“Learning to Pray”
Matthew 6: 5-8
May 2, 2010
Intro: I believe one of the toughest spiritual disciplines to develop in the life of a Xian is prayer. Now let me ask you a question. How many of you have had some pretty serious struggles in setting aside a time each day to talk w/God? How many of you have had some struggles in knowing what to say when you pray? How many of you have actually fallen asleep before you finished your prayer? I can think of a lot more struggles but I’ll stop there.
-Praying is difficult to do on so many levels and yet we’re commanded in 1 Thess. 5: 17, “Pray continually.” We’re told in James 5: 16 @ the power of prayer. We’re told, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” So if God wants us to pray to Him; if prayer is effective and powerful; why do we struggle so much w/it?
-One of the major reasons why is b/c we make it much more difficult than it really is. We take something that’s so simple, which is talking to God, and we turn it into a feat that’s difficult to accomplish. There are some who are afraid to pray b/c they think you’ve got to say a lot of “thee’s” and “thous.” Others think you have to be super spiritual to pray. But nowhere in the Bible do you see God telling us that you have to be a rocket-scientist to pray effectively.
-So what do we need to do when it comes to prayer? We need to take a look at the basics and then hop in there and start talking to God. I’m not a big car racing fan, but I read a story I thought was apropos for today. Bill Vuckovich won the Indianapolis 500 in 1953 and 1954, which is a record very few people have matched. He was asked what the secret was. He said, “There’s no secret. You just press the accelerator to the floor and steer left.”
-Obviously there’s more to it than this, but those are the basics. When it comes to prayer there’s really no secret to it. You just start talking to God and share your heart w/Him.
Sermon Idea: Now if you struggle w/prayer, you’re not alone. The disciples of Jesus needed help in learning to pray. In Luke 11: 1 it says, “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’” That let’s me know it’s okay if we really don’t know how to pray. What I hope we’ll discover is HOW to pray.
-Today in our passage of Scripture we’re going to see Jesus giving His followers some tips on prayer. And it’s my hope you’ll take these tips Jesus gives and apply them to your prayer life.
TEXT: MATTHEW 6: 5-8
Bckgrd: This section of Scripture is known as the greatest sermon ever preached, the Sermon on the Mount. It’s the longest section of the recorded words of Jesus. And in this section of Scripture Jesus gives people some basic instruction on how to live. And in the part we’re going to focus on today He shares w/His people some tips on prayer. Well, what are they?
-The 1st tip Jesus gives on prayer is:
DIV. 1: DON’T FORGET TO WHOM YOU’RE TALKING (v. 5)
Exp: Jesus tells us when we pray we shouldn’t be like the hypocrites. The word “hypocrite” is a theatrical term which refers to actors using large masks to portray a role they were playing. It means pretending to be something you’re not. So who were the hypocrites and what was so bad @ how they prayed?
A. Well, the hypocrites were referring to the Scribes and Pharisees who were the religious leaders of the day. And their prayers were bad b/c the focus of their prayers weren’t on God but instead on themselves.
1. What’s so bad @ that? Have you ever talked to someone who spent the whole conversation just talking @ themselves? Isn’t it a joy to talk to people like that? That’s how many of the religious leaders were when it came to prayer. Instead of using prayer to focus on God, to communicate w/Him, they used prayer to make themselves look good in front of others.
a. Let me give you a little background. In the Jewish faith it was customary to pray at 3 different times during the day: 9 a.m., 12, and then again at 3 p.m. The rule was no matter where you were or what you were doing, you were to stop during those times of the day and offer up prayers to God.
b. In and of itself that’s not a bad thing. It’s always good to take time out of your day to talk w/God; to focus on Him. What was interesting though is how a lot of the people who liked to consider themselves pious always found themselves at these prayer times right in the middle of a large group. So when it was time to pray, low and behold, they were at the busiest places in town where tons of people would be able to see them praying.
2. You might wonder, “What’s wrong w/that?” The problem was their motives. Jesus went on to say at the end of v. 5 they did this to “be seen by men.” When they were praying, when they were talking w/God, they weren’t doing so to commune w/God, but instead they were praying that others might take notice of them and see how pious they were.
a. The whole purpose was to honor themselves and not God. The basic problem is they weren’t paying attention to the one they were talking to. Their focus was upon what other people were thinking of THEM when they prayed. Their focus was on how good they looked doing something so religious.
b. Let me tell you something. God will NOT honor our conversation w/Him when we’re not even paying attention to Him. Are we ever guilty of this? I’m going to be honest w/you. I’m guilty of it. Now I don’t go out and pray in public so people will see how pious I am. And I’m pretty sure most of you don’t either. But my guess is there are times when all of us use prayer as a way to “punch the clock” so we can say we’ve done our good deed; so we can say we’ve prayed. The problem w/this is we’ve missed out on conversing w/God; w/having an intimate time of conversation w/Him. And when we don’t converse w/God, we miss out on what He wants to say to us.
ILLUS: A # of years ago professional golfer Tommy Bolt was playing in Los Angeles and had a caddy w/a reputation for talking a lot. Before they teed off, Bolt told him, “Don’t say a word to me. And if I ask you something, just answer yes or no.”
-During the round Bolt found the ball next to a tree where he had to hit under a branch, over a lake and onto the green. He got down on his knees and looked thru the trees and sized up the shot.
-Bolt looked at the caddy and asked, “What do you think? A 5 iron?” The caddy said, “No, Mr. Bolt.” Bolt replied, “What do you mean, no? Watch this shot!” The caddy rolled his eyes and said, “Nooo, Mr. Bolt!” But Bolt hit the ball anyway and the ball landed 2 feet from the hole. He turned to the caddy as the crowd was roaring and said, “Now what do you think @ that?” The caddy said, “It wasn’t your ball.”
B. So many of us are just like that. We get so caught up in our own game, so caught up in looking good and being spiritual, that we tune out God’s voice and end up doing things that cost us.
1. What do we need to do? Remember to whom you’re talking when you pray. You’re talking to the Creator of this world who knows you better than anyone else. You’re talking to the One who loves you and wants to give you guidance. You’re talking to the One who deserves your undivided attention.
Reit: The 1st tip Jesus gives us on prayer is don’t forget to whom you’re talking. The 2nd tip Jesus gives us on prayer is:
DIV. 2: GO TO A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN CONCENTRATE (v. 6)
Exp: Where were the people praying in our last verse? In the busiest places they could find. But Jesus said that when we pray we ought to go into our room and close the door. Does that mean the only place we can pray is in our bedroom or closet? Absolutely not. Throughout Scripture you’ll read @ people who prayed in all kinds of places. Paul and Silas prayed in prison. Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. Our prayer team gathers together and prays in the storage room!
A. Just as a quick side note, do you see how v. 6 starts of by saying, “When you pray”? Jesus didn’t prescribe a time when we’re to pray. Some people think the earlier you get up to pray the more devoted to Christ you are. The fact of the matter is it doesn’t matter what time or time of day you pray, but when you pray that you’re in a place w/little distraction.
1. Now there’s nothing wrong w/praying in public places. When we go out to eat we always say a blessing before we eat to thank God for what He’s provided for us. But we don’t do it in such a way as to cause a big scene to draw attention to ourselves. It’s like in my relationship w/my wife. I talk to her in public places. When we go out to eat, we talk. When we’re at church, we talk. But guess where we do most of our talking.
a. In our living room or in our car when we’re on trips. Why do you suppose that’s so? It’s b/c they’re places where we’re alone; where we don’t have many distractions. We feel freer to express ourselves in privacy. In the car we have some great conversations b/c the kids are usually asleep or are preoccupied. And the same thing is true in talking w/God.
b. My conversations w/the Lord are much more intimate when I’m in private. When I pray up here on Sunday mornings I don’t reveal the things I’m struggling w/in much detail! I save that for my private time w/the Lord. That’s stuff that’s just between me and God.
2. But privacy in prayer’s also important b/c it enables you to keep your mind focused on the Lord and not on the things happening around you. The people Jesus was talking @ in v. 5 prayed in very busy places. And they allowed the milling around of people to become their focus instead of God.
ILLUS: Emily’s parents, Henry and Jane, went to New Orleans for their honeymoon. As they were walking down Bourbon Street, Jane was talking to Henry, when a beautiful woman walked by. Jane was still talking to her husband when she heard a loud clank. When she turned around she noticed Henry was on the ground next to a stop sign!
-She quickly figured out that as she’d been talking to Henry he’d been distracted by the pretty woman so much that he started looking at her and didn’t notice the stop sign in front on him.
a. While there may be time when you pray in public or in the midst of the busyness of the day, make sure you also have a time where you pray alone. Make sure to have a place you go and can pray in complete confidence and privacy. This will help ensure that God is the true audience of your prayers and no one else is.
b. It will help ensure that you won’t quickly lose focus and forget why you’re talking to the Lord in the 1st place. That’s why I try not to make it a habit to pray when I’m in bed b/c I’ve had too many times when sleep has become my distraction and I’ve woken up the next morning only to say “Amen.”
B. But also, private prayer shows respect to God. It demonstrates to Him that you think enough of Him to want to be alone w/Him. I know Emily appreciates it when I take time to talk to her in private and not just when a bunch of people are around. It demonstrates to her that I enjoy being w/her; that I’m interested in what she has to say. And she’s more likely to be responsive to what I say.
1. Jesus is the same way. That’s why He said that God, who sees what you do in secret, will reward you. A question for you is “Are you interested enough in your relationship w/God that you’re willing to talk to Him in private?”
Reit: The 1st tip Jesus gives us on prayer is don’t forget to whom you’re talking. The 2nd tip is go to a place where you can concentrate. And the final tip Jesus gives us on prayer is:
DIV. 3: MEAN WHAT YOU SAY (vv. 7-8)
Exp: A prayer fault Jesus points out here is that of babbling talk like the pagans. “Babbling talk” refers to “meaningless repetition.” Many of the religious people of this day had prescribed prayers that they would recite over and over again. Many people believed, and some still today, that the value of prayer increased w/the more words you used and the more times you said them over and over.
A. It’s almost as though the more you badger God in prayer, the more likely what you’re praying for will happen, as though it were some sort of magical formula. It’s almost as if the more you say it, the more likely God will hear it.
1. Some of us get into the habit of praying for the same things over and over again to the point where what they’re saying doesn’t mean anything anymore. It just becomes a ritual to say the same things.
a. The danger that comes w/repetitious prayer is that our petitions really don’t mean anything after a while. And folks, prayer that’s thoughtless and indifferent is offensive to God. So what should we say when we pray? We should express our true feelings to God. We should lift up concerns and needs that we have. We should confess our sins to God and ask for His forgiveness. We should praise Him for who He is and give Him thanks for specific things He’s done for us.
b. In other words, instead of just babbling on and on to kill time, we need to make sure that we say what we mean. No one likes it when people say or do things they don’t mean. And we sure don’t like it when people do things they don’t mean just so they can benefit from it.
ILLUS: Joe Wagner wrote in a Reader’s Digest @ attending a junior stock show when a grand-champion lamb, owned by a little girl was being auctioned. As the bids reached $5 per pound, the little girl, standing beside the lamb in the arena, began to cry. As the bids rose to $10 per pound, the tears were streaming down her face and she clasped her hands tightly around the lamb.
-The higher the bids rose, the more she cried. Finally, a local businessman bought the lamb for more than $1,000, but then announced he was donating it to the little girl. The crowd went wild and cheered.
-Months later, Joe Wagner was judging some statewide essays when he came across one from a little girl who told @ the time her grand-champion lamb had been auctioned. She wrote, “The prices began to get so high during the bidding process that I started to cry from happiness, though everyone else thought it was from sadness.
-The man who bought the lamb for so much more than I ever dreamed of returned the lamb to me. When I got home, Daddy barbecued the lamb---and it was really delicious!”
2. When we pray we must talk to God in sincerity. Why? B/c He already knows what we need before we ever ask Him. And when we pray things we really don’t mean then we’re insulting God b/c He already knows our hearts.
a. That’s why our prayers should be to the point. Your prayers don’t have to be a certain length. They just have to be heart-felt and true. Of course, this may cause you to ask the question, “If God already knows what we need before we ask Him, then why do we need to talk to Him in the 1st place?” Sounds pretty logical, but when you examine it it’s not.
b. For one, God wants us to talk to Him b/c He loves us. He loves it when His people communicate w/Him. I know my wife, Emily, loves me. I know it by what she does for me. I know it b/c she married me. But you know what? I still like to hear it!
B. God also wants us to talk to Him b/c it shows we recognize we need Him. Even though God knows our needs from the beginning He wants to hear our requests and prayers anyway b/c it’s an admission and demonstration on our part of our need for Him.
1. When we don’t pray it’s a demonstration that we don’t really believe we need God and that we don’t think He can do anything for us b/c He really doesn’t have power to change things.
a. Let me tell you something. It behooves you to talk to God in prayer b/c He has the power to bring @ change. And when you pray to Him in sincerity it’s a demonstration of your faith that you believe He can really make a difference. Phil. 4: 13, “I can do all things thru Christ who gives me strength.” Do you believe that?
Conclusion: How’s your prayer life? Is it dry? Do you feel like you don’t know how to pray? The good news is Jesus gives us some tips on prayer. The 1st tip is don’t forget to whom you’re talking. The 2nd tip is go to a place where you can concentrate. And the final tip is mean what you say.
-What I’d like for us to do at this time is to put these tips into practice. Some of you might have some burdens and concerns you’ve been carrying around for a long time. It could be an illness, a relationship problem, financial struggles, a friend who needs to know Jesus or an addiction.
-Whatever it is why don’t you take this time to talk to God and lift your need to Him. He already knows what it is. But He wants to hear @ it from you. For others of you it’s time for you to mean what you say. You describe yourself as a Xian but if you’re honest you’d have to say you haven’t shown any faith or trust in Jesus at all. Why don’t you take this time to mean what you say.
