Living In The Kingdom 14 Series

Living in the Kingdom 14

Scripture: Matthew 6:5-15; 34; James 1:13

This morning we are continuing with my series “Living in the Kingdom,” which is based on Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount.” This morning we will focus on what Jesus says in Matthew 6:5-15 where He speaks about how we are to pray. Please turn with me to Matthew chapter six and we will begin reading at verse five.

“When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father Who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’ For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” (Matthew 6:5-15)

In these verses Jesus tells the disciples how to pray with a purpose and why they were not to be like the hypocrites, the religious leaders, who prayed loud and long in public to be seen. If you recall from last week’s message, the word hypocrite, in the Greek comes from a word that means stage-players or actors. It’s someone who “acts the part of others, or speaks not their own sentiments, but the sentiments of others.” What it means here, and in the New Testament generally, is those who hide their true feelings and assume or express other feelings than their own. It’s talking about those who, for purposes of showiness, gain, or applause, put on the appearance of religion. In these verses, Jesus is talking about those who prayed for the purpose of being seen by others.

Jesus knew that His disciples would be praying. I mean think about it. They saw Him praying to the Father. He led by example so it would be natural for Him to expect and know that they also would pray. He knew that for them to stay connected to the Father through Him, it would come through prayer and the Word that He would sow into them. In Matthew chapter six Jesus tells the disciples how to pray. But before He walks them through what we know as the Lord’s Prayer, He gives them some specific instructions on how to pray. In verses five through eight He tells them “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. (That’s the first thing Jesus tells His disciples.) Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. (This is the second thing Jesus tells them.) And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. (And here we see the third instruction that Jesus gives the disciples.) So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” Jesus tells His disciples not to pray to be seen of men. He tells them to pray at home, in their prayer closet or room. In other words, do it privately – having a personal, private, purposeful conversation with their Heavenly Father. Then He tells them not to use meaningless repetitions – a lot of words that are not truly from their hearts. What I believe Jesus is saying here is to pray with a purpose. We are to pray with specifics. We will see this when He gives them the example of the Lord’s Prayer.

In verse nine as Jesus tells them how to pray, He opens with: “Our Father Who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.” Although Jesus is teaching the disciples about praying alone, He is reminding them (and us) that we are joined by a spiritual relationship, a spiritual bond if you will, to many others who have the same needs as we do. In the true idea of a name, it is the designation of a person which exactly answers the questions about the person’s nature and qualities. In this case, Jesus is telling us to recognize God as our Father because that is who He is. He’s also reminding us of our relationship as a child of God and the expectations that exist between a parent and a child. The word “Hallowed” means Holy. In this statement, the prayer is that God’s manifestation of Himself will be acknowledged and revered as the one supreme standard of truth and the one means of knowing God and approaching Him. God’s name is supreme and when we approach Him with this recognition, we will not approach Him in any old way that we choose. Let’s continue.