Prayer: Our Great Need Before A Great Father

Matthew 6:5–13 CSB

“Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. When you pray, don’t babble like the Gentiles, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words. Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him. “Therefore, you should pray like this: 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.

Matthew 6:5–13 CNVT

「你們祈禱的時候，不可像偽君子；他們喜歡在會堂和路口站著祈禱，好讓人看見。我實在告訴你們，他們已經得了他們的賞賜。但你祈禱的時候，要進到密室裡去，關上門，向在隱密中的父祈禱。你父在隱密中察看，必定報答你。你們祈禱的時候，不可重複無意義的話，像教外人一樣，他們以為話多了就蒙垂聽。你們不可像他們，因為在你們祈求以先，你們的父已經知道你們的需要了。所以你們要這樣祈禱： 『我們在天上的父， 願你的名被尊為聖， 願你的國降臨， 願你的旨意成就在地上， 如同在天上一樣。 我們每天所需的食物， 求你今天賜給我們； 赦免我們的罪債， 好像我們饒恕了得罪我們的人； 不要讓我們陷入試探， 救我們脫離那惡者。』

INTRO

Help me Jesus.

What Prayer Is Not

1.Prayer is not a performance:

hypocrites(explain this) standing in front, wanted that place, it was a place of recognition before people.

Like say the opening prayer of the presidents inauguration or the holiday meal:

Jesus says hypocrites loved to pray here because it impressed people

These people did not love to pray, but rather they loved to BE SEEN praying. Their prayers were not because of love for the Father, but they prayed because they loved to be seen by people.

When we are praying Jesus says, it is primarily communion between you and your Father.

(illustration) about making public about yourself which is meant to be private?

Don’t love the praise of man

2.Prayer is also not passive(lots of words,ect, gibberish): .

In Christian prayer, our mind is active.

This may not make sense to our Western people here, but to Taiwanese I believe you have all experienced this at some point. For Gentiles they would work themselves up into a frenzy, they would go to the temple, and begin a mindless chant or repetition of words.

(Taiwanese example of woman at temple).

Taiwanese love to pray. Prayer is not about manipulation but about communication before our Father.

Elijah in 1 Kings 18

Jesus says that they believe that their gods will hear them BECAUSE of the repetition of many words. The more the the better. But not so with you.

Many times I have known Christians who seem to think that the more emotion, the more words, the more passion, will somehow make God hear them. But see that is thinking just like the Gentiles.

GOD KNOWS OUR NEED

BECAUSE “your Father knows the things you need before your ask Him”.

Because you have a Father.

Jesus says even before you or I ever say a word in prayer our Father already knows our need.

If you look at this word “need” and the cross reference, which I encourage you to do as you read your Bible. The bible helps us interpret the Bible. And in this case it is extremely helpful.

This word “need” means what is “necessary”. What does that mean?

Matthew 9:12–13 CSB

Now when he heard this, he said, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Matthew 9:12–13 CNVT

耶穌聽見了，就說：「健康的人不需要醫生，有病的人才需要，『我喜愛憐憫，不喜愛祭祀』，你們去想一想這話的意思吧。我來不是要召義人，而是要召罪人。」

church family how many of us believe that lie that we can not come before God in prayer because of our sin? Maybe you have had a day where you have just failed at every point? You have fallen into sin again. You were angry with your kids, you didn’t read your Bible or pray? On those days we begin to believe this lie that we can’t come to God in prayer because we’ve sinned or messed up. Or how many of us are in a place of neediness right now? How many of us feel weak? How many of us know that we do not have it altogether? How many of us are aware of the brokenness in our own hearts and in our relationships?

Usually our neediness drives people away doesn’t it? We even believe that our neediness will drive God away, and we can only approach God on the good days, where we have shared the Gospel, read our Bible, checked all the boxes.

But what Jesus is teaching us here is such good news.

What is Jesus saying to you church? My neediness, my weakness, your neediness does not drive the Father away, but it is because of our neediness that the Father draws near and is eager to hear our prayers. Please hear what Jesus is saying.

We have a Dad who is not surprised by our weakness and our need. That’s why we don’t need to perform or pretend in front of Him. When we stand before a Holy God, we all are in need. Jesus says, it is this awareness of our neediness that should drive us to prayer. BECAUSE We have a gracious Father who draws near to us.

Extensive list of prayers in the Judaism but not one of those titles was Father Islam-99 names for Allah, but not one of them is Father.

I know some of you grew up in homes where your dad’s did not respond to your neediness in this way. When you were in need maybe they were short, told you to grow up, or even made fun of your need. But church family, Jesus is telling you that through the Gospel, we have been adopted into a new family. With a new Father, who does not push away in our neediness but draws near and hears our prayers.

Story of my kids with legos

In my own life it is seasons when I am more aware of my own need when I pray more.

ARE WE PRAYING?

2 REASONS WHY WE AREN’T PRAYING:

you are unaware of your need?

Or could it be that you have believed the lie that you can only come to God when you are perfect?

God is our Father a reality secured for us by Jesus.

Prayer is primarily about relationship

Jesus’ Model

Then Jesus proceeds to give us a model for how to pray:

We do not have time to unpack the Lord’s prayer in it’s entirety, but we will say a few things about this and make application to our lives today.

How many of us grew up saying the Lord’s prayer? Even here in Taiwan in Catholic schools, people grow up saying the Lord’s prayer. But what did we learn about what prayer is not? Not a performance or a passive ritual. So this prayer is not meant to just be recited thinking that the words will manipulate God to do something. Jesus is teaching us something about God and the Gospel in this prayer.

Notice when Jesus starts this prayer He doesn’t tell the disciples to face a certain way, kneel a certain way, go to a temple, or find a person.

As a Christian, prayer is a reminder that we do NOT need any mediator between us and God. The bible says that the only Mediator(go between) is Jesus. So in Christ we have direct access to God in prayer, anytime, anyplace, anywhere.

The Greatness of God

“Our Father”

“in heaven” “holy” “your kingdom come” “your will be done”

The whole first part of this prayer is about the glory of God.

Matthew is writing this book to Jewish Christians who have experienced persecution and the injustice of rulers and neighbors around them. What is Matthew’s goal in writing this book? Encouraging them through reminder that Jesus is in fact the King of Kings, God’s long awaited Messiah. Who has come for the salvation of His people. He is The ONE.

Our Need

“give us our daily bread” “forgive us” “lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one”

The Father is looking for us to depend upon Him. Even for our daily needs. Our daily bread. How many of us beleive that God is only concerned with our “spiritual lives” and the rest is up to us? No God has created us to be dependent upon Him.

But we also have a greater need Jesus says:

We need forgiveness. The Gospel of the kingdom, this pray that we pray is a reminder not that what the world and our neighbors ultimately need is to feel better about themselves. What they need is the forgiveness of their sins, so they can be made right before this Holy God that we are praying to. We need to be made right before this Holy God.

We need to be rescued from evil.

APPLICATION

Prayer is not a religious duty we must perform but it is a privilege we get to partake in because God is our Father. We have direct access to the King of the Universe. What have you been wanting to talk to your dad about? What have you been needing to come before your Father about? He is a gracious compassionate Father, but also a wise loving King.