Prayer-What is the purpose of prayer?

Intro :

Brother praying over the offering.

“Give and it will given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

He prayed what he was taught.

He just copied what he saw my dad do.

He inherited a certain form.

Reese’s Pieces Illustration

We’ve been doing it wrong.

Many of us have learned some wrong things about prayer.

Here are a few:

Our prayers inform God

Longer prayers impress a God more.

Prayers convince God to give us what we want.

Prayer is half talking to God half public performance.

If you don’t say “amen” the prayer is invalid.

So what is the “right” way to pray? What’s the point?

What:

Prayer aligns us with God.

Intro into scripture

5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

9 “This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

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 lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.

Pray to open.

Prayer aligns us with God.

So what / Why does this matter?

#1 God has the best perspective.

Our Father in heaven hallowed be your name.

Who is God? (Attributes of God)

Omnipotent-All powerful

“Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power

and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.”

Omnipresent-Present everywhere

7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in 1 hell, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.

Omniscient-All Knowledge

4 He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name. 5 Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.

When we talk to God we aren’t convincing or informing to some weak limited being.

The reality is that the creator of it all has allowed us to approach him and when we do he leads us based on his perspective.

When we approach him in prayer instead of fighting him let’s trust and align ourselves with his perspective.

Parenting gives you perspective.

I don’t give Caleb everything he wants. I take in consideration what’s BEST for him.

Pizza Rolls-wait cool off

Sometimes we question God but if we had the full picture we may agree with him.

So instead of fighting with God with our limited understanding let’s trust his perspective and align ourselves to Him when we pray.

#2 Jesus prayed and told us to do the same.

Jesus isn’t asking us to do something He wouldn’t do himself.

Bank selling credit cards / Financial peace

Gethsemane

36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

42 He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”

Jesus would retreat and pray.

There are 25 accounts in the Bible documenting Jesus praying.

Jesus not only tells us to pray but models the importance of prayer during His life.

If Jesus made it a priority to regularly align himself with the Father, we should too.

#3 Jesus promises a reward. (God’s attention)

5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Immediately we think of reward We automatically think God will give us what we pray for.

Is this really what Jesus is saying? He will give us what we want?

I think there is a deeper promise here than just stuff.

The attention seeking is a symptom of the real issue.

The real issue that Jesus is getting at is fulfillment.

New car back-up camera

The thing I was obsessing over doesn’t really matter.

Just like that man praying on the corner the attention of others will fade and he will be back tomorrow.

But when your in true alignment with God all of a sudden you realize the attention of man doesn’t even compare with the attention of God.

What’s the reward?

Fullfillment | Joy | Peace

Now what-

Now that we know the truth and importance of prayer, how does Jesus want us to pray?

Acknowledge God and who he is.

Who is God? (Attributes of God)

Omnipotent-All powerful

Omnipresent-Present everywhere

Omniscient-All Knowledge

Father willing to hear you, guide you, protect you

Align your will with his.

Your kingdom come your will be done.

This is the hard step.

It’s easy to talk it’s harder to back it up with action.

A lot of people believe in God, few will submit their plans for his.

Kingdom= Basileia (vas-e-lee-ah)

Royal power, kingship, dominion, rule

-The right or authority to rule over a Kingdom.

When you pray that you are asking God to rule over you.

When I read that I thought it meant for God to show-up on earth.

What it really means is it starts with me.

If I want God’s will to be done in this earth I need it to start with me.

Will= thelema (Thel-ay-mah)

-Purpose, desire, pleasure, determination

-What you determined let it happen.

Under God’s rule your will changes.

Instead of getting God to bend his will to yours, you bend your will to his.

Ask for what you need.

With the first two things in mind acknowledging God and aligning your will with his Jesus finally says:

Ask

What do you want? What do you need?

Give us this day our daily bread.

Provide us everything we need for today.

Anything you need Jesus says ask. God is willing to provide.

Daily Manna

Moses warned them to not to forget that it came from the Lord.

#3A God will provide forgiveness.

#3B God will provide protection

Conclusion

Here’s the point:

Prayer aligns us with God

Why is this true, why does it matter:

God has the best perspective.

Jesus prayed and told us to do the same.

Jesus promises a reward.

How does Jesus instruct us to pray:

Acknowledge- Who God is.

Align- Your will to his.

Ask- For what you want/need.