When You Pray
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When You Pray
When You Pray
“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
“Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
We have started our study of the three practices of a mature Christian
When you Fast, When you Pray, When you Give
In Matt 6 Jesus gives us the blueprint of the practice of prayer
“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
“Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
When you pray: It is here taken for granted that all disciples of Christ will practice the discipline of prayer
Matthew Henry in his commentary said” You would as well find a living man that does not breath as a living Christian that does not pray”
Prayer is as vital to out Spiritual life as breathing is to our mortal existence
We should not confuse the two terms used in the discourse of prayer - asking and petitioning
Asking involves a direct request and answer
The process of petitioning involves the act of “influencing” a situation
So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.
It leaves the answer up to the subject of the petititon - it is open ended in a sense
“a request made for something desired, especially a respectful or humble request, as to a superior or to one of those in authority”
Prayer is not the act of twisting God’s arm to get what we want or look religeous
Jesus warned - don’t be like the hypocrites - pretenders, actor, one who plays a role,
They speak idly everyone with his neighbor; With flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
“But the hypocrites in heart store up wrath; They do not cry for help when He binds them.
Mostly it speaks to those who, with pretense pose to be righteous and holy but are truly ravenous wolves or self seeking
The key here isn’t the action but rather the practice of deception which is marked by the action
There are 2 faults jesus brings against the hypocrite - vain glory and vain repetitions
Prayer requirements - 2 times a day Shema - 3 sections beginning Deut 6
Before 9 AM after before 9PM
Shemanath 18 prayers really 19 said 3 times a day 9 12 15
It quickly became wrote and without meaning - A duty
Sought to be in a public place to be seen by others in their outward display
Look how righteous I am!
Pray became programmed - mouthed without thinking - vain repitition
1 - Pray is a private event - an intimate experience
Pray isn’t intended to impress people but rather toward God!
What is utter in secret will be rewarded in public
2- From a pure motivation
Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?
You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.
You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; Try my mind and my heart.
What is at issue is truly what’s in your heart!
I’ve heard it said that tears are our silent prayers before God
Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
3 - should not be repetitious
Not based on length or amount of words
Declare your heart!
The heathen think they will be heard for their “much” speaking
And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’
Spending time in prayer focuses us on the things that move God’s heart as we quiet ourselves to hear His voice
Remember that prayer os a two-way street!
Just as important or even more so is our opening ourselves to listen for His still small voice!
Next week we will look at the format which Jesus gave to us to help guide our time in prayer