Learning to Pray Like Jesus, Part 2 (Pray Sincerely)

Pray Sincerely, Part 1—Matthew 6:5-6

Intro…

Thursday commemorated 7 years since 9/11.

It was a tragedy we never saw coming…

Lead to patriotism, & to our knees!

You never know what each day will bring…

So what can you do to be prepared for each day’s…
Trials, troubles, & tragedies?

Series overview…

Learning to Pray like Jesus…
God expects you to pray.
Pray sincerely—Read…

Jesus calls us to pray privately.

I. When you pray, don’t… (5)

“don’t be like the hypocrites…” (Don’t feel you have to pray like this)

People putting on an act, pretenders
Jesus was talking about “religious” people.

“They love standing to pray…”

They prayed w/pretence—false motives.—To be seen.

Religious people of Jesus’ day prayed every 3 hours.
Often planned their prayer times around busy times.
IN Synagogues/church or on the busy streets

Anyone who prays to be seen by others is a hypocrite.

Watchman Nee quote… (Ill.: King Nebu—Dan. 4)
1 way Satan works is by taking good things & using them 4 evil.

If he can take prayer, church, giving about us, rather than…

2 Important points…

This doesn’t mean you don’t pray in public/in groups.
You cannot be the judge if someone is praying like this.

II. When you pray, do… (6)

Jesus commands 3 principles of sincere prayer…
1st, “Go/enter”—A intentional decision to do something…

You can pray anywhere!—But we should also devote special…
“into your room”—a closet, storage room—a small room
It’s a place you choose (bathroom, study, etc)

2nd, “shut the door”—The point is seclusion.—Why?

It’s away from distractions… (don’t take your cell phone)
It’s away from the eyes of men. (who R U away from others?)

3rd, “Pray to your Father”—Communicate w/the Lord.
Getting close to God is intentional/takes discipline!

When was the last time you accidentally got to work on time?

III. The example of Jesus (Mark 1:35-39)

Look at Jesus’ day… (21-34)

Teaching in the synagogue—21-22.
Healing the man w/the demon—23-28.
Going/healing @ Peter’s house—29-31
Ministering to people into the evening—32-34

The next day…

“rising very early”—Intentional decision.

Ps. 119:147-148, 5:3

“to a desolate place”—Place of seclusion.
“there he prayed”

What good did it do?—37-39

Jesus was ready to make right decisions.

What’s the point of all this?—Praying privately?

If Jesus needed to spend time alone w/the Lord, why do we think we can get by?
Why pray each morning?

God works thru prayer—James 4:2

Some are sick, hurting, prob. At work & think…
God knows. He’ll take care of it.

It shows our dependence on God—we’re needy.

The first way to receive God’s power at work is by receiving His Son Jesus.

Sin has separated us from God & the cost is death.
But God’s gift is eternal life thru Jesus.

God expects us to pray—to call on Him!

And the first step is to pray privately.—If you don’t have a private prayer life, then a public one means nothing.

Watchman Nee (Chinese Christian died in prison in 1972): “Hypocrites utilize prayers that are for the glorification of God to glorify themselves.”

Daniel 4—Daniel interpreted a dream for King Neb (25) that he would get cocky & glory in his kingdom, taking glory away from God.

Mark 1:35-39 (ESV) 35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37 and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38 And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” 39 And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

Psalm 119:147-148 (ESV) 147 I rise before dawn and cry for help;

I hope in your words.148My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise.

Psalm 5:3 (ESV) 3O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.

James 4:2 (ESV) 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.