Sermon: Prayer is the Key to Kingdom Living
Scripture: Matthew 6:5-13 “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. 7 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! 9 Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10 May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today the food we need, 12 and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. 13 And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.”
Luke 11:9-13 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 “You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? 12 Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! 13 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”
Introduction: After encouraging believers to seek first the kingdom of God and live righteously, Jesus deals with the believer’s attitude about giving, forgiveness and prayer. I have entitled today’s message, “Prayer is the key to Kingdom Living.” Jesus teaches us the prayer is the believer’s key communication in the kingdom of God. If believers learn to communicate effectively with God, all parties involved can leave satisfied and feeling accomplished. By delivering messages clearly, there is no room for misunderstanding or alteration of messages, which decreases the potential for conflict. Prayer is the language of the kingdom, and it is so important that Jesus said, “Men ought to always pray and not faint.”
The largest radio receiver on earth is in New Mexico. Pilots call it "the mushroom patch." Its real name is the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array. The "VLA" is a series of twenty-seven huge satellite disks on thirty-eight miles of railways. Astronomers come from all over the world to analyze the optical images of the heavens composed by the VLA from the radio signals it receives from space. Why is such a giant apparatus needed? Because the radio waves, often emitted from sources millions of light-years away, are very faint. The total energy of all radio waves ever recorded barely equals the force of a single snowflake hitting the ground. What great lengths people will go to in search of the faintest message from space. Scientists and astronomers listen attentively, 24 hours a day for any sound in the heavens. Straining through the eyes of telescopes and the electronic ears, they search the darkness of space in search of a word from heaven. They miss the voice of God who has spoken so clearly through His Son and His Word!
Just as mankind listens for the slightest sound from heaven, God listens for the slightest sound of prayer from men. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism lists the principal disciplines of the Methodism faith as Studying God’s word, communicating with God in Prayer, Consecrating oneself by fasting, developing spiritually in small groups, and celebrating the Lord’s supper in community. In a 1980 survey of 17,000 members an evangelical denomination revealed the average member prayed 5 minutes a day, while the average pastor prayed about seven minutes a day. This message is not to condemn but to encourage us all to pray more!
Since believers are citizen of another country, the kingdom of God, Jesus knew the importance of maintaining constant contact with the Father. When life presents us with challenges that call for an honest assessment, many say the Serenity Prayer, “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” This prayer reminds us that while some things in life are within our control, many other things are beyond our control and require the help of God. Jesus knew believers would need peace, acceptance, courage, and wisdom. All these virtues are available through prayer. Prayer would be key in the Believer’s communication with God. Jesus teaches several important things about prayer in the passages. First, prayer is expected.
1.Prayer is Expected -“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. 7 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!
In verses 5, 6, 7, Jesus repeats the phrase ”when you prayer.” Knowing the struggles of life, sinners, hypocrites, saints, and gentiles will all pray. Life is too hard to go alone. We are given the assurance that our Father in heaven expected us to pray, listen for our prayers and he knows all our needs.
2.Prayer is Examined – Lest people think that God hears any and every prayer, Jesus cautions us that prayer is examined. In our weakest, the Holy Spirit aids us in prayer. Prayer must be thoughtful and clear. Vain babbling is not an effective way to pray. Prayer is the road to justice for the faithful believer. Life may bring a thousand forms of injustice and mistreatment. Believers can do more than march and protest, they can pray. God knows we suffer and will hear our cries for relief. God has the answer to every problem, and He will willingly and able to help. God’s timing maybe different than ours, by rest assured, “Vengeance is mine, said the Lord, I will repay.” God‘s word makes it clear, our prayer are expected, our are examined, and our prayers should be educated.
3. Prayer is Educated or Learned. Since prayer is communicating with God in the language of the kingdom, we should learn how to pray effectively. Believers are to pray without ceasing. Believers are called to pray and maintain constant communication with heaven. Jesus said, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners,” people who pray the right thing in the wrong way for the wrong reason. Then He said, “Don’t babble like the Gentiles” who go on and on as if the repetition can make God do something against His will. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them.
Then how do we learn to pray effectively? Prayer in a sense is an expression of our constant contact with the Father, so a child of God learns to prayer much like a child learns to talk. The best way for a child to learn to talk is by listening and imitating their parents. Learning the pray effectively must include reading prayers from the scriptures, praying the word of God, listening to others pray, and praying sensitive to the Spirit’s leading. The more we pray, the better our prayer life becomes. God ‘s word makes it clear, our prayers are expected, our prayers are examined, so our prayers should be educated and finally, our prayers will be answered.
4. Prayer is answered. “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Jesus gives us the greatest encouragement to pray. Prayer keeps us in constant contact with our heavenly Father, who expects our prayers, examines our prayers, educates our praying and answers our prayer. In this text, asking suggests our dependence on God; seeking suggest yearning and passionate desire; knocking suggests our persistence and resolve. Jesus wanted to encourage his disciples to pray in faith, believing. These verses should be kept in the context they were given. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus was speaking to believers who choose to enter by the narrow gate, choose to seek first the kingdom of God and to live righteously. Constant prayer will be key in the believer’s Kingdom communication with the father. Prayer will be the key to their power for ministry, overcoming obstacles and living a victorious life.
Seeing Jesus operating under the kingdom anointing, the disciples said, “Lord, teach us to pray.” They wanted the same kind of relationship Jesus enjoyed with the Father. They wanted the same kind of power Jesus possessed in His ministry. They wanted the same kind of peace He possessed inside. So, Jesus said, “Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.”
Jesus assures them, effective prayer is the key to Kingdom living. The kind of Prayer that recognizing that your Father is in heaven, and He sees and knows everything you need. Reverence His name and Keep his name holy, live holy and pray for His kingdom to be manifest on earth, in your lives, in your actions and in your treatment of others. Pray knowing God will take care of you, your need and everything attached to you. Pray repenting often as needed, asking for personal forgiveness and offering forgiveness to others quickly. God will help you avoid many temptations and help you overcome the tempter. Prayer is the key to Kingdom living. Amen.
Through prayer, we can accomplish God’s purpose and will on earth. Since we know it is God’s will for us to pray, prayer is expected, will you prayer? Since His word teaches us how to pray and when to pray, will you persist in prayer? There is incredible power and potential in prayer. Through prayer, we invite the God of the Universe into a situation and into our lives. Prayer changes things, but even more prayer changes us. Through prayer, we have the opportunity to reach our full potential in Christ. The disciples said to Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray.” As we grow in our prayer life, we become more alive and more engaged with what God is doing. None of us are perfect at prayer, but as we take steps to grow spiritually in our prayer life, the impact is incredible. God will move mountains and God will transform us into people of love, joy, and peace through prayer. Let’s become people of prayer and a church of prayer together.
