Prayer Is The Key To Kingdom Living Series

Sermon: Prayer is the Key to Kingdom Living

Scripture: Matthew 6:5-13 “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. 7 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! 9 Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10 May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today the food we need, 12 and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. 13 And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.”

Luke 11:9-13 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 “You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? 12 Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! 13 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”

Introduction: After encouraging believers to seek first the kingdom of God and live righteously, Jesus deals with the believer’s attitude about giving, forgiveness and prayer. I have entitled today’s message, “Prayer is the key to Kingdom Living.” Jesus teaches us the prayer is the believer’s key communication in the kingdom of God. If believers learn to communicate effectively with God, all parties involved can leave satisfied and feeling accomplished. By delivering messages clearly, there is no room for misunderstanding or alteration of messages, which decreases the potential for conflict. Prayer is the language of the kingdom, and it is so important that Jesus said, “Men ought to always pray and not faint.”

The largest radio receiver on earth is in New Mexico. Pilots call it "the mushroom patch." Its real name is the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array. The "VLA" is a series of twenty-seven huge satellite disks on thirty-eight miles of railways. Astronomers come from all over the world to analyze the optical images of the heavens composed by the VLA from the radio signals it receives from space. Why is such a giant apparatus needed? Because the radio waves, often emitted from sources millions of light-years away, are very faint. The total energy of all radio waves ever recorded barely equals the force of a single snowflake hitting the ground. What great lengths people will go to in search of the faintest message from space. Scientists and astronomers listen attentively, 24 hours a day for any sound in the heavens. Straining through the eyes of telescopes and the electronic ears, they search the darkness of space in search of a word from heaven. They miss the voice of God who has spoken so clearly through His Son and His Word!

Just as mankind listens for the slightest sound from heaven, God listens for the slightest sound of prayer from men. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism lists the principal disciplines of the Methodism faith as Studying God’s word, communicating with God in Prayer, Consecrating oneself by fasting, developing spiritually in small groups, and celebrating the Lord’s supper in community. In a 1980 survey of 17,000 members an evangelical denomination revealed the average member prayed 5 minutes a day, while the average pastor prayed about seven minutes a day. This message is not to condemn but to encourage us all to pray more!

Since believers are citizen of another country, the kingdom of God, Jesus knew the importance of maintaining constant contact with the Father. When life presents us with challenges that call for an honest assessment, many say the Serenity Prayer, “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” This prayer reminds us that while some things in life are within our control, many other things are beyond our control and require the help of God. Jesus knew believers would need peace, acceptance, courage, and wisdom. All these virtues are available through prayer. Prayer would be key in the Believer’s communication with God. Jesus teaches several important things about prayer in the passages. First, prayer is expected.