear or answer us, we imply that God is dumb or we need to impress him.

God hears all our thoughts and words we speak, thus we must not speak to God rashly.

We must remember that God is in heaven and we are on earth. God is God and we are not.

Ecclesiastes 5:2 ESV

2 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.

Think about the rituals Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists perform in their prayers.

If Muslims don’t wash their hands and feet, remove their shoes, face towards Mecca, and repeat the prayers, Allah will not hear them.

If Hindus don’t offer food and water to their gods, they won’t hear them

But, our ritual, our access, our sacrifice has already been accomplished through Jesus’ death for our sins and his resurrection.

When we think we must make ourselves acceptable for God to hear us, or perform rituals or specific sayings for him to answer our prayers, we make Jesus’ death on the cross meaningless.

The emphasis is more on “vain/empty” words and less on repetitious words.

Can this be seen today in saying “God” and “Lord” after every word? What about rote and mindless prayers before meals or before bed?

It is not long or repetitious prayers that Jesus is discouraging, but believing that repeating words or offering long prayers will persuade God more that he is discouraging.

Our words should be few because God knows what we need before we ask him! He knows all things.

Psalm 139:1–6 ESV

1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me! 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. 5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.

Question/Objection: If God knows all things before we ask, why should we pray? Does prayer even matter?

“The very design of prayer furnishes an easy answer. Believers do not pray, with the view of informing God about things unknown to him, or of exciting him to do his duty, or of urging him as though he were reluctant. On the contrary, they pray, in order that they may arouse themselves to seek him, that they may exercise their faith in meditating on his promises, that they may relieve themselves from their anxieties by pouring them into his presence; in a word, that they may declare that from Him alone they hope and expect, both for themselves and for others, all good things. God himself, on the other hand, has purposed freely, and without being asked, to pour out blessings upon us; but he promises that he will grant them to our prayers. We must, therefore, maintain both of these truths, that He freely anticipates our wishes, and yet that we obtain by prayer what we ask.” -John Calvin

Response

Know to whom we are praying.

Audience of one. . . seek the applause and blessing of the Father alone.

Know who God is. . . EXPOUND THIS TRUTH

This is why theology matters. . . Because the more we learn about God and see how awesome, glorious, and beautiful he is. . . it leads us to worship him.

Theology should lead to doxology.

Repent of ways we have forgotten to whom we are praying. . . what Christ has done to give us access to God. . . of who we are in Christ.

Delight in Communion with God.

God delights in us

Isaiah 62:4–5 ESV

4 You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate, but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married. 5 For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your sons marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.

So let us delight in him

Psalm 16:9–11 ESV

9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. 10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. 11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.