Praising God in Our Prayers

Introduction

I have a confession to make: I don’t know what I’d do without YouTube. Why do I say that? Because, almost everything I know about fixing my house or my car, I’ve learned on YouTube!

At my first house, I knew almost nothing about the maintenance of the equipment in the house.

Take the furnace filter for example…I had no idea that the furnace had a filter! So, when the furnace went out early in our time there, one of the first questions they asked me was when was the last time I changed the filter. My response was, “The whatnow?”

Here’s the thing; sometimes we don’t know how to do the things we are supposed to do, or even that we are supposed to do the things we are supposed to do!

As we talked about last week, prayer truly is one of the most vital spiritual disciplines for our Christian walk.

And, because Jesus wasn’t one to not tell His followers what they needed to know, we will begin looking at Jesus’ guideline from prayer, often called the Lord’s Prayer (however, probably better titled, the Disciple’s Prayer).

We will take a four week look at this passage and learn a simple way to pray that I believe will help your prayer life immensely. And all you have to remember is PRAY.

Matthew 6:9-15

Verse 9

“Pray then like this:”

Context: Jesus has just explained to the crowds that they shouldn’t pray arrogantly, selfishly, or foolishly. Now He will focus on how they should pray.

Is the Disciples’s Prayer the only prayer we can pray?

No. Jesus only prayed this specific prayer here and in Luke 11. Additionally, if we only pray this prayer, then it will eventually just become something we do in order to seem religious, devoid of any spiritual meaning.

Yet, it’s a prayer that we can pray specifically, word-for-word, as well!

Craig Keener: “…effective prayer is not a complex ritual but a simple cry of faith predicated on an assured relationship...”

The Disciple’s Prayer serves as a lesson in what the most important content of our prayer ought to be.

Within the prayer we see praises to God, we see requests of God, we see admission of sin, and we see a yielding to God. We will look at each of these throughout the next four weeks.

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.”

“Our Father” expresses intimacy with God.

Consider what father means from a human standpoint:

It should be someone a child can depend on. Someone a child can be affectionate towards. Someone who loving cares for his children through sacrificial love and devotion.

In Jesus day, children were often seen as powerless and completely dependent on their parents. Fathers, on the other hand, were expected to be providers, protectors, and examples to their children.

Believers must understand that God is our Father, who far exceeds any human father. And, He welcomes His children to Him.

Sadly, many today have bad examples of fathers, as neglectful, harsh, abusive, absent, overbearing, weak, overly permissive. This can certainly cause confusion when it comes to the idea of God as Father. But God is the Father who is the opposite of all of these things!

Additionally, it reminds us of whom we pray to. Not saints, angels, Mary, our ancestors, but God the Father.

The Father who loves His children and lovingly receives and answers prayers according to His good purposes.

“…hallowed be your name.”

The “name” in ancient understanding was the total person. Meaning, it’s not simply an identifying title, but speaks of all the attributes that make up that person.

In this case, it would be all the attributes that make “Our Father” God the Father.

Hallowed means to be set apart as holy. The idea is that God would be treated with the highest honor.

Not just in His church, but throughout all the world.

This really brings us to the chief end of man: to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

While we find this statement in the Westminster Catechism, its truth has roots throughout Scripture.

For example:

Isaiah 43:5–7 ESV

Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

Psalm 29:1–2 ESV

Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.

1 Peter 4:11 ESV

whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

These are just three of hundreds of examples!

Additionally, look at the rest of this prayer…there are things you can praise God for throughout this prayer.

J.C. Ryle: “The glory of God is the first thing that God’s children should desire…It is the purpose for which the world was created. It is the end for which the saints are called and converted. It is the chief thing we should seek…”

This is an important point for us to consider in light of the modern world we live in. For many, even in the church, God is often approached in a casual and even flippant way.

He’s the “big man upstairs”; He’s a wise and doting grandfather, patiently waiting and hoping we will take time to talk with Him in the midst of our busy schedules; in our desire to make God approachable to those outside the church we’ve often presented God as a lot like us, just a bit better, and yet in desperate need of being loved by us.

All casual approaches to God fly out the window with a statement like this: hallowed be your name.

All that is Him is to be understood as worthy of complete reverence. He’s not inaccessible, but He’s also not desperate for our affection either.

One of the key differences between the ancient believers and modern believers is in our attitudes about God. The ancient believers lived in reverent fear and awe of God, while modern believers often approach God like our spiritual buddy in the sky.

I believe we desperately need to regain that reverent fear and awe of God.

Our prayers of praise can be a great starting point for this.

More on this in a moment...

Something to consider: If we really want God’s name to be seen as holy or worthy of reverence, then that should affect how we behave around others.

Nothing makes a mockery of God’s name quite like the poor behaviors of those who claim to be His children.

Thus, our prayers shouldn’t be simply prayers, but personal challenges to live out what we are praying.

Timeless Truth: Our prayers should include praising God for who He is and for what He has done.

Praising God for who He is…

God is worth of our praise, even if He had never done anything for us.

He is Creator; He is Holy, Holy, Holy; He is the sustainer; He is the destroyer and the rebuilder; the days of our lives are completely dependent on His timing and purposes.

So, in your prayers, take time to acknowledge who God is and praise Him for it.

Praising God for what He has done…

This is where we specifically thank Him for things He has done for us.

What are some things God has done for you that you can thank Him for?