Lord, Teach Me To Pray: Praise Series

Title: Lord, Teach Us to Pray – Praise

Theme: To show the priority and pattern for prayer.

Text: Luke 11:1-4, Matthew 6:5 – 15

Offering:

Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; (20) but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. (21) For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Opening Scripture:

Matthew 6:5-15 "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. (6) But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. [29] (7) And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. (8) Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. (9) In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. (10) Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. (11) Give us this day our daily bread. (12) And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. (13) And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. [30] (14) "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. (15) But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Luke 11:1 Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples."

Two Ideas for Acronyms for PRAY

P - Praise, R - Repentance, A - Ask, Y - Yield

P - Praise, R- Request, A - Accept (God's forgiveness, release), Y - Yield

Introduction

If you would open your Bibles to Matthew 6:5 – 15 (Luke 11:1 – 4). I would like to begin by reading the whole context of the passage we will be looking at this morning. We will spend the next few weeks looking at this passage with the topic of prayer. Learning how to pray through the “Lord’s Prayer.”

Luke 11 sets the context for the reason Jesus was teaching this lesson on prayer. As the disciples saw the miracles of Jesus and His consistent prayer life. They had a desire to learn to pray.

This morning I want us to take a look at this prayer.

There was something that the disciples saw in Jesus ministry that drew them to His prayer life. I know it was His consistency of spending time with the father. No matter how busy life got or how much people tried to pull on Him, Jesus always found time to pray. Even if it meant less sleep. He know the dependency on the Father.

I believe after seeing the miracles, the patience and the love of Christ these drew them to desire to pray.

This is the reason I was drawn to this Disciples Prayer. Jesus teaches us how to pray.

So Jesus begins here by teaching His disciples to pray. First He gives instructions on how not to pray. Prayer is not for other’s to notice. It is not to “be seen by men”. We are told to go into our room or closet to pray. Shut the door.

and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. – In other words it is in our private prayer life that we get ready for our public ministry.

He also warns them about “vain repetition”. It must not be ritualistic. Just repeating words, many words. This is what the pagans do. We saw this in 1 Kings 18 as the worshipers of Baal cried out to their god over and over again.

God already knows the things before we pray. So why do we ask. This is for us to make a personal request. A personal relationship.

Our Father

This is the opening part of prayer. It is knowing who we are praying to and the relationship that we have. We are praying to “Our Father”. A loving God who loves us as a true father.

Psalms 23:1 “The Lord is my shepherd”

Isaiah puts it this way: