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:
Isa 63:16 Doubtless You are our Father, Though Abraham was ignorant of us, And Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O Lord, are our Father; Our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name.
There is a privilege to having God as our father
Rom 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."
Who are in Heaven
This is God’s location. He is the God of the universe
Psa 19:1-4 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. (2) Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. (3) There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. (4) Their line [15] has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,
When we look at the universe it gives us a glimpse of how big our God is. When we see the millions of stars, the vast Sun that this hundreds of thousands of times larger than our earth.
And yet the Bible reads in Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. God spoke and it was done.
This is why the next part should be so easy.
Hallowed Be Thy Name
Holy is your name. The first part of prayer is this idea of praise. To mediate on the awesomeness of God and how big He is and to begin to praise Him.
7 Hebrew Words for Praise by Joe Burton from http://anointed-word.org/burton.htm
BARAUCH
THE ACT OF KNEELING
Barauch is translated "to kneel or bow as an act of adoration." In other words, we kneel or bow as an expression of our fervant and devoted love for the Father.
When we kneel or bow we are humbling ourselves. .....God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore submit to God..." James 4:6,7.
When we humble ourselves we are ~bmitting. To submit is to humble ourselves. .....God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." 1 Pet. 5:5-7.
To humble myself is to cast all my care upon the Father. To submit all my concerns to Him. Trusting that He will work out all things for good.
Barauch then, is to express an attitude of love, submission and trust through the act of kneeling or bowing.
King David exemplified Barauch when he wanted to build the temple. Read I Chronicles 28:1 through 29:20. In 28:2 he said "...I had it in my heart.. and had made preparations to build it.." Again in 29:2 he said "...I have prepared with all my might..." Verse 3, "...I have set my affection on..." These statements express his love towards the Father.
When God told him, "you shall not build a house for My name...," David submitted and gave the plans to Solomon whom God had chosen for this work. I Chr. 28:3,6,10-1 la.
Next David showed his absolute trust in God when he spoke to Solomon and said"'... Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God - my God -will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord." I Chr. 28:20.
Then "... David blessed (barauch) the Lord before all the assembly..." and ended his prayer by saying, "now bless (barauch) the Lord your God. So all the assembly blessed (barauch) the Lord God of there fathers, and bowed their heads and prostrated themselves before the Lord and the king." I Chr. 29:10-20.
Another example is found in Genesis 24; 1-52 where the servant of Abraham sought a wife for Isaac. We see the love of the servant expressed in verses 26, 27, 48, 52. The word BLESSED in verses 27 and 48 is barauch.
The servant's submission to his master Abraham was his submission to the will and purpose of God. verses 9,10.
Finally, we observe the servant's trust in that he PRAYED. verses 12-14.
A LIFESTYLE OF BARAUCH
In the PSALMS we are instructed to BLESS (Barauch) the Father ---
- At all times Ps. 34:1
- As Long as we Live Ps. 63:4
- From Day to Day Ps. 96:2
- From this time forth and forever Ps. 145:1,2
- At night in the house of the Lord Ps. 134:1
- Forever and ever, every day Ps. 115:18
We are to grow and mature to the point that we continually give place to Father in every area of our life. We are to live a lifestyle of Barauch.
When we kneel or bow we are expressing our love, submission and trust. to the Father. However, we cannot live life on our knees. But, we can demonstrate a lifestyle of Barauch through love for one another --- John 13:34. By being submissive to one another--- I Peter 5:5. By having a steadfast heart, trusting in the Lord ---Ps. 112:7; Prov. 3:5,6
"...inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me." Mt. 25;37-40
ZAMAR
SINGING ACCOMPANIED BY INSTRUMENTS
Zamar is to make music accompanied by the voice. To celebrate. To sing songs of praise with instruments.
In giving praise to the Father we can either speak it or sing it. However, when expressing Yadah, Towdah, Shabach or Barauch in song, accompanied by instruments, it is described as ZAMAR.
Ps. 92:1-3 It is good to give Yadah to the Lord, and to Zamar to Your Name, 0 Most High: To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your fi~ithfi~lness every night. On an instrument often strings, on the lute, and on the harp, with harmonious sound.
Ps. 147:7 Sing to the Lord with Towdah; Zamar on the harp to our God...
Ps. 98:5,6 Zamar to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of a psalm, with trumpets and the sound of a horn; Shout joyfully before the Lord, the King.
Ps. 144:1,9 Barauch to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle.... I will sing a new song to You, 0 God; On a harp often strings I will Zamar to You.
If you speak your praise to God it is not Zamar. You must sing accompanied by instruments to express this type of praise.
YADAH
HANDS TO GOD
The Hebrew word YADAH comes from two root words. YAD which means the open hand, direction, power. And AH which has reference to Jehovah. Together they are rendered Hands to God.
The first time this word appears in Scripture is in Gen. 29:35. Jacob is married to Leah and Rachel. When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren (verse 31).
The first child born, a son, was named Reuben, for she said, "'the Lord has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me" (verse 32). This blessing (children are always a blessing) caused her to believe God saw her circumstances.
She brought forth a second son naming him Simeon. "Because the Lord has heard that I am unloved" (verse 33). Evidently there was no change in relationship to Jacob and she may have been praying.
The Father blessed her again (verse 34) and she said, "Now this time my husband will become attached to me.. Therefore his name was called Levi."
These three blessings caused her to believe that God saw the circumstances, heard the prayers and gave an expectation that all would be well.
A fourth time she conceived, bore a son and said, "Now I will YADAH the Lord. Therefore his name was called Judah - Praise - YADAH" (verse 35).
ATTITUDE OF LOVE
Our Heavenly Father has blessed us with His Holy Word. His Word reveals that He sees our circumstances and desires to show Himself strong on our behalf. That He is watching and ready to perform His Word (2 Chr. 16:9; Jer. 1:12).
We also know He hears our prayers when we pray according to His will. His Word is His will (1 Jn. 5:14, 15; Jn. 15:7).
If we truly believe He sees and hears we will have an expectation of victory. This expectation will cause us to get beyond our circumstances(1)and beyond ourselves (2) raising hands to the Father with an attitude of love proclaiming as Leah "Now I will YADAH the Lord".
Our attitude of love is determined from the value we place upon who God is. That value comes from understanding His Word. As we grow in understanding so will our YADAH to the Father.
TOWDAH
DECLARE AND CONFESS GOD’S PROMISES
The word comes from Yadah and means to extend the hands. To declare openly, freely, unreservedly. Admit as real or true. Confession.
In the Old Testament of the King James version of the Bible, every time you read confess, confessed, confesseth, confessing, confession, know that they are translated from the word Yadcih except in two references which are translated from Towdah.
In the New Testament these same words are translated from Homologeo, Exomologeo or Homologia and mean "to speak the same thing."
The implication is that we are to raise the hands as in a court of law swearing to speak the truth. In other words, say what God says. For example, II Cor. 5:17 says, "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation ". So I raise my hands and confess, I am in Christ and therefore I am a new creation. Verse 21, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." Therefore, I confess I am the righteousness of God in Christ. This is how we apply God's word to our life.
Col. 1:13; "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love." I confess, I have been delivered from the power of darkness and have been translated into the kingdom of the Son of His love.
Ro. 8:37; "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." I confess, I am more than a conqueror through Him who loves me.
Phil. 4:19; "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." I raise my hands and confess, my God shall supply all my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
I Pet. 2:24' "Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness -- by whose stripes you were healed." I confess, by the stripes of Jesus I am healed.
This is what it means to confess, to speak the same thing. Admit as real or true. To declare openly, freely, unreservedly.
ENTERING INTO HIS PRESENCE
In Jn. 10:7,9 Jesus says He is the door of the sheep. In Jn. 14:6 He says there is no other way to the Father except through Me.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving (Towdah) and into His courts with praise (Tehillah) Ps. 100:4. The court is where the King is, His presence. The entrance into the court or His presence is through the gate. Jesus, the Word, is our entrance into the presence of God. This Psalm not only tells us the attitude in which we are to approach God, but that the confession of His Word is the entrance into His presence, His fellowship and communion.
SHABACH
A LOUD (SHOUT) ADORATION
A vassal is a person who owes homage to a superior. The Father is our superior to whom we owe homage. Homage is the public acknowledgment by which a vassal declares his faithfulness and loyalty to his lord. Adoration is fervent and devoted love; reverent homage.
Shabach is to loudly give adoration to God in the form of testimony. Psalms 145:4; "one generation shall praise (Shabach) Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts." Verses 6, 7; "Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, and I will declare Your greatness. They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, and shall sing of Your righteousness." Verses 10-12; "All Your works shall praise (Yadah) You, 0 Lord, and Your saints shall bless You. They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom, and talk of Your power, to make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of His kingdom." Go to your Bible and read all of Psalm 145.
The Father's lovingkindness is expressed in what He has done, what He is doing, and what He will do so that we should say as the psalmist: "Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise (Shabach) You," Psalm 63:3.
Over and over again we are told to shout, to be loud.
Psalm 5:11; "But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You."
Psalm 32:11; "Be glad in the Lord and rejoice you righteous; and shout for joy, all you upright in heart."
Psalm 17:1; "Oh clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph!"
Psalm 132:13-16; "For the Lord has chosen Zion (we, the church are Zion); He has desired it for His dwelling place: "This is My resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her poor with bread. I will also clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints shall shout aloud for joy."
Do you understand why we should be loud?
Ezra 3:10-13: "When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord, according to the ordinance of David King of Israel. And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord: For He is good, for His mercy endures forever toward Israel. Then all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. But many of the priests and Levites and heads of the Father's houses, old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this temple was laid before their eyes. Yet many shouted aloud for joy, so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard afar off"
Consider this, we do not shout to receive joy but, because of what the Father has done we have joy and shout. Read Psalm 98.
HALAH
FOOLISH PRAISE, DEFINED, DESCRIBED, CHARACTERIZED
2 Samuel 6" (21) So David said to Michal, "It was before the LORD, who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel. Therefore I will play music before the LORD. (22) "And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor."
2 Samuel 6 NLT 22 Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, but I will be held in honor by the girls of whom you have spoken!"
Halah is to rave or boast upon the Lord. To be clamorously foolish. If we will give attention to the words in this definition we will have a more vivid understanding of Halah.
Halah is to RAVE.
RAVE; "to talk wildly, as in delirium."Someone who is delirious is in "a state of violent excitement or emotion. Frenzy. A more or less temporary disorder of the mental faculties, as in intoxication, characterized by excitement..."
Paul, when he said to "be being filled with the Spirit," compared it to being intoxicated Eph. 5:18. Again, when the people saw the disciples after they were baptized in the Holy Spirit, thought that they were intoxicated Acts 2:13-15.
RAVE: to express great [in an extreme degree] or extravagant [spending much more than is necessary; excessive; exceeding the bounds of reason; going beyond what is justifiable; unrestrained] admiration [to regard with wonder, pleasure, approval].
Halah is to be CLAMOROUS.
CLAMOROUS: "A loud and continuous sound." Focused towards the Lord in raving, this would describe Halah.
Halah is to be clamorously FOOLISH.
The best way to understand this characteristic of Halah is in relationship to spirituality and non-spirituality. For the things of God are foolishness to the world read I Cor. 1:18-25].
Remember when David danced before the Lord? The non-praiser, Michal, saw David leaping and whirling before the Lord and thought he was foolish to the point of despising him in her heart II Sam. 6:14-16, 20-23.
When we Halah, rave or boast upon the Lord, are clamorously foolish before the Lord, we will be foolish in the eyes of the Non-Praiser and the Non-Christian.
HALLELUJAH
The word Hallelujah comes from "Halah to Yahweh." In the Bible we have what is known as the Hallelujah Psalms. They are called this because they either start or end with Hallelujah. Usually translated as "Praise the Lord." These Hallelujah Psalms divide into three groups:
Ps 104-106 speak of God's Attributes.
Ps. 111-117 were used for the Passover Feast.
Ps. 135,145-150 were used in the Temple Worship.
As you read these Hallelujah Psalms keep the definition, description and characteristic of Halah in mind. For the composers are raving upon the Lord. They are being clamorously foolish before the Lord.
TEHILLAH
SING AND SPEAK FOOLISH PRAISE UNTO THE LORD
Halah is speaking your praise to the Father. Tehillah is to sing Halah. If you express great and extravagant adnuration to the point of foolishness in the eyes of the non-praiser or non-Christian, loudly in song, you are giving Tehillah to the Father. This is the kind of praise that God inhabits, dwells or lives in. Psalm 22:3.
"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving (Towdah) and into His courts with praise (Tehillah)" Psalm 100:4.
The entrance into the court or His presence is through the gate, Towdah - confession. But the perceived manifested presence of the Father is in the court - Tehillah.
When Solomon completed all the work for the house of the Lord, the singers and musicians "...were as one to make one sound to be heard in praising (Halah) and thanking (Yadah) the Lord, and when they lifted their voice with the trumpets and symbols and instruments of music, and praise (Halah) the Lord, ... the glory of the Lord filled the house of God." 2 Chronicles 5:1,13,14.
In other words when they gave Tehillah, which means to sing Halah, the presence of God manifested and filled the Temple. It was while they were ministering; singing and playing music in praise, that God manifested Himself through His glory.
The glory of the Lord is the Holy Spirit. For "...Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Lord." Romans 6:4. And Romans 8:11 says that it was "...the spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead." So we understand that the glory of the Lord is the Holy Spirit.
If you are a Christian then the Holy Spirit, the glory of God, is in you. Romans 8:9b. Jesus said He would give us the Spirit to abide with us forever. That He would never leave or forsake us. John 14:16,17; Hebrews 13:5. Again we are told that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. I Corinthians 3:16; 6:19.
Could it be that if we give Tehillah to the Father that He will reveal or manifest Himself so that we perceive His presence? YES! Tehillah is about the manifested presence of God through His Spirit in you and me.
Conclusion
There is an expectation of praise that comes from the Christian. This is not just something we do on Sunday morning but what we do in our lives.
