Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction|

Attention:

If you love technology, you would like the opportunity to sit down and pick Bill Gates mind about computers and computer programing.

If you love basketball, you would love the chance to sit down and learn shooting tips from LeBron James.

If you enjoy singing, you would like to have had an opportunity to sit down and discuss singing with Aretha Franklin.

However, if you love prayer, you would love the chance to sit down and listen to Jesus, explain how to pray for fervently and faithfully.

While you may never get a chance to talk gadgets with Gates, talk basketball with LeBron, or notes with Aretha Franklin, you have a fantastic opportunity to listen to Jesus Christ’s teaching on prayer.

Background:

Jesus is currently preaching his famous sermon on the mount.

In chapter 6, Jesus begins to address the false piety of His listeners.

The manifesto of the first-century religiosity was outward piety.

In the eyes of others, you were considered to be a righteous follower of YHWH when you gave gifts, prayed, and fasted regularly.

As Jesus continues to explain the importance of genuine righteousness, Jesus discusses the righteous acts of giving, praying, and fasting.

Within Jewish culture, these three acts were outward manifestations of righteous piety ().

In Christ’s sermon on the mount, he seeks to correct the spiritual misconceptions of his disciples regarding prayer.

He does this in two ways: 1) He confronts and corrects their motives—talking with the Lord and trusting the Lord and 2) He confronts and corrects their method by providing them with a model to follow in prayer.

Need Element:

If God used prayer to hold back the rain and halt the sun, could you imagine what God could do with a few believers who knew how to pray fervently and faithfully for their church and community?

Sometimes, we need to be reminded of how to pray effectively, fervently, and faithfully.

If you want to be a prayer warrior for the kingdom, you will want to pay close attention to today’s message.

Today, we are going to allow Jesus to teach us how to pray.

We are going to sit and listen to the master to explain to his disciples how to pray effective and fervent prayers.

Textual Idea:

Jesus taught his disciples how to pray effectively through his model prayer.

Big Idea:

Jesus teaches us how to pray effective prayers unto our heavenly father.

Interrogative:

How should we pray?

Transition:

Let’s stand as we pay honor to the reading of God’s word.

Read and Pray

Outline|

I. We should pray with reverent heart (vv.

9)

Explanation:

After discussing the importance of proper motives for prayer, Jesus shows his disciples the appropriate model for prayer.

The Lord’s Prayer is not a fixed prayer but a suitable model for prayer.

Jesus commands his disciples to develop a habit of prayer.

The word pray is a customary imperative verb which is a character building command (προσεύχεσθε: Present, Middle/Passive, Imperative).

Thus, Jesus is teaching his disciples to make prayer a habit or a daily routine.

The word manner reminds us that Christ was not giving them a prayer to repeat, but a model to follow.

You could say it this way: “you, yourselves, must pray in this manner. .

.” (Greek) First, we notice that prayer is a crucial aspect of our relationship with our heavenly father.

The term father reminds us that through Christ, we have been brought into the family of God.

Secondly, we notice that prayer should be done in reverence.

The word hallowed means “to treat something as holy” (BDAG, 9).

Jesus reminds his disciples to possess an attitude of reverence towards the Lord in prayer.

προσεύχεσθε: Present, Middle/Passive, Imperative) .

Thus, Jesus is teaching his disciples to make prayer a habit or a daily routine.

The word manner reminds us that Christ was not giving them a prayer to repeat, but a model to follow.

First, we notice that prayer is a crucial aspect of our relationship with our heavenly father.

The term father reminds us that through Christ, we have been brought into the family of God.

Secondly, we notice that prayer should be done in reverence.

The word hallowed means “to treat something as holy” (BDAG, 9).

Jesus reminds his disciples to possess an attitude of reverence towards the Lord in prayer.

προσεύχεσθ.

Thus, Jesus is teaching his disciples to make prayer a habit or a daily routine.

The word manner reminds us that Christ was not giving them a prayer to repeat, but a model to follow.

First, we notice that prayer is a crucial aspect of our relationship with our heavenly father.

The term father reminds us that through Christ, we have been brought into the family of God.

Secondly, we notice that prayer should be done in reverence.

The word hallowed means “to treat something as holy” (BDAG, 9).

Jesus reminds his disciples to possess an attitude of reverence towards the Lord in prayer.

One writer says: “We must come before God with an attitude of reverence for God’s perfection (in contrast to our imperfection), his wisdom (in contrast to our foolishness), his power (in contrast to our impotence), and his love (in contrast to our selfishness).”

Illustration:

The Jews, in biblical times, viewed the name of God as holy and treated His name with the utmost of reverence.

Many Jews would not even utter the personal name of God because they had that much respect and admiration for God.

The personal name of God, which is translated as Yahweh or Lord, was not uttered by the Hebrews because of reverence.

Argumentation:

Why should our prayers be reverent?

It is the holiness of God that “sets him apart from us and the rest of creation.”

In the Old and New Testament, God’s holiness is described for us.

In the Old Testament, Isaiah recalls a vision of the Almighty: “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory” ().

In the New Testament, John recalls his vision of the Lord: “And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come” ().

Application:

When you pray, do you pray reverently or flippantly?

I urge you to develop an attitude of reverence towards the Lord in your times of prayer.

II.

We should pray with compliant heart (vv.

10)

Explanation:

Next, Jesus reminds his disciples to pray in compliance with God’s will.

By requesting God’s kingdom to come, the worshipper submits himself under the rule and reign of the sovereign King.

It’s not a request to bring God’s Kingdom into existence; it’s a prayer for God to accomplish his purpose and plan in His time.

Jesus says: “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

The word will suggests a desire.

In the context of the passage, it is the desire for God’s plan and purpose to be accomplished.

In the throne room of the sovereign King, His plan and purpose are always achieved.

Jesus reminds us that a genuine prayer invokes God’s perfect plan and purpose for our life and situation

Illustration:

One of the greatest illustrations of this truth is found in .

Matthew records a Prayer that Christ prayed in the hours leading up to his crucifixion and death.

Argumentation:

Matthew says: “Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.

And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.

Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.

And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.

And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.

Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.