Prayer is vital. Even Jesus needed prayer. Jesus’ earthly ministry was remarkably brief, barely three years long. Yet in those three years, as must have been true in His earlier life, a great amount of time was spent in prayer. The gospels report that Jesus habitually rose early in the morning, often before daybreak, to commune with His Father. In the evening He would frequently go to the Mount of Olives or some other quiet spot to pray, usually alone. Prayer was the spiritual air that Jesus breathed every moment of His life. And if he needed, how much more do you and I need to spend time with our Father who art in heaven?

The Bible teaches a great deal about the importance and power of prayer. Prayer is effective; it makes a difference. “The effective prayer of a righteous man,” James says, “can accomplish much” (James 5:16).

Abraham’s servant prayed, and Rebekah appeared.
Jacob wrestled and prayed, and Esau’s mind was turned from twenty years of revenge.
Moses prayed, and Amalek was struck down.
Hannah prayed, and Samuel was born.
Isaiah and Hezekiah prayed, and in twelve hours one hundred eighty-five thousand Assyrians were slain.
Elijah prayed, and there were three years of drought; he prayed again, and rain came.

Those are but a small sampling of answered prayer just from the Old Testament.

God’s supreme purpose for prayer, the purpose beyond all other purposes, is to glorify Himself. Although nothing benefits a believer more than prayer, the purpose in praying must first of all be for the sake of God, not self. Prayer is, above all, an opportunity for God to manifest His goodness and glory. “True prayer brings the mind to the immediate contemplation of God’s character and holds it there until the believer’s soul is properly impressed.” Jesus affirmed the purpose of prayer when He said, “And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified” (John 14:13).

As with all of the Sermon on the Mount, what Jesus says about prayer was not essentially new. The Old Testament, and even Jewish tradition, taught all of the basic principles that Jesus presents here. Jewish commentaries and literature of that era contain many lofty and helpful teachings about prayer. But something had gone wrong, and by Jesus’ day most Jews had forgotten the teachings of Scripture and even the sound teachings of their tradition. Most prayer had become formalized, mechanical, rote, and hypocritical.

But when they heard Jesus pray, the disciples caught something decidedly different in Jesus’ relationship with God and they wanted what He had. And so they came to Jesus and said, “Lord, teach us to pray . . .” This is what Jesus taught them ...

I. WHEN YOU PRAY DELIGHT YOURSELF IN THE FATHER’S FELLOWSHIP

ILLUS. Chuck Myers lives in Lee’s Summit and works for the Phizer Corp. When I was his pastor, Chuck related an experience to me to that illustrates our privilege of standing before God’s throne for fellowship and to find grace in time of need. He had gotten into a good-natured, but spirited debate with one of his co-workers about the nature of prayer. Shelly was a Catholic and Chuck was giving her a hard time about her practice of praying to the Virgin Mary and the various Saints venerated by the Catholic church. In response, Shelly looked at Chuck and said, “Yea, well, I think you Baptists are just a little bit cocky thinking you can actually talk to God in person!”

friends, the world may indeed think we are a little bit cocky, but yes-sir-re, in Christ we can talk to God in person

this is the privilege of every saint

the God I worship is not a Mount Olympus-type god who is unconcerned about human affairs or who cannot be reached by our prayers

He is a loving Father who delights in my fellowship and longs for me to spend time in communion with Him
He is as close as the indwelling Holy Spirit and is accessible day and night

ILLUS. As a freshman in college and a brand new Christian, I learned an important lesson about God’s accessibility one day in the university library. I was working on the second floor where many of the school’s professors had private study cubicles. One evening, as I was shelving magazines, I noticed a young man come across the room and knock on the door of one of those little cubicles. In a flash, the door flung open and this red-faced, angry, fire-breathing professor who obviously did not want to be disturbed, came charging out of that little room. Right there in front of a room full of people that professor went up one side and down the other of that unfortunate student who had dared to disturb this man’s study. I mean he just chewed this guy up and spit him out in little pieces. With his raged vented, the professor slammed the door and this poor kid just slinked away, I’m sure to contemplate either Hari-Kari or murder. Not twenty minutes later, two young girls came bounding up the steps, noisily crossed the room and knocked on the cubicle door. Everybody in the room stopped what they were doing to watch Act 2. Instead of flying into a rage, this same professor came out smiling and graciously received these two boisterous young girls. They talked for a few minutes, the girls each hugged him and off they went. What was the difference? They were his daughters. His children had the right and the audacity to seek fellowship with their father and so they boldly knocked and sought entry.

the secret of a believer’s prayer life is that we have the privilege of coming right into the very presence of God

Hebrews 10:19-22 “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, . . .” NIV

the Most Holy Place that the Apostle Paul is referring to in these verses is the inner-most sanctuary in the Jewish Temple called the Holy of Holies

it was separated from the rest of the Temple by a huge woven curtain
once a year the Jewish High Priest would enter that Most Holy Place and sprinkle the blood of a goat upon the altar as a sign of faith that Israel believed in a God who forgave their sins
that Most Holy Place represented the presence of God among His people and only the High Priest could enter the chamber and only once a year
but Paul writes that you and I have confidence to enter into the very presence of God
we can draw near to God and in full assurance
WHY?

because of a new and living way opened to us

what is that new and living way?

we have access to God by Christ through His blood and broken body

Paul writes that we enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body
our Lord’s body, Paul writes, is the curtain that gives us access to a holy God
what Paul is referring to is that great and mysterious event that took place in the Temple when Jesus died

Matthew 27:50-51 “And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split." NIV

God’s invisible hand reached down from Heaven and tore that veil in half
in doing so, God was saying that the believer now has full and complete access into His presence and fellowship whenever we desire to come before Him

as children of the Most High God, we have the delight of direct access to a Heavenly Father who loves us and openly receives us whenever we knock

A. JESUS TAUGHT HIS DISCIPLES THAT GOD WAS FATHER

Jesus revolutionized the disciple’s concept of prayer when He called God Father

the Jewish people understood the Fatherhood of God

the prophet Malachi wrote, “Do we not all have one father? Has not one God created us?” (Mal. 2:10)

but it was unheard of for any Jew to personally address God as “Father”

it was even more unusual to use the word which Jesus used when He spoke to God

Jesus referred to God not just as Father, but as Abba-Father

it was the term of endearment that a small child would use in speaking to their father
it is equivalent to our term daddy
Jesus tells His disciples, “When you pray, say our ‘daddy’ which art in heaven . . .”

what’s the spiritual significance of this?

to call God Father means you have entered into a faith relationship with God
because of that faith relationship you’ve been adopted by God and you have the right to call Him Father
this Heavenly Father is a God who will never tell us, “I’m sorry, I don’t have time for you right now. Go outside and play.”

through His own prayer life, Jesus taught His disciples to delight in the Father’s fellowship

II. WHEN YOU PRAY HALLOW THE FATHER’S NAME

ILLUS. George Johnson, a native Missourian, taught the Bible at Southern Illinois University for 25 years. His favorite quote has become one of my favorites as well. In the flyleaf of his Bible he had written these words: “Every morning, lean thine arms awhile upon the window sill of heaven and gaze upon thy God. Then, with that vision in thine heart, turn strong to meet the day.”

this quote is a good commentary on the statement, hallowed be thy name

every morning, lean thine arms awhile upon the window sill of heaven and gaze upon thy God
contemplate God’s holiness

Jesus would teach us that effective praying has a pattern to it

it always begins on the basic evangelistic note, “I’m a Christian, and I can call you Father.”
but when you pray, don’t go rushing headlong into that, “Father, give me, help me, encourage me, eliminate my depression, help me with my problems” routine
that’s not how Jesus indicates we are to open our dialog with the Father

Jesus tells His disciples that real prayer, effective prayer seeks God’s face before it seeks God’s hand

could it be that the reason our prayer life too frequently lacks the vitality and effectiveness that we feel it ought to have is because we’re more concerned about using God to fix our problems then we are in merely spending time with Him

Jesus reminds His disciples that effective prayer does not begin with, “God, I want ... ” but with “God, I just want to praise you for who you are and lift up your name as holy.”

Every morning, lean thine arms awhile upon the window sill of heaven and gaze upon thy God and rediscover a little bit by what is meant by this challenge, hallowed be thy name

A. GOD’S NAME IS A NAME ABOVE EVERY NAME AND NEEDS TO BE REVERENCED

Jesus instructs us to begin our petitions by upholding God’s name in a reverent way

frankly, most of our praying does not begin here
let’s face it, hallowed is not an everyday word with us
in an irreverent world, it’s not always easy to hallow anything

2. we live in a society that reverences few people and even fewer institutions

ILLUS. I despise Rodney Dangerfield. I find him most offensive and not usually funny. But I think his open line is appropriate when he says, “I don’t get no respect.” That must be how God often feels.

a lack of respect for anything or anyone is pandemic in our society
there are few areas that are sacred today

we live in a day when God’s name is regularly taken in vain on the T.V., radio and movies

much of it just doesn’t boarder on blasphemy, it is blasphemy

the great legacy of the Old Testament for today’s Christian community is the demonstration of reverence of the Jewish people for God

to this day, the Orthodox Jew will not even use the word God
instead they will use some adjective such as Lord or the Holy One or the High and Exalted One to describe God
this opening statement of prayer, “Father, hallowed by thy name . . .” points us to the greatness, and the glory and the depth of the one we are addressing

Hallowed is an archaic English word used to translate a form of hagiazō, which means to make holy

to hallow God’s name is to revere, honor, glorify, and obey Him as singularly perfect

Jesus would have us know that before we go very far in our prayers we need to acknowledge and venerate the name of God for He is worthy of our praise and adoration

“Every morning, lean thine arms awhile upon the window sill of heaven and gaze upon thy God. Then, with that vision in thine heart, turn strong to meet the day.”
Jesus gives a warning against self-seeking prayer

III. WHEN YOU PRAY, PRAY FOR THE FATHER’S KINGDOM TO COME

effective praying means looking forward to the day when we will not have to pray to experience the Father’s fellowship

A. WE ARE TO PRAY FOR GOD’S KINGDOM TO COME

what does it mean to pray, “thy Kingdom come?”
the Kingdom comes into the lives of men in various ways

it comes when an individual accepts God’s rule over his own life through a thorough commitment to the Lordship of Jesus Christ
it comes in the life of the local church when we actually begin to realize that we are the Body of Christ and on mission for Him in our community
it comes of course at the end of history, when Christ delivers the Kingdom of God, and every other authority and power and rule is destroyed and only the sovereign, eternal kingdom of God is the only reality that is left in the universe
ultimately when we pray, “thy kingdom come” we are praying earnestly that more people will become Christian

B. WE ARE TO PRAY FOR HIS WILL TO BE DONE

whichever one of those ways God’s Kingdom comes, it accomplished His will on earth, just as it is in Heaven

every time a sinner says, “Lord, be merciful unto me. I take Jesus as Lord.” God’s will in Heaven is accomplished on earth
every time a group of Christians gathers for worship and acknowledges as a body that Jesus Christ is head of their congregation, God’s will in Heaven is accomplished on earth

every time a believer bows his or her head and whispers those words, “Jesus is Lord,” God’s will in Heaven is accomplished on earth

every time we go to a home and share Jesus with someone and that person accepts Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, God’s will in Heaven is accomplished on earth

When you pray, say: “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth,” Luke 11:2 KJV

When You Pray, Say ... Father, Which Art in Heaven