‎The Christian's Prayer: Founded & Focused on God

THE CHRISTIANS’ PRAYER; Luke 11:1-4, Matthew 6:9-13; MHAFB, 4 August 19 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------Series: Prayer / Topics: Teachings of Jesus; Prayer; Prayer: Intercession; Prayer: Petition Before Service: Pray with leaders! Opening Verse: Revelation Song; Give Thanks; Consuming Fire Songs for Worship: Psalm 61 (67, 100, 103:1-5/14) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------SLIDE-Transition to Sermon, Ps. 119:105 Introduction 1. Attention: Today we are picking up where we left off last week - What did we look at then? Listening to Jesus a. In that we started a mini-series on prayer—So, let’s pause for a moment and consider this question: i. What is prayer? Talk to God, Conversation with God, etc. ii. The Bible never uses the term prayer to speak of God responding to us 1. It’s focus on that word is on our role—to intentionally communicate to God 2. However, we also recognize that a necessary connected idea with prayer is God’s revelation, illuminations, answers, etc. to us b. So, when do you pray? Meals, bedtime, wake-up, hardships, driving, shower, i. When is it hardest to pray? When is it easiest? c. Prayer: An Integral part of our life w/God; how we praise, thank, ask things of, draw near to—Him i. More than simply knowing what prayer is, we need to know how to pray... 2. Big Picture: And that brings us to our focus this morning. a. SLIDE-Title: Today we are literally picking up right after last week’s sermon: Luke 11:1-4 i. Commonly this is referred to as “The Lord’s Prayer” 1. Although I often refer to it as the Disciple’s or the Christians’ Prayer... 2. Since it was taught by the Lord for His disciples to use b. Thesis: And as we work through this together, I hope that you will see that... i. SLIDE-Thesis: As God’s dearly loved children, Jesus calls us to God-centered prayer. ii. We’ll come to see that the term “God-centered” doesn’t mean we never pray for ourselves or others, 1. Rather, Jesus emphasizes that *how* we pray for ourselves & others, is educated by God’s Word. & will. 3. Verses: Now, with that said, let’s begin to get to these key verses… a. Context: i. Have you ever not known what to say in prayer? 1. Maybe it was (or is) just a new topic 2. Or maybe you were just overwhelmed by a situation 3. Or maybe you heard others pray & simply felt inadequate with your own! 4. Jesus’ disciples actually struggled in this same area! ii. Jesus demonstrated a public (Luke 3:21; John 17) & private prayer (Matthew 14:23, 26:36-46; Mark 1:35, 14:32–42; Luke 5:16, 6:12, 22:39–46; John 5:19) 1. As Luke 5:16 shares, Jesus “often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.” 2. His disciples seemed to see that great power came from this a. Perhaps they realized that His actions each day flowed from His prayer life with the Father (John 5:19) 3. They saw something that they were lacking & they wanted to learn it iii. So they finally asked & Jesus taught them (& us) this model prayer-1. This is not a word for word pattern that we ‘must fully follow’ 2. It is a model that contains the essence of prayer, the heart or root of how we approach God 3. Our prayers flow from the ideas that Jesus shares here b. 2 SLIDES-Luke 11:1-4 Passage: Please stand as we read… Luke 11:1–4 CSB 1 He was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them, “Whenever you pray, say, Father, your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone in debt to us. And do not bring us into temptation.” i. 2 SLIDES-Luke 6:9-13 Or as Jesus teaches it in the Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 6:9–13 CSB 9 “Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. i. And as some later manuscripts add, “For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” c. Please be seated. 4. Transition: And now, let us consider how our prayers are… Main Point 1a: Founded on Our Relationship with God Our God: A Corporate Relationship 1. MP1b: As a first note, the Gospel of Matthew begins this prayer with the word “our” later highlighted again in both prayers with the words “us” & “we” a. While American values prize & highlight our independence, i. The Bible also prizes & values our interdependence & dependence... b. These words in the prayer show that our relationship with God... i. MP1c: While very personal, is also very corporate ii. Consider Jesus’ discussion on the Greatest Commandment (Matthew 22:37-40) this shouldn’t really surprise us 1. As Jesus shared, while the Greatest Commandment is to ‘love God with your all;' but 2. What is the second which naturally flows from it? “Love your neighbor as yourself” c. Because we have a special relationship with God… i. We have a special relationship with many others. d. We engage with God in prayer as a community— i. His people & His family e. And through highlighting this, Jesus demonstrates an expectation that we will pray together i. As families, churches, & friends—brothers & sisters in Christ, all under one Father 2. Now, within this community, Jesus highlights five key ways we relate to God a. While He could talk about God as the Transcendent, All-Powerful, Holy One, Creator of the Universe… b. MP1d: Jesus actually helps us see that our approach to God starts in a very close & personal, an immanent way... God is our Father: The opening word in Luke highlights this 1. It is actually the only official title given to God in this prayer a. While the Old Testament used this term briefly for God (Jeremiah 3:19; Isaiah 63:16) b. Jesus used it very personally with Him (Mark 14:36), & Paul highlights twice how we have this same honor (Rom 8:15; Gal 4:6) 2. We have been adopted as God’s own, dearly loved children (Gal 3:26, 4:4-7; Eph 1:5, 2:19; John 1:12; Luke 12:32; Rom 8:14-19, 9:8; 1 John 3:1-2) a. MP1e: He has welcomed us into this relationship of trust & love b. A relationship in which… i. He protects us & nurtures us to grow into the men & women He made us to be ii. We can approach with boldness, receiving mercy & finding grace to help in our times of need! (Hebrews 4:16) iii. You can intimately talk, knowing there is a shared trust & love with each other c. And indeed, He is a “Good, Good Father” 3. But in this, we also recognize that God is not a Father to be disrespected or disregarded-a. In Matthew Jesus highlights that He is our Father… “In Heaven” b. MP1f: And both highlight how... God is our King: We are to pray, “Your kingdom come!” 1. The Kingdom belongs to the King (1 Timothy 6:15–16)— a. The ruler to whom we look for moral direction, justice, & wisdom in life 2. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus expanded on this concept by reminded us that if we are praying for His kingdom to come, a. MP1g: We should also be praying & seeking that “His will be done!” b. And as far as it depends upon us, that begins in our own hearts & relationships 3. This is more about personal & Christian communal just & loving living than it is about social or political action! 4. MP1h: Next, this prayer teaches us that... God is our Provider: of “our daily bread” and so much more! 1. Why would we go to our God with such a request unless we actually expected Him to Provide? 2. Connect this with your understanding of God as both your King & Father a. He is the King of all, He owns all creation; there are no limits to His resources! b. He is your personal Father, He will nurture you & provide for you all that you need! i. As Jesus shares just a few verses later in Luke 11:11–13, Luke 11:11–13 CSB 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” ii. Or in the more general sense of Matthew 7:(9-)11, “how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him.” 1. The ultimate “good thing” being God Himself, the Holy Spirit ever with us! 3. Also understanding that God is a Good Father & Provider... a. Requires that we trust Him i. On a daily basis (a lesson that God tried to teach His people in the wilderness long ago, Exodus 16:1321; Deuteronomy 8) ii. The implication here is that we also are praying to Him daily, isn’t it? b. We are to daily trust in Him & come to Him in prayer i. Even when He doesn’t give us what we want & expect ii. Trusting that He gives us our actual & ultimate needs (Matthew 6:25-34)— 1. Our daily bread, not our daily pie… (sadly...) 4. MP1i: Moving to the next phrase in this model prayer, we also see that… God is our Forgiver: With confidence we bring our sins before Him! 1. The atoning work of Jesus, accomplished upon the cross (Luke 24:47), is what even allowed us to first be adopted as His children a. And we know that because of His work, when we come to Him in faith, repenting from our sins, we receive forgiveness 2. And you can think about this forgiveness in two ways: a. MP1j: First: Eternal forgiveness whereby we are ultimately justified & made right in the eyes of God b. MP1k: Second: Temporal forgiveness i. Whereby we deal with our present sinfulness in pursuit of sanctification (that is, becoming more like Jesus) ii. A way in which we work with God to remove the ‘wall of separation’ that our sins created (Isaiah 59:1– 2) iii. A means by which we, as Hebrews 12:1 shares, “...lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us c. It is this second element of forgiveness that we pursue in the Christians’ prayer. i. As Jesus said elsewhere, “One who has bathed doesn’t need to wash anything except his feet” (John 13:10) 3. Also, as a side note—notice again the corporate nature of this prayer… a. MP1l: God’s forgiveness is received & shared together! b. We are asking for *our* sins to be forgiven— i. This would involve confessing our sins to one another, which Jesus’ brother James explicitly commands (James 5:16) c. Furthermore, we are forgiving those around us (Matthew 6:14-15; Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:12-13)— i. Christians ought to be a community defined not by grudges & judgmental attitudes, ii. But by forgiveness & the grace, mercy, love, kindness, & gentleness that accompanies this! d. We should be reflecting the goodness of our Forgiving Father to those around us! i. A message that Jesus “foot-stomps” in Matthew 6:14–15 4. MP1m: Finally, this prayer also shows our that in our relationship with God… God is our Guide: We ask for His help in daily living 1. MP1n: This is especially true, knowing our weakness, as we seek His help to lead us away from temptation, as Jesus highlights here. a. But it extends to much more (e.g. consider Psalm 23)! b. Prayer trusts that God cares about our daily living, the decisions that we make, the wisdom and authority that we exercise as a whole 2. Thus we turn our eyes to Him as our Guide— a. Seeking the right way to live moment by moment! b. Seeking the wisdom to rightly apply His Word to our lives i. As Jesus’ brother James says, “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without doubting...” (James 1:5-8) 3. Transition: And so we see that our prayers are founded on our relationship with God. a. May we always start them with this right understanding of Him as our Father, King, Provider, Forgiver, & Guide i. This is the foundation from which all our prayers flow b. And keeping it at the center will help us have prayers that are rightly focused— i. For, as God’s dearly loved children, Jesus calls us to God-centered prayer. c. Main Point 2a: So, let’s talk about that now, our prayers are… Focused on God’s Glory 1. Explain: This model prayer teaches us that ultimately our prayers are about God—not us a. We are focused on God’s glory i. MP2b: His importance, His fame, & His will ii. Glory 1. In the Hebrew highlighted the weightiness of God, His importance and significance 2. In the Greek it highlighted His shining, brilliant, & majestic beauty iii. Later Greek manuscripts of the Gospel of Matthew include the commonly prayed doxology (Greek for “Word of glory”) at the end of this prayer 1. “For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” (6:13b) 2. Do you hear the confident assertion of the Heavenly Father’s child in this? 3. The focused ending on God’s eternal glory, power, & kingdom? iv. While likely not in the original text— 1. This doxology falls right in line with reminding us that our prayers are to be focused on God’s glory b. Rather than my or your personal fame, it’s about the family Name i. As the first request shares, “Your name be honored as holy” c. And what is the second request? “Your kingdom come” d. And even when we get beyond this, we see that the requests focus on that which glorifies Him— i. He is the Good Father who loves to provide for His children, 1. So we pray for “our daily bread” ii. He desires that we live righteous lives that honor & reflect Him to the world, 1. So we pray “forgive us our sins” and “do not bring us into temptation” e. MP2c: Jesus challenges us to pray for what God wants more than what we want! i. Which includes the fulfilling of our physical & spiritual needs ii. But so often we need to seek God’s help to change from wanting what we want to wanting what God wants! iii. Jesus powerfully demonstrated this in the Garden of Gethsemane when in agony, He prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me—nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42) 2. Illustrate: E. Stanley Jones (Missionary to India) said, a. “Prayer is surrender—surrender to the will of God and cooperation with that will. b. In boat, throw out a hook & catch hold of the shore & pull i. Do I pull the shore to me, or do I pull myself to the shore? c. Prayer is not pulling God to our will, i. But the aligning of our will to the will of God." 3. Expand: Or to say it another way... a. Prayer is not about getting God to follow our will, i. MP2d: It is about changing to know & follow His will b. It is not about our glory, i. It is about God’s glory—importance, fame, & will! c. It is a time when we learn & practice selflessness i. Appealing to God for things that are not exclusively for our direct benefit d. Seeking to have our will transformed to His own— i. Seeking to have His Kingdom to come in our own hearts & heads, ii. Seeking to have our minds renewed to become like the mind of Christ (Rom 12:1-2) e. Do you see the humbleness that comes out in prayer? i. MP2e: Prayer is a humble approach to God ii. An admission that our world is broken iii. MP2f: And that our own hearts are full of brokenness 1. To say, “do not bring us into temptation.” is not to say that God leads people to sin a. The scriptures are quite clear that He would never do this (see James 1:12-15) b. On the contrary, it is the humble recognition of our own sinfully susceptible state! 2. There are many situations in life that we cannot alone defeat, we need God’s help— a. And He provides it (2 Peter 2:9; 1 Cor 10:13)! iv. Prayer involves a humble plea to God to for His transforming, renewing power to be manifested in our life v. MP2g: It is an admission of our daily need for His help 1. In it we take our place in the beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12)— 2. Finding ourselves to be poor in spirit, those who mourn, who are humble, who hunger & thirst for righteousness... f. One last warning & reminder in this point i. Always remember that this flows out of our first point. ii. Remember who God is—He is a good & loving God iii. And remember what your relationship is with Him through Jesus Christ 4. Transition: Bearing all this in mind, let’s begin to wrap this up... Conclusion 1. Conclusion-a: Reiterate: As God’s dearly loved children, Jesus calls us to God-centered prayer. a. Our prayers must be founded on who God is: i. Our Father, King, Provider, Forgiver, Guide, & so much more! b. Our prayers must be focused on God’s glory i. His importance, fame, & will-ii. Which includes the provision of our physical & spiritual needs! 2. Con-b: Apply: So, how should we respond? a. Con-c: Make the time to pray! i. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17 we are commanded, “Pray constantly.” ii. There are two ways that this happens: 1. Con-d: First, much prayer naturally rises up throughout the day a. Whether it is breaking into joy-filled praise, desperate pleas for forgiveness, comfort when stressed, courage when frightened, appeals for wisdom, or anything else—such prayer is to be encouraged! b. Nehemiah provides an amazing example of this in chapters 1-6 & 13! (Nehemiah 1:5-11, 2:4, 4:9, 5:19, 6:9, 6:14, 13:14, 13:22, 13:29, 13:31) c. I hope that you walk in the presence of God & overflow in prayer throughout your days— i. If not, I encourage you to start to pursue this! 2. However, following the example of Jesus, a. Jesus—God in human flesh, the man who never sinned, “he often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.” (Luke 5:16) i. If Jesus needed to be a man of radical prayer—we need this all the more! b. Con-e: We should also schedule daily time to come to God in prayer i. Again, how else would we ask for our ‘daily bread?’ c. When is the best time for you to do this? Morning, lunch break, afternoon, evening, night—only you know for yourself i. But I would say always schedule at least some deliberate time with God in the morning. ii. As John Bunyan said, “He who runs from God in the morning will scarcely find Him the rest of the day.” b. Con-f: Pray thoughtfully. i. Consider what Jesus taught us today— 1. Con-g: Are you praying in a way that follows Jesus’ teachings? 2. While there is nothing wrong with praying it word-for-word, when you truly mean the words that you say-a. It is not a mandated prayer that you must read word-for-word, b. After all Luke 11:1-4 gives one rendition & Matthew 6:9-13 gives another! 3. What is key is that your prayers flow from your relationship with God & are focused on God. a. Hopefully your notes from today’s sermon will help! ii. Con-h: Consider also that Jesus encourages us to pray in His, Jesus Name (John 14:13-14, 15:7,16; 16:23–24; 1 John 5:14) 1. This does not mean that we tag a phrase at the end of our prayers, “In Jesus name I pray” 2. Rather, this refers to the motivations & meanings of our prayers 3. If our prayers truly are founded & focused on God, they will naturally be in the name of God the Son 4. They will reflect His truth & love iii. To aid you toward these ends, I have also given a prayer outline in today’s notes insert— 1. If you find such things helpful in prayer, I encourage you to use it! 3. Appeal: a. This week, learn to better pray constantly i. Make this an earnest goal & desire ii. Set out reminders to bring you frequently before the throne of grace b. And as you approach God in prayer— i. Take the focus off yourself & turn your eyes upon God 1. Remember who He is & the relationship He has invited you into 2. Rightly re-center your life around Him ii. And from this place, let your prayers flow like a rushing river c. May we begin to pray in such a way that others notice the power of God in our life i. That they even ask us, “How can I pray like that?” ii. And that they too will turn to their God d. May the richness of this relationship with God be personally seen and lived out by you this week & in the years ahead! 4. Conclude: I am about to close in prayer—as I do, I have two notes for you: a. We are about to take part in the Lord’s Supper together— i. I invite you to use this time to prepare your heart ii. Focus on the Lord, ask for His inspection of your heart & confess any sins that come to light b. Secondly, As I close this off this prayer... i. You’ll hear me transition to the longer form of the Lord’s/Christians’ prayer from the book Matthew ii. I will be praying it from the CSB, iii. Con-i: For those who desire, I invite you to join me in this prayer, which will also be on the screen c. Prayer: i. Our Father in heaven, Your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. ____________________________________________________________________________________________