Sermon Tone Analysis

Housekeeping

What we are going to cover:

The Lord’s prayer: where we are going to look into what the Lord means when he says, “pray like this:”

We will also cover these topics:

Does God need our prayers.

What does it mean to ask of me (Jesus) and I (Jesus) will give you?

Is it alright to ask for signs?

What is the deep truth of prayer?

Do we need to agonize in prayer?

Does God always answer prayer?

Hindrances to prayer.

Who can pray?

Introduction:

Prayer, From the Westminster Catechism:

What is prayer?

Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins and thankful acknowledgment of His mercies.

Are we to pray unto God only?

God only being able to search the hearts, hear the requests, pardon the sins, and fulfil the desires of all; and only to be believed in, and worshiped with religious worship; prayer, which is a special part thereof, is to be made by all to him alone, and to none other.

In reading through a passage on prayer what did the Lord show you?

Review:

Remember that the purpose of prayer is to commune with our great God.

To have fellowship with God through Jesus Christ, expressed in adoration, thanksgiving, and intercession, through which we get to draw near to God and learn more of his will for our lives.

Fun facts about prayer:

650 prayers listed in the Bible.

450 recorded answers to prayer in the Bible.

First mention of prayer in the Bible: Genesis 4:26

First time the word “pray” is used in scripture: Genesis 20:7

The first time “amen” is used in the Bible: Numbers 5:22

Jesus is recorded in the Bible praying 25 different times during His time on earth.

Paul mentions prayer 41 times through his epistles.

5 specific postures of prayer mentioned in Scripture:

Sitting, standing, kneeling, one’s face to the ground, and with hands lifted up.

The Bible has at least nine main types of prayer:

Faith, agreement (corporate prayer), request (supplication), thanksgiving, worship, consecration (dedication), intercession, imprecation, and praying in the Spirit.

v 5) Seen by others

Jesus warns His disciples against hypocrisy when they pray.

They shouldn’t purposely position themselves in public areas so that others would see them praying and be impressed by their “holiness”

At the set time of prayer, pious Jews would stop what they were doing and pray, some discreetly, but others with pretentious display.

What is hypocrisy?

and how might we demonstrate that in our prayer lives today?

This is an issue of the heart and is caused by wrong motives.

Hypocrites are praying to be seen by others.

Two preliminary things:

Praying—even loving to pray—is not a sign that a person really knows God.

The fact that a person really knows God means that they do pray.

No matter what a person may think in their mind, if they really knows God and really believes in God, they talk to God.

A person who prays primarily in public and little in private, must search the genuineness of their heart and profession.

What I believe the Lord is getting at here is the issue of loving recognition.

v 6) Praying in secret

The right motive for prayer is praying to be heard by God.

What are some preliminary points you notice in verse 6?

The willingness to take time to pray.

Private prayer is a must.

There needs to be a personal relationship with God.

To have good devotions is to, not only read Scripture, but to spend time in prayer as well.

If our real motive is to get through to God, He will hear and answer.

It is reading too much into the passage to use these verses to prohibit public prayer.

The early church met together for collective prayer (Acts 2:42; 12:12; 13:3; 14:23;20:36).

The point is not where we pray.

The real issue is why we pray—and that is to be seen by people or to be heard by God.

v 7) Empty phrases:

Prayer cannot be consistent vain repetitions.

Repeated words and empty phrases.

Unsaved people pray like that, God isn’t impressed by the mere multiplication of many words.

Jesus is prohibiting mindless, mechanical repetition, not the earnest repetition that flows from the imploring heart.

He wants to hear the sincere expressions of the heart.

v. 8) Father knows best:

Since our Father knows the things we have need of, even before we ask Him, then it is reasonable to ask, “Why pray at all?”

[[Example: Being a dad]]

In prayer, we acknowledge our need and dependence on Him.

It is the basis of our communicating with God.

Also God does things in answer to prayer that He would not have done otherwise: James 4:1-3

How does prayer help our faith?

God knows all things and that includes our needs.

We do not have to worry.

Our concern should be living rightly in the presence of God, taking enough time to share and to fellowship with God.

The more we share and have fellowship with God, the more we will know God and learn to trust and to depend upon God’s care and promises.

What blows my mind is that God desires to hear from each of us… He has ordained prayer as the medium through which He blesses and moves among us.

Prayer time:

Homework:

In preparation for next week, your homework is to find a passage of Scripture that reveals His character.

We will be looking at adoration which is: an attitude of worship characterized by love and reverence towards God.

With an emphasis on the character of God.

For example: Ps 31:23

And pray about sharing next week.