Prayer, Part 2

Matthew 6:5–13 KJV 1900

5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. 9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Introduction

We'll continue this thought on prayer. And if you're into reading, I'd advise you to read as much as you can and as you're able to. But if you want a book that'll help you with your prayer life outside of the Bible, I would tell you to get E.M. Bounds' Complete Works of Prayer. There are three or four books in the Complete Works.

E.M. Bounds was a preacher during the 1800s, was actually a confederate chaplain during the Civil War because the Union made you pay to be a chaplain and so E.M. Bounds went where he was wanted and one of the greatest revivals to ever happen in our country happened in the South during the Civil War.

You won't find it in the history books, you won't find it on the news, but it was over 100,000 men gave their hearts and lives to Christ in the middle of the Civil War, Confederate soldiers.

That's why in the South, the majority of our churches were started, if you go and you find them, the majority were started in the 1870s. Why? Because those men came home from the Civil War, saved, called to preach, went off to Bible college, and went out and started churches. That's how we became the Bible Belt in the South, it was really a part of the Civil War. And so what the devil meant for evil, God worked it out for good.

So, I would encourage you, as we continue in this study series on prayer, to find resources alongside your Bible to help cause you to pursue prayer.

Often when seeking a better prayer life, you may hear someone say, or even say it yourself. “I should pray more, I need to pray more, etc.

What is more? When we say we want to pray more, what are we meaning by the word more? Are we meaning that we simply want to pray longer and we want to pray more often and we want to have more time invested in prayer?

Or are we saying that we want our prayers to be louder? We want our prayers to be more vocal. We want our prayers to be heard, we want more when we say we want to pray more what exactly do we mean and so that's why most of us when we say I want to pray more it never amounts to anything because we don't understand the definition of more.

“More” is really just a generic term and its very similar to the word “stuff”. If I asked three people to separately go and get the “stuff” off of my desk, it is likely that each one will come back with something completely different.

Desire to “pray more” is often vague because “more” is undefined.

The real need is not more praying, but more effective praying.

Matthew 6 gives three guidelines for effective prayer.

James 5:16 KJV 1900

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

A more effective prayer life, a prayer life that makes a difference. It was because of a prayer of faith of me trusting in Christ that I'm saved tonight. I prayed and I asked the Lord to save me, and I’m fully convinced that I had many people in my life effectively praying for my salvation and if I was that desirous about prayer then, where has it gone in my life?

I want to give you three guidelines concerning prayer that'll help us to pray more effectively. And so I don't know about you tonight, but I want to pray more. I just I also want to pray more effectively in my Christian life.

I. The Guideline of Where to Pray (vv. 5–6)

Matthew 6:5–6 KJV 1900

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

And so tonight we see three locations, two of them are grouped together. And one is found in verse number six tonight. But the first place we see is the wrong place. The wrong place to pray in verse number five.

A. The Wrong Place (v. 5)

You're saying it's wrong to pray in the synagogue?

Not wrong because of the location (synagogue, street corners).

Well, no. As a matter of fact, Jesus called it a house of prayer. When he kicked those guys out, he said, you turned the house of prayer into a house of thieves or a den of thieves. And we know the story. He flipped the tables and he made the whip and he chased them out of there.

And that's always my favorite answer to what would Jesus do? Well, depending on the scenario, he might just flip a table and make a whip.

But really, it wasn't because he hated those people. It was the fact of what they had turned the house of God, what they had turned the synagogue, what they had turned the house of prayer into.

There's nothing wrong with praying in the house of God. We practice that here. Not in the sense that we do it here to get better, but genuinely I like of it like a practise of medicine or law. We put that which we are striving to remain skilled in into practise in a way that honors God, helps ourselves, and helps others.

It wasn't necessarily the location that was wrong. Really, it was the reason why they were praying there. It was the reason why they were praying in those locations.

Wrong because of the motive: “that they may be seen of men.”

In verse number 5. It says, For they loved to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the street, that they may be seen of men.

And we understand Jesus was talking about the Pharisees and how they would stand up in the synagogue, and it was as if they were competing not who necessarily could get a hold of God better, but who sounded better when they prayed.

Matter of fact, the people that amaze me when they pray are the people that pray as if nobody's listening to them. Or if there's nobody's around behind them.

Result: “They have their reward.”

They have their reward. They've been noticed. They've been gawked at.

I want my prayers to not be noticed of men, but to be answered by God.

B. The Right Place (v. 6)

A personal place — “thy closet.”

But where is your place to pray? Your closet, your place of quietness, your place that there is no interruption, there is no distraction. It is just a place that you have to pray and talk to the Lord.

For me, at our home, it is in my study/leather workshop. Just a little shed-like building out in the backyard of the house. My wife and my children know when I go out to the shop to study and generally they know I’m always available, but Daddy is spending time with God.

For Kelly, I know there are times that she goes into the bedroom and she will just tell me, “I need ten minutes.” and when that door closes, I know that she is in her prayer closet and it is my duty to keep the kids calm to help her have un-interrupted prayer time. Often enough, she needs this time because of me and the kids.

A secluded place — “shut thy door.”

A purposeful place — God sees “in secret” and “rewards openly.”

Here is the thing. Nobody knows but you and God when you enter into that closet whether it be for prayer or it be just to “goof off” or “doom scroll” on your phone, just to enjoy seclusion; however, seclusion without prayer is quite vain and often a waste altogether.

II. The Guideline of How to Pray (vv. 7–8)

Matthew 6:7–8 KJV 1900

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

A. The Wrong Logic (v. 7)

There are some people that believe that in order for God to hear you, you literally have to scream at the top of your lungs. Like, that's the only way He can hear you. And I understand some people they get emotional, some people they get excited, and I'm not saying those that pray loud are wrong, but that is not a requirement for God to hear you.

He knows your heart. He knows what you say before you even say it. So it's not necessarily that we have to pray loud enough for God to hear us, or I have to say something long enough, that if I haven't prayed for an hour, then God hasn't heard me.

Even in Elijah's case, how many hours did he pray before he called fire out of heaven? Just a few words. The other guys had prayed all day long, and Elijah just watched them, and finally said, if y’all are done now...

He gave them all day for their God to answer. He even suggested whether God might, he might be busy. He might be out there, so he might need to go get them.

And finally, he said, it's done. He said, matter of fact, grab the water, soak the altar, and I'm going to pray, and then we'll see what happens. I think it's 21 words Elijah prayed. He didn't even ask for fire.

He said, Lord, show these people that there is a God in Israel.

It's not a direct quote, but that's pretty much what he prayed. Lord, show yourself faithful that there's a God in Israel and God answered by fire.

He hears us when we pray, not because of our ability, but because of his compassion. It's not on our end, so to speak.

We don't have to manifest or manufacture anything for God to hear us. We simply have to cry to him. By the spirit of doctrine, we cry, Abba, Father. We can just cry out to him and he hears us. He turns his ear towards us because he loves us.

Vain repetitions.

Thinking God hears because of “much speaking.”

Volume, length, or repetition do not produce effectiveness.

B. The Right Understanding (v. 8)

I was reading through this verse and studying, and this question came across my mind in verse number eight. Especially right there at the end. For your father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him.

So if he already knows, why do we have to ask? It's in there. Ask and ye shall receive. Ask and it shall be given unto you. Seek and ye shall find. Knock and it shall be opened unto you.

That's in there, but if he already knows, then why do we have to ask? Why don't he just give it to us? All at one time. Give me everything I need to make it through my Christian journey right now, Lord. That would be great and efficient.

Would it really? Would it really? Let me ask you this. Have you prepared every meal that your kids gonna need until they move out of your house? And do you give it to them right when they're born? No, preacher. That'd be crazy.

But as we prepare these things, in this schedule, so to speak, whether we realize or not, we're teaching our kids that they can depend on us. Because sooner or later, they're going to learn, all I have to do is say I'm hungry, and one of my parents will respond to it, as long as it's a genuine need.

And before you know it, they'll start to realize, at certain times of the day, you'll have things prepared for them. And it will build their faith in you.

That's why it's the same thing in our Christian life.

If God just gave us everything in the beginning and we just were to carry it all around with us for the rest of our life, where's faith at in that?

But as we come to Him as individual needs and desires and issues and problems arise in our life and we come to Him here and there and then again and here again and we keep coming to Him, we keep coming to Him and He continues to be faithful and He continues to answer and He continues to provide whether we realize or not our faith is building in Him and His ability to provide that's why He already knows what we need.

But sometimes it is us having to ask Him that'll build our faith in Him.

God already knows our needs.

We ask not to inform God, but to build our faith as He provides daily.

III. The Guideline of What to Pray (vv. 9–13)

(The Model Prayer — not to be recited verbatim, but followed as a pattern.)

This is that familiar part that we've all known, we've all heard it, we've always been told this is the Lord's prayer, really this is the model prayer.

In Luke chapter 11, Jesus says these same words, and that's where we were last week when the disciples asked of the Lord teach us to pray, or teach us how to pray, and this is what the Lord said to them.

Not that they needed to start repeating this every time they were to pray. But this is a model, this is a guideline, this is an outline, so to speak, that our prayers should all consist of these things, or this is what a healthy prayer life consists of. As we pray to the Lord, we ask him for things.

A. The Right Address (v. 9)

It says,

“after this manner, therefore, pray ye, our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.”

That word hallowed means pure, venerable, and holy.

What are you trying to say, preacher? Let me ask you this. Let's say you needed something from your boss. You wouldn’t to walk up to your boss and say, hey, dude. Especially if you're asking for a raise.

You'd walk in and say things like this, hey, Jim or sir or ma’am, just wanted to let you know, I really enjoy working here, and you've been a great boss. Could you give me a little bit more money, please?

But no, we don't approach our bosses that way with such disrespect. Hopefully, you don't. You don't walk up there and say, hey, bruh. No, you treat them with respect because of their position.

And the same is true with the Lord. When we bow to the Lord, And Moses talked to him like a friend, but I don't think he talked to him like they was cousins or anything. Like, hey cuz, what's up?

Because Moses knew that man should not see the face of God and live. He's a holy righteous God. He deserves our respect and he is worthy of our respect and our honor.

I know I have heard it before, not here but years and years ago, but somebody said that when they pray, they pray along the lines of “dear daddy”.

I said, I don't know about that. I understand we can cry Abba Father, and it's that spirit there, but there's that, he's more than just what I called my earthly father.

He's more than that. And so when we pray, we ought to make the right address. We ought to address him like he needs to be.

And by the same, we expect that out of our children. We don't expect our children to call us by our first name.

“Our Father… hallowed be thy name.”

Approach God with reverence and respect.

B. The Right Attitude (v. 10)

Thy will be done. If we are asking for things to achieve our own wills, then we're asking for the wrong thing.

We're asking for the wrong thing. That's why I don't care how long you pray and how loud you pray and how many times you pray, you're not gonna win the lottery. You're just not going to. God don't work that way. He don't.

How does he work, Brother Ryan?

Or how do I build wealth?

How do I grow financially? Work hard! Be a wise steward!

Matter of fact, I think in Proverbs, he gives the example of the ant who, over time, takes little and saves it and saves it and saves it. I don't have an issue with people saving money. I don't have an issue with people being wise, but I would never condone or never encourage you to play the lottery. I'd never encourage you to gamble. Because I’m convinced that is not the way, I mean, that's just not the way the Lord works.

But if we're asking for things on our own will, then we are asking for the wrong things.

We should be asking for things to help us accomplish the will of God. Thy will be done, Lord. Give me what I need that I might accomplish your will. Give me what I need that I might accomplish your will.

“Thy will be done.”

Prayer seeks God’s will, not our own.

C. Real Dependence (v. 11)

Verse number 11, give us this day our daily bread. Now this is something that refrigeration and technology, we don't have a great understanding for. Because we go to the grocery store and we buy groceries a week at a time. But I don't know if that's how you do. That's how we tend to do at our house. We generally buy them for a week at a time.

But that wasn't necessarily how it was in the days of the Bible.

They didn't have refrigeration like me and you have today. And there was times where they were literally living day to day, not just from going to work, but literally meals were day to day. so they understood what it meant to give us this day our daily bread Lord give me what I need to be sustained and to survive .

There's been times where I only started asking when my supply was low when I was starting to run out Lord I need you things are real tight this month, but we really should be asking Him every day for our daily needs.

I mean, let me put it this way. What if the only things you had today is what you asked for? What would you have today? Oh, I had breakfast, so I gave thanks for that. And lunch, we prayed over that one too.

What about everything else? It's the last time you praise the Lord and you thank the Lord and ask them for air conditioning or heat or for a vehicle or for whatever it may be. We're so self-reliant that we oftentimes forget everything God's given us. We just get used to it. We get accustomed to it. It's one of those first world problems.

“Give us this day our daily bread.”

Daily reliance on God’s provision.

D. Real Forgiveness (v. 12)

If we want real forgiveness, we must be willing to hand out real forgiveness.

It goes both ways. Oh, they gotta forgive me, preacher. You gotta forgive too. Forgive us our debts as we forgive those who are debtors. But they haven't earned it, preacher. That's why it's called forgiveness.

Did you earn yours from Christ? Did you impress him so much he just had to forgive you? No, he forgave you even though you hadn't earned it.

I'm not saying that's the easiest thing to do. That's what real forgiveness is. It's forgiving somebody even though they haven't earned it. Real forgiveness is personal and not generic.

Illustration

Which would you rather hear from the car dealership? We just want to let you know we forgive you. Well, thanks. Very generic, but thanks. I don't know I did anything wrong.

Or would you rather hear this? We've forgiven the remaining part of your car note. I don't know about you, I want to hear the second one.

When me and you get down to repent to the Lord. And I've been guilty of this for so long. Lord, forgive me of all my sins. And Lord, I repent of all my sins, even the ones I don't know.

That sounds good, but it's so generic. Like the Holy Ghost can't pinpoint sin in your life. He's specific with it. Just ask him.

That's what David said in the song, Lord, search me. Try me. Lord, literally, open me up and look inside and see if there's any iniquity. If there is, tell me about it so I can get it right. So we live so long on this generic,

Lord, I repent of everything. Like, what? You don't want to do everything ever again? Be specific with it. Those times,

Lord, forgive me when I was standing there, or Lord, yeah, forgive me when I was standing there at the gas station, and you told me to hand a tract to that man, and I told him no.

Lord, forgive me when I was sitting on the couch, and I knew that I should be having family devotion, and I turned the TV on. Be specific with it. Learn to be specific. Just like you learn to be specific with your repentance, learn to be specific with your requests

“Forgive us… as we forgive.”

True forgiveness is specific, personal, and freely given.

E. Recognizing Danger (v. 13)

Recognize danger. Me and you, we're gonna go through temptation. You're not gonna be the only person that ever has to deal with temptation.

Jesus had to deal with it. He was tempted, like all of us, yet without sin. He faced it. I mean, what did the devil do when he took him out into the wilderness? Tempted him. Tried to give him all the kings in the world. Took him to the highest place in Jerusalem and said, you can have it all. And Jesus said, I already got it all. It's already mine.

But we will face temptation. It's not a if, it's a when. When we face temptation. That's why we have to have a prayer life. Because we're gonna face temptation. And we've got to drop this mentality that I can just hang around temptation and one day I'll eventually get over it. No. That's why you pray, Lord give me the strength that when I see temptation, I go the opposite way.

And lead us not in temptation, but deliver us from evil. Lord, don't lead us, and he's not gonna lead us into temptation. The devil's gonna put that, but Lord, deliver us from it. Give me the strength, give me the wherewithal, give me the understanding and the wisdom that when I see it, I don't entertain it, I don't keep looking at it, I don't think, well, it might be all right. I look at it and say, I don't want none of that. walk the other way

“Lead us not into temptation… deliver us from evil.”

We face real temptation and need God’s strength to avoid it.

Conclusion

Bible says that there's some that come only by prayer and fasting. And if my prayer life is not where it needs to be, where it ought to be, I'm probably not praying for the one person that needs to be saved. Not praying. Lord, give me the things so I could reach those around me.

Effective prayer follows Christ’s instruction.

The model prayer provides a guideline, not a script.

A genuine prayer life is authentic, specific, and aligned with God’s will.