Prayer: God's Way
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Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays.
— Soren Kierkegaard
INTRO - What are your beliefs about how we go about praying?
Well, in this day of technological accomplishments you can send your prayers to God via a website.
INTRO - You can now send your prayers to God via a website.
You can now send your prayers to God via a website.
Newprayer.com says, “Simply click on the Pray button and transmit your prayer to the only known location of God.” The site claims it can send prayers via a radio transmitter to God’s last known location: the star cluster M13, believed to be one of the oldest in the universe.
Crandall Stone, fifty, a Cambridge, Massachusetts, engineer and freelance consultant, set up the site after a winter’s night of sipping brandy and philosophizing with friends in Vermont. The conversation turned to Big Bang theories of creation. Someone suggested that if everything was in one place at the time of the explosion, God must have been there too.
“It’s the one place where we could be sure he was,” Stone said. “We thought that if we could find that location and had a radio transmitter, we could send a message to God.”
After consulting with NASA scientists, the friends settled on M13 as the likely location. They chipped in about $20,000 to build a radio wave-transmitting website.
Newprayer.com transmits about 50,000 prayers a week from seekers around the globe.
Note: Newprayer.com is no longer operational.
—Judith Gaines, “Tapping into God,” Denver Rocky Mountain News (March 13, 2000)
TRANS - Well, I don’t know about all that.
I’ll have to get back to you about beaming prayers via radio wave.
But, I can tell you what God does say about prayer.
In today’s passage we visit the subject of pray.
In it we see how God is clear about our need for forgiveness and our need to forgive others.
God tells us how He expects us to pray to Him about our vital need of His forgiveness.
Has someone offended you?
Anyone “done you wrong?”
Are you holding a grudge?
Are you waiting on someone else to forgive first?
Hopefully not, but if so, God wants to help you with that today.
Also, this message reminds us how blessed we are.
None of us need to hold on to bitterness.
All of us can qualify for God’s forgiveness.
And, all of us are blessed when reminded of the great gift of confession.
PRAY
What does it say?
What does it say?
And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
First, Know the Correct Approach
First, Know the Correct Approach
• What was the cultural significance of standing for prayer?
Mark 11:25 Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 34b: Mark 8:27–16:20
• How does Jesus link our forgiveness of others with God’s forgiveness of us?
Mark 11:22–25 Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: Mark
• Does Mark 11:26 belong in the Bible? Some manuscripts have it, and others do not.
Mark 11:26 The New American Commentary: Mark
Apply
Preaching Theme: Prayer
Jesus encouraged and modeled prayer. In this story, His description of prayer included our forgiveness of others. As we confess our sins to God in prayer, let us also examine our hearts for any forgiveness that we might be withholding from others.
Preaching Theme: Forgiveness
In this story, Jesus made a connection between God’s forgiveness of our sins and our forgiveness of others. Let us generously offer forgiveness to others in light of the far-greater forgiveness we’ve received because of Jesus Christ.
Share
Preaching Theme: Prayer
Worship Service Idea: Consider inviting the congregation to pray the Lord’s Prayer together, with special emphasis on “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
Preaching Theme: Forgiveness
Worship Service Idea: Consider distributing note cards and inviting members to write down the names of those to whom they need to offer forgiveness.
What was the cultural significance of standing for prayer?
We know from the Bible that standing while praying was a common posture.
Then the king turned around and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel stood.
Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,
who stand by night in the house of the Lord!
The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
Should good be repaid with evil?
Yet they have dug a pit for my life.
Remember how I stood before you
to speak good for them,
to turn away your wrath from them.
“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.
Jer
BAK - We know of one interesting synagogue prayer, “Eighteen,” or, “Eighteen Benedictions,” is, also, called, the Amida, that is, the “Standing.”
An interesting fact
APP - Throughout the Bible we see that God has rules, ways, methods, and expectations from us.
God is clear about the condition of our heart.
God is clear about our need to forgive.
And, God is clearly teaching us His approach, for us, when we talk to Him.
Most especially, because you and I, everyone, needs God’s forgiveness.
Second, Know the Correct Condition
Second, Know the Correct Condition
How does Jesus link our forgiveness of others with God’s forgiveness of us?
Do you want to be forgiven?
Then, you must forgive those who have offended you.
Today we celebrate the Lord’s Supper.
Today I want you to give special attention to this parallel passage which is frequently used in conjunction with the Lord’s Supper:
So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
Additionally, I want you to recall the opening of the Lord’s Prayer:
Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Then in v.12
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
and lastly vv.14-15
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Our Father wants to forgive us, but here we see there is a condition: you must forgive others.
Forgiving by God and forgiving others go hand in hand.
Sometimes forgiving other happens first:
and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.”
Lk
Sometimes if follows God’s forgiving us:
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Sometimes its simultaneous:
and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.”
Clearly the two can’t be separated:
but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
For the Christian, in light of God’s forgiveness of us, forgiving others should be easy.
If today you continue to hold unforgiveness in your heart, I want you to know the this passages teaches forgiveness is not an option.
According to God, you must forgive.
Failing to forgive is rebellion and disobedience unto God.
You must forgive or live outside God’s direct command to forgive others.
ILL - I know a most wonderful man. Actually, he’s related to me. My memories of this family member are mostly fun ones. There is time with his family and mine, time eating wonderful meals including Thanksgiving turkey, and I recall many days of shared laughter.
Sadly, when it comes to matters of faith, he’s one terribly angry person. He won’t take about it and will even make use of bad language to describe his disdain for Christianity.
In the past few years he’s lost a wife, a daughter, and a son. Sadly, he never did get things right with his son. He said the worst things about him. However, his son was not like that. His son was able to forgive the terrible words spoken by his father and today his son is with Jesus.
This is not going to be so for the dad. His life is troublesome. Nobody lives up to his standard. If only he could receive Christ, he could learn to forgive.
I suppose there is a lesson there.
Perhaps the people we know that can’t forgive don’t know what it’s like to have Christ’s forgiveness.
Because if you know how much you’ve been forgiven in Christ, forgiving others should be easy.
Third, Know God’s in Control
Third, Know God’s in Control
Does belong in the Bible? Some manuscripts have it, and others do not.
Apply
Consider inviting the congregation to pray the Lord’s Prayer together, with special emphasis on “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
In this story, Jesus made a connection between God’s forgiveness of our sins and our forgiveness of others. Let us generously offer forgiveness to others in light of the far-greater forgiveness we’ve received because of Jesus Christ.
Let’s begin with some Bible study 101: “Don’t let the obscure become more important than the obvious.”
Share
Preaching Theme: Prayer
Worship Service Idea: Consider inviting the congregation to pray the Lord’s Prayer together, with special emphasis on “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
V.26 “But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your trespasses”
But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your trespasses
This verse is found in medieval manuscripts and in some of good quality.
Worship Service Idea: Consider distributing note cards and inviting members to write down the names of those to whom they need to offer forgiveness.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016).
It’s in the KJV and NKJV.
If original, it might have been omitted as a result of a copyist skipping from the words “your sins” at the end of v.25.
But, more likely it was added under the influence of .
but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
That is why some have v.26 and some do not.
ILL - I thought, “How does this tie into the message?”
At one time I used to make a great deal about the version of the Bible I MUST read, MUST use, MUST trust.
Then, I took some basic hermeneutics courses.
I’ve studied some of the finest works written by several very notable scholars.
And, today I understand that these translations are intended to help me understand God’s Word.
In addition, the translations I’ve used and studied don’t always say the same things, and as we have here, sometimes leave out verses.
Now,
Now, is it the translation or God’s Word that I want to read?
As with most manual copies, we get some small changes.
Over time scribes did make a few changes.
But, that was not God’s Word.
God’s Word is not the translation, but the original wording on something we call the autographs and none of those survive today.
So, we must trust that with all the many different copies we have, and with so many variant copies, the people doing the work of choosing one over the other and putting that into a language we understand get God’s Word into our minds and hearts.
Here’s the big deal, “There is no one single copy of the Bible.”
Everyone is a copy and every copy is made by a person.
But we do have God’s Word.
God has made sure of that!
You are responsible to do t
He’s got that handled!
Just as we trust Him to forgive us.
Just as we trust Him when He says “forgive other.”
We should trust that He will make His Word known.
Perhaps it is with a KJV, and ESV, or some other English translation.
If you don’t speak English, then some other translation in your spoken language.
Or, if you can, read the copies we have in ancient languages and determine for yourself that is in control using all sorts of translations to get His Word to all the nations.
That’s His plan and any translation is simply one more tool to help us do the work He entrusts to us.
What is God asking from me?
What is God asking from me?
Jesus both modeled prayer and encouraged others to pray properly.
In this description of prayer, Jesus included our need to forgive others.
The Bible teaches us to confess our sins to God and to examine our hearts for unforgiveness.
Pray the Lord’s Prayer while giving special attention to “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
“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. 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.
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,
Mt
“Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father who is 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 do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’