Untitled Sermon (22)

When you pray

Matthew 6:5-8

Intro: We know that all the bible is important. But times when something is repeated, it is emphasized. Showing something that is trying to get a point across. We see this is our text today.

VS 5 “And when you pray:

VS 6 “But when you pray:

VS 7 And when you pray:

The assumptions here is that righteous (elab on how believers are righteous) people pray. There many passages that command us to pray. This is not one of them. This passage assumes that true disciples (followers of Jesus) pray.

Prayer is to the soul what oxygen is to the body. If someone does not pray, then they will be spiritual dead. Followers of Jesus pray.

When Jesus is speaking of prayer here He is speaking continual prayer practice. Luke 11:1 the disciple asked Jesus “Lord teach us how to pray”

Matthew 6 is a part of Jesus teaching known as the Sermon on the Mount. He teaches His disciples what it meant to be citizens of the Kingdom. How to live as a believer, the things to so and not to do.

Matthew 6 teaches how righteous people do religious stuff.

VS 1-4 teach how righteous people give. VS 5-15 teach how righteous people pray. VS 16-18 teaches righteous people how to fast. VS 9-15 is what is known as the “Lord Prayer” there Jesus teaches how to pray just He did in Luke. In the text we are looking at today, Jesus teaches how not to pray.

What Jesus teaches about how not to pray is just as important as when He teaches how to pray. The fact that He teaches how not to pray first shows how important it is.

I. Don’t pray like the Hypocrites. VS 5-6

Hypocrites: It is Greek term for a performer in a theater. Actors would wear mask to conceal their true identity, go on stage and play a role which they pretended to be someone else.

In the gospels Jesus used the term to describe religious phonies who pretend to be something they are not to impress other people. Jesus is the only on to use this term this way in the Gospels.

He did not use it to notorious sinners like the women caught in adultery, and tax collectors. He uses it to describe self-righteous people, who pretend to be something in front of others that know they are not before God.

And when you pray, you shalt not be like the hypocrites.

1. When you pray, do not pray like the hypocrites. Jesus had a specific group in mind here. The scribes and the Pharisees. 5:20

a. Scribes and Pharisees looked as the most righteous people is the land. The crowd most have thought, “How anyone be more righteous than the Scribes and Pharisees?

b. Jesus show them that true righteousness measured by quality, and not by quantity. Righteousness is not about how many righteous acts you do. It’s about whether the righteous acts come from the heart, a heart that is in a right standing with God.

c. It’s about what God sees not what man sees. So in teaching how righteous people pray, Jesus says do not be like the hypocrites.

d. How do you know if a prayer is hypocritical or if it is sincere? You know by the reward.

A. Man rewards hypocrites prayer.

VS 5

1. It is important that we see clearly what Jesus condemns here.

a. First, there is nothing wrong with did their self. They prayed. Jesus said something that cannot be said about a lot of people. He said, “they loved to pray” Can that be said of you?

b. Second, there was nothing wrong how they prayed, “standing”. Standing is common posture of prayer both in that culture and in our today.

c. Third, the problem was not where they prayed. The synagogue was the place of prayer, worship, service, fellowship. People attended synagogues because they did not live close enough to the Temple.

d. They didn’t just pray in the synagogue, they prayed on the street corners. There is nothing wrong with that either.

e. Elab praying in the hosp, in a room or in per-op. It may be without the Dr or nurse, or with them in the room. It should be to make yourself look good.

f. The issues was not the act, manner, or the place of the prayer. It was their motivation: “that they may be seen of men” (Others)

2. The problem is not that men saw them praying. The problem is, how they prayed, when they prayed and where they prayed was to be seen by men. (others)

a. Praying around other could be here in church, with your family, at a restaurant, at the hops, in some public meeting or wherever it may be. Praying with someone one on one.

b. If it is being done the by seen of men, Jesus says “Verily, I say unto you, they have their reward”

c. If someone prays to be seen by others, when he says by the time he says amen, he got his reward.

B. God rewards sincere prayer.

VS 6

1. This verse commands us to pray in private. But it is not telling us we cannot pray in public. In the New Testament Jesus prayed in public and so did the Apostles and the early church. It even commands us to pray together.

a. KJV closet: OG your room. In other words a private place. Jesus talking about private prayer.

b. If you really want to meet with God, it needs to be done in private prayer time.

c. It doesn’t mean that we can’t meet with God is public prayer. He is everywhere all the time. But if you want to find your reward, the spiritual reward, you going find in your private time with God.

Openly: Doesn’t mean everyone will see your reward.

d. It really doesn’t matter if God rewards you openly or not, if you are doing it to bring God glory. Secret prayer brings a reward form God.

e. The greatest reward you can get it the intimate time you spent with God.

f. Where is your secret place? It doesn’t have to be an actual room that is exclusively reserved for prayer. But you need a place, a place to be alone with God.

g. A secret place is a place where you and God can meet alone.

II. Don’t pray like the Heathens. VS 7-8

VS 7

1. Heathens refers to people that don’t know God.

a. Jesus is saying don’t pray like people that don’t know God

A. People who do not know God pray desperately. VS 7

Vain: Empty words.

repetitions: Someone who over speaks.

a. Remember we’re talking about heathen, those who don’t God. Heathens prayed to false gods. (god’s) so would pray many words hoping one of the god’s would hear them. Elijah and the false Prophets. They prayed for hours, and nothing happened.

b. Jesus is not condemning long prayers. There is a place for long prayer. He is condemning the idea that your prayers have to be long or eloquent or structured a certain way for God to hear them.

c. Ritualistic prayers do not impress God. Eloquent prayers do not impress God. Long prayers do not impress God.

Ecclesiastes 5:1–2 NKJV

1 Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil. 2 Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few.

d. Real heart felt prayer is laying hold of the willingness of God.

B. People who know God pray confidently. VS 8

1. Jesus gives a concluding command concerning the way the heathens and the hypocrites pray.

Don’t be like them.

a. Don’t be like the hypocrites whose motivation of prayer is wrong. Don’t be like the heathens whose manner of prayer is wrong.

b. Jesus tells them why you should pray that way. Your father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask:

c. For the 3rd time in these 4 verses Jesus uses “father” look at verse 9. This is significant to those who know God. It tells us about the power of God. He is our Father in heaven.

d. If you are a child of God, pray simply about His name, His kingdom, and His will.

e. Pray simply about your needs, your forgiveness, and your temptations. You can pray with confidence because the Kingdom the power and the glory belong to your heavenly father.

2. Here is the major issue in prayer. Knowing that you are a child of God.

a. Are you a child of God?

b. If you are not right with God, or do not know where you stand with God, get it right today. Put you trust in Jesus. Believe in Him, call on Him, ask Him for forgiveness and make a commitment to live your life for Him.

c. When you know for sure that you are a child of God, you can pray with confidence.

d. People who know God can pray with confidence that the father is all knowing. He knows before you ask.

e. Your asking does not inform God of anything he does not already know. It simply affirms that he is the one who is able to handle the situation. He know so pray confidently.

Matthew 6:31–33 NKJV

31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

GOD KNOWS:

God knows when your burdens are heavy.

God knows when you faith is tested.

God knows when your heart is broken.

God knows your mind if confused.

God knows when your way is dark,

Since He knows, He care and He wants to hear form you