Don't Play When You Pray

DON’T PLAY WHEN YOU PRAY

MATT. 6: 5-7

1. INTRODUCTION. THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT IT WOULD IN OUR BEST INTEREST NOT TO PLAY WITH. WHY? BECAUSE PLAYING WITH SOME THINGS CAN BE DETRIMENTAL TO OUR HEALTH. TO PLAY WITH A LOADED GUN CAN BE FATAL. PLAYING WITH A VENOMOUS SNAKE CAN BE FATAL. PLAYING WITH A RABID DOG CAN CAUSE SERIOUS HARM, RESULTING IN PAINFUL TREATMENT. PLAYING WITH A DIRTY SYRINGE CAN RESULT IN DISEASE AND EVEN DEATH. I RECALL AS A CHILD I HAD A BAD HABIT OF PLAYING WITH MATCHES; CONSEQUENTLY, I ALMOST BURNED OUR HOUSE DOWN, RESULTING IN THE WORST WHIPPING I EVER RECEIVED. YES, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE SHOULD NEVER PLAY WITH. BUT I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THERE IS ANOTHER THING THAT WE SHOULD NEVER PLAY WITH AND THAT’S PRAYER! PLAYING WHEN WE PRAY WILL RESULT IN OUR PRAYERS NOT BEING FAVORABLY ANSWERED BY GOD. SO MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, I JUST STOPPED BY TO TELL US, DON’T PLAY WHEN YOU PRAY.

2. THE TEXT. THIS SIXTH CHAPTER IS A CONTINUATION OF JESUS’S SERMON ON THE MOUNT. THIS SERMON GIVES GREAT INSIGHT ON HOW TO LIVE AND ON HOW TO PRAY.

a) JESUS ENCOURAGES HIS AUDIENCE NOT TO PATTERN THEIR PRAYERS AFTER THE MANNER OF THOSE WHO PRAY TO BE SEEN AND HEARD BY MEN, AS OPPOSED TO BEING SEEN AND HEARD BY GOD.

b) JESUS INSTRUCTS THEM, AS WELL AS US NOT TO BE LIKE THE HYPOCRITES. WHY? BECAUSE THE WORD HYPOCRITES COMES FROM A WORD THAT MEANS PLAY ACTING.

c) JESUS TEACHES THAT THEY PRAY WHERE THEY CAN BE SEEN BY MEN. THEY LIKE TO IMPRESS OTHERS INSTEAD OF PLEASING GOD. THEREFORE, THEIR PRAYERS ARE PRETENTIOUS.

d) PRETENTIOUS PRAYERS ARE INSULTING TO GOD.

e) PRETENTIOUS PRAYERS SOUND GOOD, BUT ARE EMPTY.

f) AND MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, I HAVE WITNESSED MANY PRETENTIOUS PRAYERS IN MY LIFE TIME.

g) I HAVE SEEN AND HEARD PRAYERS THAT ARE OSTENTATIOUS, MEANING THAT THEY ARE DESIGNED TO IMPRESS OR ATTRACT NOTICE.

h) IN FACT, I CAN STAND HERE AND ADMIT THAT AS A YOUNG PREACHER, I SOME TIMES PRAYED TO IMPRESS OTHERS AND NOT TO PLEASE GOD!

3. WHAT PRAYER MUST NOT BE! PRAYER SHOULD NEVER BE USED AS A TOY TO BE PLAYED WITH, AND THEN PUT AWAY.

a) PRAYER MUST NOT BE THE TOOL USED TO DISPLAY OUR ELOQUENCE OF SPEECH THAT TICKLES THE EARS OF THE POPULACE.

b) REV. TERRY ANDERSON OF LILLY GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH, TEACHES THAT PRAYER MUST NOT BE A PARADE FOR OTHERS TO ENJOY! PRAYER IS NOT A PERFORMANCE FOR A HUMAN AUDIENCE.

c) PRAYER MUST NOT BE PRAYED FOR THE APPROVAL AND APPLAUSE OF OTHERS.

d) PRAYER MUST NOT BE FOR THE PURPOSE OF MAKING PEOPLE SHOUT. THERE ARE THOSE WHO CAN SAY THINGS IN THEIR PRAYERS THAT WILL SET THE CONGREGATION ON FIRE; WHILE GOD IS STILL WAITING FOR THEM TO SAY SOMETHING TO HIM.

e) PRAYER MUST NOT BE FOR THE PURPOSE OF GETTING THE PROVERBIAL FEATHER IN OUR CAP, THAT BRINGS ATTENTION TO OURSELVES.

f) PRAYER MUST NOT BE HANDLED CARELESSLY, BUT IN A MANNER THAT MOVES GOD.

4. PRAYER MUST! COME FROM A SINCERE HEART, THAT IS SATURATED WITH LOVE FOR GOD AND OTHERS!

a) PRAYER MUST ALWAYS BE TO GLORIFY GOD FIRST, AND TO ENCOURAGES OTHERS SECOND.

b) PRAYER MUST BE SOMETHING THAT WE AS BELIEVERS DO ON A REGULAR BASIS, AND NOT JUST IN TIMES WHEN WE ARE IN NEED.

c) PRAYER MUST BE GOD CENTERED, EXALTING CHRIST, AND EMPOWERED BY THE HOLY GHOST!

d) PRAYER MUST BE SPARKED WITH THE MATCH OF FAITH.

e) PRAYER MUST COME FROM HAVING A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.

5. WHEN WE PRAY! JESUS TEACHES THAT WHEN WE PRAY AS INDIVIDUALS, WE SHOULD ENTER INTO OUR CLOSET, WHICH MEANS A PLACE THAT WE HAVE DESIGNATED FOR OUR ALONE TIME WITH GOD.

a) EVERY BELIEVER SHOULD HAVE SOME PLACE THAT THEY GO, TO BE ALONE WITH GOD.

b) WHEN WE PRAY IN PRIVATE, IT WILL PREPARE US TO PRAY IN PUBLIC!

c) JESUS INSTRUCTS THAT WE SHOULD NOT USE REPETITIOUS WORD, WHICH MEANS THAT WE SAY THINGS OVER AND OVER, JUST TO FILL GAPS WHEN WE PRAY. ILLUSTRATION…OUR FATHER, OUR FATHER! OR, HEAR I AM LORD, KNEE BENT AND BODY BOWED…

d) PRAYER DOES NOT REQUIRE US TO PRAY LONG PRAYERS.

e) A LOT OF US CAN RECALL THAT WHILE GROWING UP IN THE CHURCH, THERE WERE CERTAIN DEACONS THAT WOULD PRAY FOR WHAT SEEMED LIKE AN ETERNITY. THEIR PRAYERS WERE FULL OF PROLIXITY…

f) MANY OF US HAVE PLAYED CHURCH.

g) BUT I WANT TO REMIND US THAT DON’T PLAY WHEN YOU PRAY!

h) WE MUST BE SURE THAT WHEN WE PRAY, WE ARE TALKING TO GOD AND NOT TO OTHERS. ILLUSTRATION…BILL MOYER