THE PRACTICE OF PRAYER
MATTHEW 6:5–8 “AND WHEN YOU PRAY, DO NOT BE LIKE THE HYPOCRITES, FOR THEY LOVE TO PRAY STANDING IN THE SYNAGOGUES AND ON THE STREET CORNERS TO BE SEEN BY MEN. I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, THEY HAVE RECEIVED THEIR REWARD IN FULL. 6BUT 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. 7AND WHEN YOU PRAY, DO NOT KEEP ON BABBLING LIKE PAGANS, FOR THEY THINK THEY WILL BE HEARD BECAUSE OF THEIR MANY WORDS. 8DO NOT BE LIKE THEM, FOR YOUR FATHER KNOWS WHAT YOU NEED BEFORE YOU ASK HIM.
INTRODUCTION: AS WE CONTINUE IN OUR SERIES ON THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT, WE ARE PRESENTED WITH THE TEACHING OF JESUS CONCERNING PRAYER. WHAT I WOULD YOU TO SEE IS THAT WHAT JESUS IS TEACHING US IN THESE VERSES IS, WHAT I WOULD CALL, “CRITICAL CONCEPTS IN COMMUNICATING WITH GOD.”
AS WE SAW LAST WEEK, GOD WANTED OUR MOTIVES TO BE RIGHT IN OUR GIVING. THIS WEEK, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE THAT GOD WANTS OUR MOTIVES TO BE RIGHT IN OUR PRAYING.
I. DEFINING PRAYER BY DEFINING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
a. THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS NOT PRIMARILY AN EXPERIENCE
i. WE DO EXPERIENCE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
ii. WHEN WE SENSE THE PRESENCE OF GOD
iii. WHEN WE SENSE THE DIRECTION OF GOD
iv. WHEN WE SEE GOD WORKING IN THE LIVES OF PEOPLE
b. THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS NOT PRIMARILY FEELINGS
i. FEELINGS HAVE THEIR PLACE IN OUR CHRISTIAN WALK
ii. WE CAN BE BROUGHT TO PLACES OF GREAT EMOTION
iii. WE CAN BE BROUGHT TO PLACES OF GREAT ANGER
iv. FEELINGS ARE FICKLE. JAMES TELLS US THAT THE SAME MOUTH CAN BLESS GOD AND CURSE MEN
v. PROVERBS 3 TELLS US TO TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL OUR HEART – THE SEAT OF OUR EMOTIONS
1. PUT OUR FULL CONFIDENCE IN GOD, NOT WHAT WE FELL
2. AVOID RELYING ON OUR OWN UNDERSTANDING WHICH CAN OFTEN BE FLAWED
3. SEEK TO KNOW GOD ABOVE ALL ELSE AND HIS WAYS, WHICH RESULTS IN A STRAIGHT PATH
vi. JEREMIAH 17 TELLS US THAT OUR HEART IS DECEITFUL. IT IS SICK. IT CANNOT BE UNDERSTOOD.
c. THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS PRIMARILY A RELATIONSHIP
i. JOHN 17:3 NOW THIS IS ETERNAL LIFE: THAT THEY MAY KNOW YOU, THE ONLY TRUE GOD, AND JESUS CHRIST, WHOM YOU HAVE SENT.
1. ETERNAL LIFE IS IN KNOWING GOD
2. ETERNAL LIFE IS IN KNOWING JESUS WHOM GOD SENT
d. PRAYER IS COMMUNICATION
i. IT IS THE SIMPLEST LEVEL OF RELATIONSHIP THAT WE CAN HAVE
ii. ALL RELATIONSHIP GROW OR WITHER BASED ON THE CONSISTENCY, AND DEPTH OF COMMUNICATION.
iii. IT IS EASY TO NEGATIVELY AFFECT OUR RELATIONSHIP THROUGH COMMUNICATION
1. THE MIS STEP IN WHAT YOU SAY
2. ANGER IN WHAT YOU SAY
3. FORGETTING TO COMMUNICATE SOMETHING
4. THESE SITUATIONS ALL AFFECT RELATIONSHIP THROUGH COMMUNICATION AND HAVE REPERCUSSIONS
a. SAY THE WRONG THING AND YOU COMMUNICATE THE WRONG MESSAGE
b. SAY SOMETHING IN ANGER AND THE RESPONSE IS ALSO IN ANGER
c. FORGET TO COMMUNICATE SOMETHING AND THE RESULT IS HURT FEELINGS, MISUNDERSTANDING, OR THE THOUGHT THAT YOU ARE TRYING TO HIDE SOMETHING.
e. PRAYER FOR THE FOLLOWER OF CHRIST IS ALSO A STRUGGLE
i. CHRISTIANS STRUGGLE WITH PRAYER
ii. PRAYER IS THE LANGUAGE OF DEPENDENCE
1. WE CANNOT DO IT OURSELVES
2. WE NEED HELP IN WHAT WE ARE DOING
iii. MAN HAS STRUGGLED WITH INDEPENDENCE SINCE THE FALL
1. ADAM AND EVE WHEN CONFRONTED BY SATAN FELL TO THE DESIRE OF INDEPENDENCE AND SELF-DETERMINATION
a. YOU WILL BE LIKE GOD
b. YOU WILL KNOW GOOD AND EVIL
2. THE FIRST CURSE IN CREATION HAS CONTINUED INTO THE PRESENT
a. WE LIKE DOING OUR OWN THING
b. WE LIKE RUNNING OUR OWN LIVES
c. THIS ATTITUDE PLACES THE LORD IN A LOWER PRIORITY. AND GOD WILL HAVE NOTHING BEFORE HIM
II. OUR PASSAGE REVEALS FOUR THINGS ABOUT PRAYER
a. WE SHOULD BE PRAYING REGULARLY
i. PRAYING IS OUR EXPECTED CONDITION. TEXT SAYS WHEN WE PRAY, NOT IF WE PRAY
ii. A BREAKDOWN IN REGULAR PRAYER LEADS TO A DRIED-UP CHRISTIAN LIFE
iii. WHEN WE STOP TALKING TO GOD, WE INEVITABLY STOP LISTENING TO WHAT HE HAS TO SAY. WE BECOME SPIRITUALLY DEAF.
iv. IF GOD NEVER ANSWERED A PRAYER OR IF ANYU PRAYER MADE NO DIFFERENCE TO WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE WORLD, PRAYER WOULD STILL BE NECESSARY BECAUSE PRAYER IS RELATIONSHIP.
v. PRAYER IS THE TALKING PART OF THE RELATIONSHIP WE HAVE BETWEEN US AND GOD
vi. AND IN CASE YOU DID NOT REALIZE IT, IF GOD DID NOTHING ELSE BESIDES SAVE OUR SOULS, HE HAS DONE MORE THAN WE DESERVE!
b. WE SHOULD BE PRAYING SECRETLY
i. THE REAL TEST OF OUR PRAYER LIFE IS NOT WHAT GOES ON IN PUBLIC, BUT WHAT GOES ON IN SECRET
ii. PRAYER SHOULD NEVER BE MOTIVATED BY THE AUDIENCE
iii. PEOPLE DO NOT ANSWER OUR PRAYERS, GOD DOES
iv. THE REALITY OF OUR PRAYER LIFE IS SEEN IN THE TIME WE SPEND ALONE WITH GOD.
1. NOT ON THE STREET CORNER THAT HAS THE BIGGEST CROWD
2. WHEN OUR “PUBLIC PRAYER” EXCEEDS OUR PRIVATE PRAYER, WE SHOULD BE CHECKING OUR MOTIVES WHEN PRAYING
c. WE SHOULD BE PRAYING NATURALLY
i. NO NEED FOR A SPECIAL VOCABULARY
ii. NO NEED FOR A SPECIAL VOICE
iii. WE ARE TO APPROACH GOD IN A NATURAL WAY
1. REVERENTLY
2. HUMBLY
3. NATURALLY LIKE A CHILD SPEAKING TO A PARENT
4. WE ARE SPEAKING TO OUR HEAVENLY FATHER – ABBA, DADDY
iv. THE MAIN THOUGHT HERE IS PERSISTENCE, NOT REPETITION
1. THE TERM “BABBLING” SPEAKS ABOUT DOING SOMETHING MECHANICALLY
d. WE ARE TO APPROACH GOD BELIEVINGLY
i. GOD KNOWS WHAT WE NEED
1. KNOWS OUR NEED MUCH BETTER THAN WE DO
2. KNOWS OUR NEED LONG BEFORE WE DID
ii. GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY DOES NOT PRECLUDE THE NECESSITY OR EFFECTIVENESS OF PRAYER
1. PRAYER IS ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIP AND COMMUNICATION
iii. BELIEVING PRAYER IS NOT BASED ON GOD GIVING US WHAT WE WANT, BUT GOD GIVING US WHAT IS RIGHT
1. IF WHAT WE WANT IS WHAT IS RIGHT, SO MUCH THE BETTER
iv. THE WILL OF GOD IS PARAMOUNT
1. THIS CONVICTION NEEDS TO BE UNDERSTOOD IN RELATION TO OUR DEPENDENCY ON GOD
2. GOD IS NOT OBLIGATED IN PRAYER TO DO THINGS OUR WAY AND CANNOT BE COERCED INTO DOING IT
v. PRAYER INVITES GOD INTO OUR CIRCUMSTANCES
1. HE IS SUPREME
2. HE IS SUFFICIENT
3. HE IS FULFILLING HIS AGENDA IN OUR LIVES THROUGH PRAYER
III. THE FAULT OF THE PHARISEES
a. THEY HAD THE WRONG AUDIENCE – THEY WERE PRAYING FOR THE REWARD OF THE PEOPLE
i. MADE SURE THEY PRAYED AT THE RIGHT TIMES
ii. MADE SURE THE ENUNCIATED EVERY WORD CORRECTLY
b. THEY TURNED THEIR PRAYERS INTO A FORMULA
i. PRAYER FOR EVERY OCCASION
1. THE SHEMA – THE LORD OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE
2. THE SHEMONEH – 18 PRAYERS THAT WERE PRAYED EVERY DAY
a. OFTEN THEY WOULD BE RECITED AS FAST AS POSSIBLE IN ORDER TO GET ON WITH WHAT THEY WERE DOING
ii. WHEN WE HAVE A PRAYER FOR EVERY OCCASION, WE LOSE THE SENSITIVITY TO FOLLOW THE LEADING OF GOD IN OUR PRAYERS
c. THEY LIMITED PRAYER TO SPECIFIC TIMES
i. THEY ONLY PRAYED AT THOSE TIMES – 9AM, NOON, AND 3PM
ii. IT IS GOOD TO HAVE A REGULAR TIME OF PRAYER, BUT SINCE PRAYER IS CONVERSATION AND RELATIONSHIP, WE SHOULD BE READY TO ALWAYS PRAY/
d. THEY ASSUMED LENGTH EQUALED EFFECTIVENESS
i. THE RABBIS WERE UNDER THE OPINION THAT THE LONGER THE PRAYER THE MORE LIKELY IT WAS TO BE HEARD.
e. THEY REPLACED REPETITION FOR MEANING.
i. YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES LITTLE IS MORE WHEN WE PRAY
1 KINGS 18:26–29 SO THEY TOOK THE BULL GIVEN THEM AND PREPARED IT. THEN THEY CALLED ON THE NAME OF BAAL FROM MORNING TILL NOON. “O BAAL, ANSWER US!” THEY SHOUTED. BUT THERE WAS NO RESPONSE; NO ONE ANSWERED. AND THEY DANCED AROUND THE ALTAR THEY HAD MADE.
27AT NOON ELIJAH BEGAN TO TAUNT THEM. “SHOUT LOUDER!” HE SAID. “SURELY HE IS A GOD! PERHAPS HE IS DEEP IN THOUGHT, OR BUSY, OR TRAVELING. MAYBE HE IS SLEEPING AND MUST BE AWAKENED.”
28SO THEY SHOUTED LOUDER AND SLASHED THEMSELVES WITH SWORDS AND SPEARS, AS WAS THEIR CUSTOM, UNTIL THEIR BLOOD FLOWED.
29MIDDAY PASSED, AND THEY CONTINUED THEIR FRANTIC PROPHESYING UNTIL THE TIME FOR THE EVENING SACRIFICE. BUT THERE WAS NO RESPONSE, NO ONE ANSWERED, NO ONE PAID ATTENTION.
1 KINGS 18:36–38 AT THE TIME OF SACRIFICE, THE PROPHET ELIJAH STEPPED FORWARD AND PRAYED: “O LORD, GOD OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC AND ISRAEL, LET IT BE KNOWN TODAY THAT YOU ARE GOD IN ISRAEL AND THAT I AM YOUR SERVANT AND HAVE DONE ALL THESE THINGS AT YOUR COMMAND.
37ANSWER ME, O LORD, ANSWER ME, SO THESE PEOPLE WILL KNOW THAT YOU, O LORD, ARE GOD, AND THAT YOU ARE TURNING THEIR HEARTS BACK AGAIN.”
38THEN THE FIRE OF THE LORD FELL AND BURNED UP THE SACRIFICE, THE WOOD, THE STONES AND THE SOIL, AND ALSO LICKED UP THE WATER IN THE TRENCH.
HOW DID PRAYER GET TO THIS POINT THAT JESUS HAD TO TEACH THIS? THE JEWISH PEOPLE HAD BEEN CORRUPTED BY THOSE NATIONS AROUND THEM. JESUS SOUGHT TO CORRECT THEIR ERROR IN PRAYER, AND THEN – NEXT WEEK, INSTRUCT HIS FOLLOWERS – HIS DISCIPLES HOW THEY SHOULD PRAY.
JESUS DID NOT LEAVE THEM OR US WITH JUST WHAT WE SHOULD NOT DO, BUT WHAT WE SHOULD DO AS WELL.
FOR HIS FOLLOWERS, JESUS WOULD TEACH THE “LORD’S PRAYER”. OR IN REALITY THE “DISCIPLES PRAYER”. FOR YOU AND ME, THAT COMES NEXT WEEK!
