An Invitation To The Heart Of God Series

SERIES: The Greatest Prayer Ever Prayed #1

TITLE: An Invitation to the Heart of God

TEXT: Matthew 6:5-9

INTRO: A Pastor asked a man to lead in prayer. He had never led in prayer before, so he stood up and said “O Lord...O Lord...O Lord, Amen” and sat down.

The sermon on the mount is the Greatest Sermon ever preached.

Preached by the Greatest Preacher who ever lived.

And it contains the Greatest Prayer ever prayed.

It’s a misnomer to call this The Lord’s Prayer

It’s actually the Disciples’ Prayer and it is a MODEL for our prayers.

The prayer that should be called The Lord’s Prayer is John ch.17.

Some people think of prayer as a parachute

they’re glad it’s there, but they hope they never have to use it.

Prayer is the:

-Prelude to Peace,

-Prologue to Power,

-Preface to Purpose, and

-Pathway to Perfection!

Prayer is more than simply asking God for things

C.S. Lewis - "I don’t know where I’d be if I’d gotten all I asked for!"

Prayer is simply Communion with God.

When we pray, we receive the gift of God Himself

God’s answers are wiser than our prayers.

Prayer may not change our situation, but it changes us.

If our request is wrong, God says "No."

If our timing is wrong, God says "Slow".

If we are wrong, God says "Grow"

I. THE “LORD’S PRAYER” IS A MODEL FOR US

A. It Is Very Simple

1. No long words,

2. No strange theological expressions,

3. No obscure phrases,

4. No genealogies.

B. It is Very Brief

1. It contains only 68 words

2. No petition has more than ten words

3. Simply: “Thy kingdom come” and “Thy will be done.”

4. Short and too the point.

C. And Yet, It is Comprehensive

1. Everything that you’d ever want to say is in this prayer:

2. God is in this prayer

3. We are in this prayer

4. The past is in this prayer

5. The present is in this prayer

6. The future is in this prayer

7. Father, Son and Holy Spirit are in this prayer

II. THE OUTLINE OF THE PRAYER

A. The First Half Is About God

1. His name,

2. His kingdom,

3. His will.

B. The Second Half is About Man

1. Give us - that's about the Present

2. Forgive us - that's about the Past

3. Lead us - that's about the Future

4. Deliver us - God's Protection

C. The Trinity is in the Prayer

1. Hallowed be Thy name -

it is the Father who magnifies his name

2. Thy kingdom come -

it is the Son who establishes his kingdom

3. Thy will be done -

it is the Holy Spirit who executes the will of God

III. EVERY NECESSITY IS IN THIS PRAYER

A. God Has Committed Himself to Provide for His People

(Php.4:19) But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

B. He Has Invited Us to Bring Our Needs to Him

(Mat.7:7) Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

C. But We Don't Really Know What We Need

(Rom.8:26) Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

D. God Knows Before We Ask Him

(Mat.6:8) ...your Father knoweth what things ye have need of,

before ye ask him.

E. Prayer Acknowledges Our Dependence on God

1. Every prayer is the cry of a child saying,

“Help, Father, I can’t do this by myself.”

2. It reminds us that in the end everything depends on God

and not on us.

CONCL: Remember: Everything that it is legitimate to pray about

can be found in the Lord’s Prayer.

Our Father which art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,

for ever

Amen