A Pattern of Excellence in Faithful Prayer (Part 1)
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Central Idea
Faithful prayer follows a God-centered pattern that aligns our hearts with His will, deepens our reverence, and directs our daily living.
INTRODUCTION
Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount provides a pattern/ model of praying
“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. “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.
Jesus wants us to condition our minds and hearts before with we come to God in prayer.
I. Prayer Begins with Reverence for God’s Holiness
I. Prayer Begins with Reverence for God’s Holiness
Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
We do not approach the Father in isolation -
“Our” Father
“Our” Father
“At all times we speak to the Father as members of a community of countless large and small Christian gatherings throughout the world” (Christian Studies Press)
“At all times we speak to the Father as members of a community of countless large and small Christian gatherings throughout the world” (Christian Studies Press)
In Heaven
In Heaven
God exists beyond the limitations of space, time and matter
God is immaterial, timeless and not limited to any location
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.
Hallowed be your name
Hallowed be your name
When we go to God we acknowledge that He is holy, set apart and distinct.
Ecclesiastes 5:1–2 (ESV)
Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. 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.
Practical & Actionable Applications:
Begin each prayer with the understand of the specific attributes of God (His holiness, mercy, power).
Slow down your prayer life—avoid rushing into requests.
II. Prayer Acknowledges God’s Kingdom
II. Prayer Acknowledges God’s Kingdom
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Christ Earthly Kingdom is Here
Christ Earthly Kingdom is Here
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
The Heavenly Kingdom is Coming
The Heavenly Kingdom is Coming
The heavenly kingdom is an inheritance waiting for Christians in the future
nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
III. Thy Will be Done
III. Thy Will be Done
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
God’s will reigns in Earth and in Heaven
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
You can’t wear your old identity and walk in your new one.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
"Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react to it."
"Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react to it."
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
