Title: “Lord, Teach us to Pray” Script: Mt. 6:5-13
Type: Series on Prayers of the Bible Where: GNBC 7-11-21
Intro: I believe the great need in the American Post-Pandemic Church is prayer! Billy Graham once said, “Heaven is full of answers to prayer for which no one ever bothered to ask.” It’s true that we often take advantage of the privilege of prayer and the blessings it brings. We get too busy, we forget, we even refuse to seek God or we do so casually, rather than with bold conviction. Yet, there is no excuse for not conversing often with God. “Prayer is more than a wish,” Graham said. “It is the voice of faith directed at God.” Christians are to be praying people. Maybe we need to be reminded today.
Prop: Examining Mt. 6:5-13 we’ll notice 4 helpful insights our Lord gave on prayer.
BG: 1. What is prayer? Simply put, it is talking to God.
2. For the Christian, prayer is not simply talking to God but also responding to the One who has initiated a relationship with us.
Prop: Let’s examine Mt. 6:5ff to realize 4 helpful insights our Lord gave on prayer.
I. 1st Insight: Prayer is Not for Pretenders. v.5
A. Christ teaches that Prayer Presumes a Relationship.
1. Jesus Begins by stating that His followers will pray differently from others.
a. “Ultimately, prayer is essentially a genuinely lived relationship with God as Father.” (Keller, Prayer, p. 23). Do not blow by that term “Father” that Jesus uses in this passage. In that one word Jesus is revolutionizing prayer. This implied a completely NEW relationship to God from the OT. In the OT no individual called God “Father”. Now, Israel as a whole was seen to be in a parent/child relationship with God, but no individuals were. This is huge!
b. In this verse Jesus says that we are not to be like others…hypocrites. The Greek word which is transliterated into the English, meant actor, mask-wearer, or a stage player. The Jews of Xst’s time would put on the costume of their prayer shawls and stand on the stage of the Temple or synagogue and play the religious role for everyone to see and appreciate and applaud. Their long-winded prayers were simply that..a stage role.
2. What Was the Goal of this Hypocritical Prayer?
a. Vv. 2&5 give us insight. They wanted the approval and recognition of other men. V.2 “may be honored” by men. V.5 – They were often praying on the street corners and in synagogues “to be seen” by men. They wanted their “religious commitment to be seen and appreciated by other people.” (This is far removed from our culture today, unless it has to do with the religion of the woke left and it’s inherent virtue signaling.)
b. What was the result of this type of prayer? Got their reward or recognition from men..but not from God.
B. According to Christ, Christian Prayer Begins with a Humble Heart and a Right Attitude.
1. God hears the Prayers of those who Understand Who they are in Light of Who He is.
a. Biblical prayer calls the believer to humility. Illust: In II Chron. 26:16 we read: ““When he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense” Speaking of King Uzziah in the time of Isaiah. Uzziah started out well, as he initially sought after God and walked according to His ways (2 Chron. 26:4–5). He fortified Jerusalem’s defenses, making them strong against the Philistines and other enemies (vv. 6–15). Unfortunately, towards the end of his life, Uzziah forgot the One who made him strong. Instead of humble reliance on the Lord, Uzziah let his strength get to his head and “burned incense on the altar of incense” (v. 16), which only the priests were to do (Ex. 30:1–10). The priests warned the king against his foolhardy course of action, but Uzziah persisted and God struck him with leprosy, dying in disgrace.
b. The NT believer must also have a right attitude when approaching God in prayer. As new covenant believers, it is no longer possible for us to disobey the Lord at the altar of incense. However, we must learn from Uzziah’s arrogance and never stand before Him in pride and demand that He answer us because of our own goodness or strength. We must always come before Him with humility, not boasting of our own strength but relying on Him alone. Illust: Blaise Pascal, the 17th century mathematician and apologist, recognized this when he said “Jesus Christ is a God whom we approach without pride and before whom we humble ourselves without despair.”
2. We are to Pray with Relationship and not Reward in Mind. Most of the time we pray in order to “get” something from God. Health, wealth, blessing, strength, sanity, tranquility, etc. Maybe we do so for others. Regardless, we are looking for a “reward” or a blessing from speaking to God. Nothing wrong with this necessarily. However, what Jesus is saying here is that the “reward” of the prayer is not necessarily in the getting of something, but it is in the getting to know Someone (David Platt quote.)
C. Applic: Christians are to be characterized by their genuineness and humility in prayer.
II. 2nd Insight: Prayer is Personal. V. 6
A. Jesus Teaches that His Followers will Pray.
1. Every Christian needs to Consider that Truth! As His followers, we are to pray.
a. Illust: Charles Simeon was a wonderful Evangelical Anglican pastor of Holy Trinity Church, Cambridge. He would spend 54 years there! One member was Henry Martyn, the famed missionary to India. Marytn commented that during an evening service, Simeon had stated: “It was easier for a pastor to spend 5 hours in sermon preparation than ½ hr. in prayer for his people.” I think this is telling of most believers. We like to “do” better than we like to “pray”.
b. Prayer is essentially relational. Jesus tells us to find a quiet place of solitude in which we are to pray. This does not disqualify praying with others. However, it underscores what we saw in the life of our Savior, that a personal life of prayer precedes a corporate life of prayer. Think of the example of Jesus praying alone: Mt. 14:23; Mk 6:46; Lk. 5:16; Mk 1:35 and others). Illust: Before selecting His disciples Christ prayed alone all night (Lk.6:12). IN the garden of Gethsemane, 3x our Savior went away and prayer alone. (Mt. 26:36,42,44). From the beginning of His public ministry to the eve of His crucifixion, Xst made the practice of private prayer a priority to His existence. We should do no less.
2. Personal Prayer is an Evidence of Genuine Faith in Christ.
a. “The infallible test of spiritual integrity, Jesus says, is your private prayer life. Many people will pray when they are required by cultural or social expectations, or perhaps by the anxiety cause by troubling circumstances. Those with a genuinely lived relationship with God as Father, however, will inwardly want to prayer even though nothing on the outside is pressing them to do so.” (Keller, When I Don’t Desire…, p.153)
b. In our rapidly evolving post-Christian society, it is becoming so easy to determine who does and who doesn’t have a personal relationship with Christ when it comes to this whole matter of prayer. Illust: When faced with the news of a crisis or calamity, the non-Christian may choose, instead of saying they are “Praying for x,y,z” to say: “I am sending positive/healing light or thoughts.” Nice! Who are you, the blessed Energizer Bunny?” And sorry, but how do all of your positive thoughts make a dime’s bit of difference to your loved one’s cancer?” It doesn’t! It’s ecumenicized spiritualized soppy syrup meant to sugar coat the situation.
B. Jesus Promises that When We Seek the Lord in Our Lives He Hears and Rewards us.
1. Seek the Lord in Prayer.
a. I think part of what Jesus is teaching here is that we are to seek to approach the Lord in with a reverential fear of God and an unfeigned humility of heart. It’s one thing to pray in public. It is another to really devote yourself to God when no one is watching and no one cares.
b. Illust: I know this can be hard for certain peoples and schedules. Young mothers especially. Let me encourage you. Susanna Wesley was the busy wife of Samuel, the rector of Epworth Church, and John and Charles Wesley were two of her 19 children. So many kids was difficult for her to find a private closet in her busy home, but Susanna would sit in her kitchen chair and pull her apron over her face to indicate to the family that she was not to be disturbed, because she was in private prayer with her heavenly Father.(Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/matthew 6:6)
2. Notice the important phrase in this verse.
a. “Pray to your Father Who is in secret, and your Father Who is in secret will repay you.” I personally think the NIV gives good insight into this verse: “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Unlike the hypocrites who want to be seen and appreciated by their friends who are visible, God is unseen. Yet, what you do in secret (Again, so no one can tell and be impressed.) God sees and rewards appropriately.
b. Illust: George Mueller (1805–1898) is considered one the greatest men of prayer and faith since the days of the New Testament. He lived adult life in Bristol, England. He led four influential ministries, but we know him best today for his orphanages. During a time in England when most orphans lived in miserable workhouses or on the streets, like Oliver Twist or David Copperfield, Mueller took them in, fed them, clothed them, and educated them, up to 2k orphans at a time—more than 10k in his lifetime! Yet he never made the needs of his ministries known to anyone except to God in prayer. Only through his annual reports did people learn after the fact what the needs had been during the previous year and how God had provided. Mueller had over 50k specific recorded answers to prayers in his journals, 30k of which he said were answered the same day or the same hour that he prayed them! Think of it: more than one per day—every single day for sixty years! God funneled over half a billion dollars (in today’s dollars) through his hands in answer to prayer.
C. Applic: Christian prayer is to be personal. It does not preclude public prayer, but should precede it.
III. 3rd Insight: Prayer is Purposeful vv.7-8
A. Jesus Says the Believer’s Prayer Should be Purposeful.
1. This statement is made in Contradiction to the Gentile Pagans of Christ’s Time.
a. Unlike the pagan mystery religions who specialized in ecstatic babbling and lengthy words in prayer, Christian prayer is to be properly directed and honestly pronounced. At this time many pagan temples, including Cybele and Dionysius used ecstatic babbling as part of their worship. Jesus said that this was meaningless repetition.
b. What was Jesus saying in these verses? The pagans/gentiles were praying, but they really didn’t know God. The repetitious babble demonstrated that there was no real content to their prayers. “Many words to be heard” essentially teaches that the Gentiles didn’t think that God was listening, so they had to entice Him to listen. Illust: 3 yrs ago this Spring this point was brought home to me. I was asked to be one of 3-4 clergy people from IC to help dedicate the opening of Cross Park Place (Shelter next door). I assume they felt like had to ask me because proximity. Needless to say I was the “token” evangelical! Listened to female Jewish (rabbi?), female Buddhist monk, and some brand of liberal Christian pastor, I was struck by the great lengths people will go to so as to assure themselves that “God” or “The Universe” or “the force” has actually heard them!
2. Consider how this is demonstrated in our Society today. The word “babbling” meant “to say ‘batta, batta, batta”. Batta is just a meaningless phrase. It’s kind of like a rain dance—just hit on the right magic formula and keep repeating it until you get results. It’s like coming up with a magical formula and you keep repeating it until you come up with the desired results. Illust: Common practice today for counselors to tells clients with anxiety to “repeat a personal mantra” of key words or phrases. Babblings! I have a better idea! Why not talk to the Creator of the Universe, the God Who offers you a restored relationship as His child through His Son, Jesus Christ! Why not PRAY!
B. As Christians, our Prayer is to Be Purposeful.
1. It is Easy to Criticize others in this area. Islam is repetitive and rote in its prayers. Catholicism – priest may tell the penitent to say so many “Our Fathers” and “Hail Marys”. In some Christian traditions the prayers for the service are written and read. As are the responses of the congregants. It is very easy for us to slip into neutral in our prayer life. At meals, in our devotions, even at church. Ilust: When Pastor Richard says “Let’s pray.” and everyone closes their eyes and bows their head. Why is that? Is it because there’s some verse in the Bible that says, “Here’s how you pray” with a little diagram next to it? (No!)
2. In the Bible there are examples of people praying not just while they’re kneeling but while they’re standing or sitting, or even lying flat on their faces on the ground or the floor. No verses that talk about folding your hands, but several that talk about people lifting their hands toward the sky. There are no verses that talk about people closing their eyes to pray, but several that talk about people looking up toward heaven to pray. And yet the habits are so engrained in us and so meaningless that we don’t usually even think about it at all! Not inherently wrong. Just need to realize prayer is a relationship and as such, relationships need to be kept fresh. Again, the purpose is better get to know the Person, and not necessarily to to get the reward or the stuff!
C. Applic: Let our prayer be purposeful in our lives as believers who know the Savior.
IV. 4th Insight: Prayer’s Pattern vv. 9-13
A. Christ Presents a Pattern for Prayer.
1. 3 Petitions God-ward.
a. It should be noted that Christ was not telling us the exact words to pray, but a pattern to pray. It is fine to repeat the Lord’s Prayer verbatim, as long as our hearts and minds are engaged. If not, it simply becomes another form of “vain repetitions”. An early Christian writing called the Didache, written around 96 AD, recommended that the Lord’s Prayer be prayed 3x a day1, and in many traditions, the prayer is still repetitiously prayed. However, the Lord’s Prayer is meant to be a pattern and a primer.
b. The first three petitions are God-ward—may your name be honored, your kingdom come, and your will be done. Reflects the attitude we are to have coming before God. Our attitude in seeing the KOG extended. Our attitude of submission to His will for our lives.
2. 3 Petitions Us-ward.
a. True prayer should commonly conform our will to his, as we reflect on the Lord’s glory and purposes. It should make us see our circumstances and our world from God’s view. It is after spending time glorifying God and praying for his plan, that we should offer our petitions.
b. The last three petitions are us-ward—give us our daily bread, forgive us our debts, and lead us not into temptation. The order gives clear insight on the purpose of prayer. For many, prayer is often an attempt to selfishly seek their glory and get their will done. However, prayer is primarily about God’s glory and his will. In John 14:13, Jesus said: “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
B. God’s Fatherhood Reminds us of our Resources as His Children.
1. When the disciples were worried about their futures—what they would eat, drink, and wear—Christ reminded them of their Father in heaven (Matt 6:25-33). He said that God provides for the lilies of the field and the birds of the air—there is no reason to worry. God knows of our needs. Paul said it this way: “And my God will supply your every need according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:19). He also said that we have every spiritual blessing in heavenly places (Eph 1:3) and that we are co-heirs with Christ (Rom 8:17). Every resource of God’s is ours. One day we will rule with him. And until then, he will supply all our needs, as we seek him and his kingdom first (Matt 6:33). Do you know that God will supply all your needs? Do you need wisdom? God will give it if you ask in faith (Jam 1:5). Do you need peace? God gives it to those who choose to reject worry, pray, give thanks, and make their requests known to him in everything (Phil 4:6-7). Do you need finances? Seek first God and his kingdom, and it will be provided (Matt 6:33). God is your Father, and he will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory.
2. Illust: The Bay of Fundy at the head of the St. Lawrence River is 110 miles long and 32 miles wide when it empties into the bay. It is a spectacle to see the currents of the mighty St.Lawrence rushing to meet the tides of the Atlantic Ocean. You would think there could never be anything that could stop the raging flow of the St. Lawrence. But every evening at the changing of the tide the flow of the St. Lawrence can be seen slowing. The Atlantic tide comes in little by little at 29, 30 and 40 feet until it reaches a height of 70 feet! The tide pushes and pushes until suddenly it reverses the river and flows towards its source. It is at this time that huge ships can enter the St. Lawrence River to gain access to the Great Lakes. The flood of a fallen and perverse culture has washed over our nation. I submit to you today that God’s people need to passionately pray! Remember God’s power is greater and His tides always come in. As a Church, let’s begin to pray!
C. Applic: Brothers and sisters, let's remember that prayer is not for Pretenders, it is Personal, it is Purposeful, and there is a Pattern our Lord gives for us to follow.
