The Mission of Prayer

Matthew 6:5-13 (NIV)

“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. 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. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

“This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 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 lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

Jesus is giving us a framework is NOT SOMETHING ENTIRELY NEW. Though revised because of revelation - Jesus revealing the Father. He is continuing the purpose of prayer from the old testament (Gen 3) through the book of Acts is to call upon God to do what He promised to do.

Prayer is...

Prayer is Missional

Prayer, one of the primary means for co-operation in God’s mission in the world.

Prayer is to call on God in humility for Him to advance His agenda. i.e. Kingdom come, will be done.

Requests supporting the essentials of Jesus’ prayer will be answered because they conform to God’s purposes for this world in making known the divine name through Jesus.” - Gary Millar (A biblical theology of prayer)

Prayer is cooperating with God in His mission. Not my mission. Far too often, in my personal experience, prayer has been the purpose of moving my mission forward, whatever that looks like.

Yes prayer is how God will meet your needs but in the context of his mission.

The dilemma - not knowing purpose - purposelessness (the apostles call it - darkness too). no reason to wake up except whatever “created purpose you have made”

But we are called to something greater - “discovering purpose” and now I have a reason to live, and now I need God to advance his agenda in my life because he has called me to the impossible.

So my prayer life is to be completely tied to his plans and purposes for my life - which ultimately moves His agenda forward - Kingdom of God, will be done.

John 4:34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish His work.”

So the questions we should be asking is, what is God’s mission, what is His work? - Kingdom come - souls saved, set free, discover their purpose, and they go make a transcendent difference.

So I ask the holy spirit -what parts of my life have I not given to you, that i haven’t aligned it with his plans and purposes.

And repentance is good.

In order to do this, what we talked about last week - we must love God… Jesus said that he who loves me will do what I say.