LORD TEACH US TO PRAY
24) – “Praying With Confidence”
TEXT: Matthew 6:13
As we continue our study of the Lord’s Prayer…
Today we are not only going to get a glimpse of how
Jesus closes out and concludes His prayer,
But I want us to talk about how you and I…
By following His example - can Pray with Confidence.
Let’s read together now verse number 13:
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
This is how Christ concludes His Prayer.
RECAP
Last week we really just focused on four words: …deliver us from evil
And what we effectively learnt…
Was that there are two major influences jostling for control in our lives.
There is Good - and then there is what Jesus calls Evil.
“Evil” really just speaks of that which is wrong in God’s eyes. Its sin!
There has only ever been these two influences in the world…
And there has only ever been these two things controlling our behavior.
There is good...and there is evil.
There is right...and there is wrong.
There is that which is Godly...and there is that which is ungodly.
There is the way of Sin – and there is the way of the Spirit.
And what we learnt last week was that,
The Godly influences in our lives are driven by the Spirit…
While the ungodly influences are predominantly driven by our flesh.
One is easily embraced and assimilated into our lives out in the world,
While the other is only learnt and experienced as we cling to, and follow God.
Galatians 5:16-17 summarises this constant struggle we all have going on
Between that which is good and evil and flesh and the spirit really well saying:
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
So the Bible teaches openly of this power struggle,
Of how there are two influences wrestling for control over lives,
Each being fundamentally different from the other…
And therefore, striving to pull us in different directions.
One is of God…and the other is of Satan.
One is of the World and one is of the Word.
One is right and the other is wrong.
One is Good and the Other is Evil!
We even talked last week about the existence of Evil People,
And even of the Evil Deeds they do.
Remember Jesus spoke to some of the religious leaders of His time
And He referred to them as being “Evil”.
And brethren I have to tell you...
The more you seek to follow God and to hold to that which is good,
The more you will begin to see and recognise where evil abounds.
Furthermore, ...the more you seek to share the goodness of Christ with others,
The more the wrongs of this world and the evil actions of others
Will begin to manifest themselves to stand in opposition against you.
This is where the persecution and hardships we face as Christians often comes from
Remember the Bible reveals to us that there is a constant power struggle going on,
There is a pulling between the flesh and the spirit,
A constant wrestling between that which is “Good” and that which is “Evil”.
And of course, it’s in this regard that…
Jesus tells His Disciples to Pray that they would be “delivered from evil”.
The term Deliver in the Greek means to be “saved” or “rescued”.
And the picture here is of one being...
“Drawn close into the arms of another for protection”.
And this is so crucial for us to understand,
Because with this whole power struggle and tug of war going on
Between the good and evil in our lives,
The one thing that is going to have the greatest influence over us
Is going to be the thing we are drawn closest too.
Romans 12:21:Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
And the Scriptures go on to tell us that God is Good – Amen. (Luke 18:19)
So we are to overcome all the evil in our lives...
And all of the evil opposition we face out in the world,
By surrendering to the goodness of our Lord.
You see, the secret to overcoming evil - comes from us drawing closer to God.
It comes when we rest in His arms for protection.
James declares: Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (James 4:8)
And the closer we are to God…
The less all the negative influences of this world will have sway and conrtol over us.
Jesus prayed: Lord ...deliver us from evil
And the best way for us to do that – is to cling to that which is good
As we draw ever closer to God and His Word in our lives.
INTRODUCTION
Of course, having said all of this…
Jesus then moves on to close out and conclude His Prayer.
Take another look with me at just the last part of verse 13:
For thine is the kingdom… and the power… and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Now I love the way Jesus closes out His Prayer – don’t you.
In fact, it holds a lot of similarities with How Jesus began His Prayer.
Remember just back in verse 9 Jesus started His prayer,
By simply taking the time to “Reverence the Lord”.
He acknowledged The Person God is saying – Our Father
He acknowledged The Place where God resides – Which art in Heaven,
And even acknowledged The Position God should hold in our lives because -
Hallowed [or rather Holy] is His name.
In a world full of Bad – Only God is good…
And He deserves reverence from each and every one of us - Amen!
CONFIDENCE IN THE KINGDOMS PLACE!
Now here, we effectively find Jesus closing off His prayer in the same way,
That is to say - He again simply Reverences the Lord,
Only this time He does so a little differently.
First of all, He acknowledges God’s Dominion - For thine is the kingdom,
No one resides over the kingdom – but the King!
“This is your kingdom Father” - Jesus prays.
And please notice with me - how Christ prays this with Confidence!
This fact was absolute – it was never in any doubt.
God has always been King over the Kingdom.
And this is all His Kingdom – all of it!
You see the kingdom – is not just a Heavenly realm.
God is certainly ruling and reigning upon the throne in glory - Amen!
But His Kingdom is much broader than that.
In fact, His Kingdom has no borders and knows no bounds. This is all His Kingdom!
Every nation, every people, every country – it’s all apart of God’s Kingdom.
This entire world and everyone and everything in it – is all apart of God’s Kingdom.
Colossians 1:16-17: For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.
Jesus even taught along these lines in Matthew 5:34-35 when He said:
34 Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne:
35 Nor by the earth; for it is His footstool: neither by Jerusalem;
for it is the city of the great King.
When it comes to making personal promises,
You do not swear oath by any of these things – Jesus says
Because they are not within your power to swear by.
They are a part of God’s Kingdom – not yours.
And He has dominion over those things – not you.
You know what, even as we push beyond physical things,
As we begin to talk about the existence of spiritual things...
Guess what – even that too is all apart of God’s kingdom.
Luke 17:20-21
…The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: [its not going to be made up of physical bricks and mortar]. Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
You see, there is more far more to God’s Kingdom – than just physical things.
In fact, much of God’s Kingdom today is spiritual.
Romans 14:17 - For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Brethren – Only the King always rules and reigns within His Kingdom.
And if God’s kingdom exists within us... and it’s a spiritual kingdom at that,
Then its not about what happens out there (in the world)...
But more about what happens in here (the heart) that is truly important.
You see, as King - Christ treasures our hearts above all else.
And the truth is, the more we surrender our hearts and our lives over to Him,
The more of His spiritual Kingdom we will experience here on earth.
Jesus Prayed with a full understanding and with total certainty in all of this.
In fact, as He concluded His prayer – He simply said: For thine is the kingdom,
That is a profound declaration and statement of truth!
All of it... All Heavenly things...All Physical things...even every Spiritual thing...
It’s all apart of God’s Kingdom,
And knowing this is why we can have confidence when we Pray.
CONFIDENCE IN THE KINGS POWER
Of course, Jesus does not just acknowledge King Place as He prays
Because He also recognises Kings Power.
Notice exactly what Jesus prays next because He says:
For thine is the Kingdom… and the power,
That term Power speaks not only of “the right to rule”,
But also of “the ability”, and “the strength to get things done”.
“You have the power Father” – Jesus says.
“You, and you alone, have the strength to rule and reign”
That is the confidence with which Jesus Prayed.
I wonder when we pray – do we share the same confidence?
The confidence that ultimately God is in control...
And that He has the power to get things done!
“Control” is an interesting concept when you think about it
And one we often struggle with in life.
There are a few things we are in control of…
Things like our own choices and personal decisions,
But there are alot more things - we are not in control of,
Things like our wider circumstances...
And the greater happenings of the world around us – Covid 19 for example.
You and I are clearly not in control of that.
Now there is often something comforting
In the feeling and belief that you are in control.
However, when you stack it all up,
There is very little you are actually in control of outside of yourself.
That’s why Jesus says don’t swear and make promisary oaths
By heaven, earth or even the city of Jerusalem…
Because your not in control of that stuff.
And He even goes onto to say:
36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make
one hair white or black.
You see, there is so much we think we are in control of…
Whereas Jesus just recognises God’s power
And the fact that He is ultimately in control of all.
What do the Scriptures declare? Jeremiah 32:27:
Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?
Is there anything – that God cannot do?
Is there any prayer that He cannot answer?
Jesus simply prayer – Thine...is the Power
And do you know what – like Jesus, as we begin to recognise and understand
That God is the one who is all powerful...
And that He is the one who is ultimately in control of everything,
Then we too can pray with confidence as we trust in The Kings Power.
CONFIDENCE IN THE KING’s PRAISE
So Jesus prayed having confidence in The Kings Place
And Confidence in The Kings Power...
And now we see Him placing confidence in The Kings Praise
For thine is the Glory…Jesus prayed.
That term Glory in the Greek literally refers to “radient light” and “splendour”.
Now at the “Transfiguration of Christ” - Peter, James and John
Where given just a glimpse of God’s Glory and Matthew 17:2 tells us that:
2 He was transfigured before them: and His face did shine as the sun,
and His raiment was white as the light.
That’s some serious glory!
Remember even back in the OT, Mosses too got a glimpse of God’s Glory
And ended up having to wear a vail to cover his face for a time
Because the residual splendor of God’s glory,
Was reflecting so greatly off him that the people were afraid. Exodus 34:30:
30 And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.
That’s what a mere glimpse of God’s glory can do!
Oh to just get a glimpse of His Glory - Amen.
I was reading the Bible to my boys the other night
And Josiah said: “You can’t see God because He’s invisible…”
“…and He’s invisible because no one can look upon His face and live.
He’s just too bright for us to see.”
You see, even at that age my boys are beginning to come to terms with God’s glory.
Exodus 33:20 - Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
Of course what’s more than this - Glory is also a term we use to express,
And to bestow “honour” and “recognition” upon others.
The Scriptures tell us that we ought to give God the Glory due His name.
In fact, Psalms 29:1-2 says:
1 Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
2 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
Jeremiah 13:6 adds to this by simply saying:
16 Give glory to the LORD your God…
While Psalms 19:1 declares this:
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament [skies] proclaim His handywork.
So not only are we to give GLORY to the Lord,
But all of His creation glorifies Him.
Now please bear in mind - this is the way Jesus chooses to close out His prayer.
And just like the way He began His prayer,
He does so by again Reverencing God and Praising God.
He starts by acknowledging God’s Kingdom,
Then by highlighting God’s Power and Control over the Kingdom,
And then He finishes with the fact that God is to be Glorified within His Kingdom.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory…Jesus says.
And yet we are still not done.
Please notice with me the word comes next
Because Jesus actually gives us a timeframe…and it’s for-ever.
You see, Jesus not only recognised God’s Kingdom…
God’s Power… and God’s Glory – then,
But He recognised how those things would continue and remain forever more.
Tell me – do these things not give you confidence when you pray?
Because it does me!
And then, last but not least...
Jesus concludes by saying this small but incredible word – “Amen!”
And even today – this is still how we conclude our prayers - isn’t it.
And there is a profound reason for this – because this is how...
Jesus in fact prayed – and teaches us to pray!
That term Amen in the Greek is actually an affirmation…
Towards a particular statement of “truth” or “reality”.
It emphasises an infallible fact that cannot be denied – Amen!
It declares “most assuredly” or “of certainty” this is the truth!
Now this definition alone…actually provides us with a profound sense
That Scripturally Speaking - the word “Amen” and it’s use,
Has far greater scope and application than merely bringing a full stop to our prayer.
Point and case, in nearly 30 times it is used in the OT,
“Amen” almost always occurs as a response to what has preceded,
And is used in a broad range of applications outside of prayer.
For example, in Deuteronomy Chapter 27…
(where “amen” appears 12 times in 11 verses. Duet 27:15–26)
Moses instructs all people what they are to do after they cross over the Jordon.
Remember of course, Moses couldn’t go with them into the promised land…
And so He instructs the Levites to present the people
Before Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim
Where God’s Word was going to be read out loud
Promising blessings for those that followed the Lord…
And Cursing’s for those that disobeyed God.
And the people were to respond by saying “Amen” after every statement. Deuteronomy 27:26: Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Now the significance behind all the people doing this
Was not just to reaffirm the certainty of what has just been said,
But to also ensure they took ownership for adopting that truth into their own lives.
So here, all the people were to say “Amen” as they heard God’s Word.
And we still do that today.
We also find “Amen” being used during Praise and Worship - 1 Chronicles 16:36
36 Blessed be the LORD God of Israel for ever and ever. And all the people said, Amen, and praised the LORD.
The use of “Amen” also continues into the NT Epistles…
And all the way through to the book of Revelation. Ephesians 3:21
21 Unto Him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
So here Amen is used with reference to the Church,
And then we see it used also as a declaration of Prophecy - Revelation 1:7
7 Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen.
Bring it on – because of certainty this is going to happen!
And then of course, after all of this - “Amen” is also used in Prayer.
And interestingly, this term is used to close out at least four Psalms
Of which we know many Psalms actually mirror David’s personal prayer life
Along with also providing us a mirror into the the prayer life of Jesus Christ.
Psalms 72:19+20,
19 And blessed be His glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with His glory; Amen, and Amen.
20 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.
Gosh you have to love this…
Because David doesn’t just say Amen…
He says: Amen, and Amen
So He adds double the emphasis to what has just been said,
And just in case anyone is unclear about the wider context
Verse 20 tells us that these were in fact prayers of David.
Now back on point - Jesus prays to our Father
And declares this to be His Kingdom,
That He has the Power,
And that He deserves the Glory.
He declares not only these things to be the truth...
But that they would remain the truth forevermore!
And just in case all of that wasn’t enough
He simply topped it all off by saying this - Amen!
…Not just as a convenient way to conclude His prayer,
But to emphasize the certainty and the undeniable truth
Of all that had just been spoken.
When we understand the truth of all of these things as Jesus did,
We too can discover how to pray with confidence!
Hebrews 4:16 declares: “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need”
CONCLUSION
Now what can we say to all of this?
Clearly, Jesus did not have a shallow Prayer life.
There is a clear method behind everything Jesus did…
And there is a profound depth behind everything He prayed.
This includes the way He opened His prayer…
And the way He closed His prayer,
Not to mention everything else...
Jesus was trying to teach and reveal to His disciples in between.
Now the Lord’s Prayer is just an example of a single prayer,
And one of many that Jesus prayed, and countless others we find in the Bible.
It’s a prayer that covers just 4 verses…
And probably took Jesus all of 20 seconds to pray,
And yet it has taken us 10 messages just to skim the surface,
And get a hint of the kinds of the deeper things
Jesus was praying from the heart.
Today we have just focused on how Jesus finished and closed out His prayer
As He placed absolute Confidence in the Kings Place...
The Kings Power...and The Kings Praise
And this is my encouragement to you brethren when you pray,
Simply pray like Jesus did. Read with me again Matthew 6:9-13
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in 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 lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
…For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Join us next week – as we again look to the Scriptures
To see how God seeks to answer our Prayers.
