Authentic Prayer

You may have noticed by now that I’m always talking about the choice we each must make. The choice to serve God, live for him regardless of the cost, or the choice to serve ourselves, and live a life that we think will bring us personal happiness. When Jesus tells us how to pray, he is saying that we should continually pledge ourselves to his cause, his path. We don’t just pledge allegiance to our flag once in our lives – we repeat the pledge many times through our lives to reaffirm our allegiance. We need to reaffirm our allegiance to God also. This doesn’t mean you can lose your salvation if you don’t, any more than you lose your citizenship if you don’t pledge at a football game. It just means that you aren’t really serious about your commitment.

We are opposing every worldview that is contrary to God. People are enslaved by sin. We are engaged in spiritual warfare and we’re praying for victory. Are we prayer warriors? God loves heroic faith. Why don’t we pray more? Maybe we’re not angry enough.

The fact that we begin in the Lord’s Prayer with hallowing God’s Name, then asking for His Kingdom rule in our lives, then for His will to be accomplished, shows that this is hardly a self-centered prayer. Yet we are prone to approach God with a self-serving attitude that says: "My will be done". This is only natural. We want our own way. We want things to be perfect. Jesus had one of those moments. He was in the Garden about to face one of the most painful and harrowing experiences of life, and falls on his knees to pray “take this cup from me”, but, even knowing what was about to happen to him, he finished with “yet not what I will, but what you will.” It’s OK to tell God you are scared and don’t like the way things are going. Jesus did.

Matthew 6:33: "But seek first the kingdom of God and His Righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."

This part of the Lord’s Prayer tells us that we should pray that God would reign in the hearts of men on earth first above all. That his kingdom would grow. That we would be a part of that growth in whatever way necessary. That we will have the wisdom to understand the will of God for our lives and have the courage to do it.

[GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD]

Slide graphic – Norman Rockwell painting, mother and son praying over meal in diner. Verses:

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. (2 Corinthians 9:10)

You have not because you ask not (James 4:2)

Up to this point, everything in the Lord’s Prayer has been focused on God. This should always come first. Now, however, is the time to talk to God about ourselves – what we are feeling, what we need. Jesus expresses this order when He says, "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you" (Mt 6:33). We begin in prayer praising God, then we make our requests known-admitting we have needs which only God can fill.