Summary: Let’s allow the Master Teacher to teach us as He taught His disciples how to pray.

MELVIN M. NEWLAND, MINISTER

CENTRAL CHRISTIAN, BROWNSVILLE, TX

ILL. Suppose that I should call you up tomorrow morning about 10:00, after you have been working for a couple of hours or so, & asked you, "Have you prayed yet today?" How would you respond to that?

Would you just start stammering a bit & say, "Well, we prayed last night with the children. And we always pray before our meals. Is that what you mean?"

Or maybe you’d feel that your preacher had overstepped his bounds in even asking you that question.

ILL. We sing "Onward Christian Soldiers" & "Like a mighty army moves the Church of God." But if we’re going to be a good army for God we need the power that comes through prayer. Power to enhance our relationships with others, power to overcome the stress & pressures in life. It is available to us. Yet, so often we leave it untapped.

Frankly, I feel uncomfortable talking about the subject of prayer because I’m not at all satisfied with my own prayer life.

So I invite you this morning to come with me to the Master Teacher, & let’s allow Him to teach us as He taught His disciples how to pray. Turn with me to the 6th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, vs’s 5﷓14.

I. FOUR NECESSITIES FOR PRAYER

And as we consider these verses, let me suggest 4 things we need to have if our prayers are going to be effective, & pleasing to God.

A. First of all, we must have faith. You say, "Well, preacher, that is pretty elementary." Yes, it is. This is a very elementary sermon. Before we pray we must believe that God is, & that He hears & answers our prayers.

1. If we don’t believe in God, if we don’t believe that He will hear & answer our prayers, then obviously prayer is an effort in futility.

Now it is not easy to believe in God. Jesus mentions this in Matthew 6:6. He says, "When you pray, go into your room, close the door & pray to your Father, who is unseen."

When we talk, unless we are talking on the telephone, we are usually talking to people we can see. But Jesus says, "You are to talk to an unseen God."

So when you begin to pray, Satan slithers up & says, "Do you really believe in a God you can’t see? Do you really believe that God can hear your prayer when there are thousands of others being offered to Him at the same time?"

2. So you have to pray in faith. Not necessarily understanding, just believing. I don’t understand how prayer works, do you? But I know that the Bible tells me that He knows my needs even before I ask for them; that He knows my name; that He even knows the hairs on my head; & that He knows everything about me; & that He will hear my prayer along with yours.

I don’t understand that, but I believe it.

ILL. There are a lot of other things that I don’t understand. I don’t understand how I can push a button in my car & my garage door opens before I even get there. But I use it.

ILL. I don’t understand how a cordless telephone works. How can your voice travel unseen through the air, through a transmitter & amplifier & then someone can hear you clearly across town or across the nation or around the world? I don’t know how. But it works.

I don’t understand how prayer works, but it works. So I pray in faith to my unseen God & He promises that He will hear.

3. I think that another obstacle to faith is disappointment in prayer. Maybe you prayed to have a baby, & your womb was barren. Maybe you prayed for loved ones who were sick, & they died. Or maybe you prayed for a job & they chose someone else.

And because of that you have been disappointed in God. And you say, "My prayers have been unanswered." But not necessarily.

If your expectation in prayer is that God will immediately grant you everything that you ask for, I can promise you that you will be disappointed, & that you will have moments of doubt.

But if your expectation in prayer is that God will give you all you need, then your confidence in prayer will grow. You see, God is like a loving Father, He doesn’t give His child everything the child wants. He gives what the child needs, not necessarily what he or she wants.

B. So first of all, we must pray in faith. Secondly, we must commit ourselves to pray.

Now, I know from experience that the moment you make up your mind to pray, just like the moment you made up your mind to read the Bible, Satan is going to erect all kinds of obstacles. Because he doesn’t want you to read your Bible & pray.

So you must be committed to do it, not just casually interested in it; not just thinking, "Maybe I well if it is convenient." But you must commit yourself & determine in your heart & your mind to do it.

C. Then I think that we need privacy when we pray. Jesus said, "When you pray, go into your room & close the door." And in vs. 5 He says, "When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues & on the street corners to be seen by men."

Jesus is saying, "When you pray, go into your room & close the door, so that it will be only you & God. And then just pour out your heart to Him."

1. Now there is a place for public prayer. Jesus prayed before He fed the 5,000. He prayed before He instituted the Lord’s Supper. He prayed before He raised Lazarus from the dead.

2. But Jesus urged us to pray alone, I think, because our greatest prayers come when we’re alone. You can say whatever you want to say. You don’t have to worry about what anybody else thinks. You can be honest with your Father who is in heaven.

ILL. Some of the older houses used to have special prayer rooms, sometimes underneath the stairs. They would put a little shelf or table with a Bible on it, & maybe a little bench. A little room with maybe just enough space to kneel if you wanted to as you prayed.

Our ancestors thought of things that oftentimes we overlook. But today we build wet-bars, & we forget about prayer rooms.

SUM. How much we need a place in our home where we can close the door & just be alone with God. Privacy, we need privacy.

D. Then I think that we need intensity, or fervor, in our prayers. Jesus said, "When you pray, do not keep on babbling like the pagans, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words."

1. Oftentimes we just pray & recite little prayer cliches that we’ve learned through the years. We’ve heard others say them & they sound pretty good, so we use them too. "Bless the church. Bless the missionaries. Bless the sick. Guide, guard & direct us." And we don’t even think much about what we are saying.

But rather, when we pray, we’re to pray from the depths of our heart.

ILL. A little boy was afraid of the dentist. So his father decided to set the example & have his teeth examined, too. The dentist looked inside the father’s mouth & said, "Oh oh, there’s a tooth there that has to be pulled."

The father asked, "How much will it cost?" The dentist answered, "We charge $35 a tooth." Then the father asked, "How long will it take to pull the tooth?" The dentist answered, "About a minute."

The father protested, "I get paid by the hour, & when I think of paying $35 for a minute’s work, that is a terribly high hourly wage."

"Well," the dentist said, "I can pull the tooth more slowly if you like."

Sometimes we think that the longer we pray, the more spiritual we are. Jesus said, "Don’t just babble on endlessly, but be intense in your prayers.’

2. Now let me make a couple of suggestions to help you in the intensity area. I suggest that you kneel when you pray. Have you tried it?

Daniel knelt 3 times a day & prayed to God. Paul knelt with the elders of Ephesus & he prayed. Let me suggest that you kneel because kneeling implies humility, doesn’t it? We come humbly before the Lord.

And kneeling has many benefits. It is hard to sleep while you are kneeling. It is hard for your mind to wander when your knees are hurting. And you are always reminded of what you are doing. Try kneeling.

3. And then try praying out loud. Oftentimes we don’t finalize our thoughts until we verbalize them. When I just think silently I generalize everything. But if I pray out loud, then I become specific in my prayers.

That is the reason you need a place where you can talk to God & not be intimidated or worry about anybody interrupting you, & you can verbalize & express all of those things that are in your heart.

SUM. Those are the 4 necessities for prayer: faith, commitment, privacy, & intensity.

II. THE MODEL PRAYER THAT JESUS GAVE US

A. Now let’s look at the words of the model prayer, beginning in vs. 9. Jesus says, "This, then is how you should pray." Notice that he didn’t say, "This is what you should pray." He said, "This is how you should pray."

This is a model prayer because it gives us a guideline for prayer. Almost everybody in this room has memorized this prayer. Right? I won’t embarrass you by asking you if you know it or not, but almost everybody could repeat this prayer if we prayed it together.

Therefore, in your mind you already have an outline for a prayer that is guaranteed to please God. Jesus said, "This is the way I want you to pray."

B. He says, "This is how you begin, `Our Father in heaven.’" Jesus says, "Begin by walking right into the presence of God. You don’t have to go through anybody. You’re welcome because you are His child."

ILL. You know, there are times when I’m really busy, & I ask my secretary, "Please screen my calls. My time is really tight today." But if one of my children calls, she knows that she can interrupt me even though I’ve asked her not to. You see, when your child calls, you always take time to listen.

And notice how you are to address Him. You’re not to start out by saying, "Almighty God, omnipotent, omniscient God, Creator of the universe." No, you say, "Father, Dad, I need to talk to you today." As His child you have the privilege of walking into His presence & calling Him "Father."

C. "Hallowed be your name." We show our respect for God, for who He is, thanking Him for what He has done. "Thank you, Lord, for creating the world. Thank you for making me in your image. Thank you for having such great love that you sent your Son into the world to die on the cross for my sins. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for giving me health, & a life that is good."

You know, usually, we grumble & complain the most when we have forgotten what God has done. So Jesus said, "Begin by remembering what He has done for you." That puts you into the right frame of mind to go ahead & pray the rest.

D. Then He says, "Pray, `Your kingdom come.’" The kingdom in the O.T. was the nation of Israel. The kingdom in the N.T. is the church. When you pray for the kingdom of God, you are praying for the church.

Do you pray for the church? The church sometimes becomes a whipping boy, & we complain. But are you praying for the church? Are you praying for the leaders? Are you praying for the elders & deacons & deaconesses? Are you praying for the preacher? Are you praying for the people of the church?

Are you praying for the people who are outside the church, who need the church? Are you praying for the person who is next to you? Are you praying for Central Christian Church, for her future, for her outreach, for her ministry?

E. "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." That is a very important part of the prayer. Jesus prayed for God’s will to be done in the Garden of Gethsemane. "Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done." And He instructs us also to pray for the will of God to be done.

Here is the reason. We’re not infallible. We make mistakes. I might diligently pray for something that I’m totally convinced is God’s will, & it is not God’s will. Because I’m not infallible, you see.

So I should always back it up by saying, "Lord, this is what I want. This is what I think. This is what I’m sure will work. But I could be wrong. `Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done.’"

ILL. Someone said, "God answers prayer in 3 ways: `Yes,’ `No,’ & `You’ve got to be kidding!’" And I think that there are times when I pray that God answers, "You’ve got to be kidding, Melvin. You think that will work? I can see all the way down the road, & if we put that into practice it would defeat everything you’re trying to do. You’ve got to be kidding."

F. The prayer is in the plural, did you notice that? "Our Father, . . .give us this day our daily bread." We’re all involved in this prayer. And when you begin to talk about God’s will, you must consider everybody who is involved in God’s will.

ILL. You can go to a basketball game & on one side a mother is sitting, praying that her son will make the free throw in the closing moments of the game. She prays, "O Father, please help my son to make this free throw & win the game, because then he’ll be a hero & his self﷓esteem will skyrocket."

And on the other side another mother is praying, "Lord, let him miss it. My son committed the foul & if he makes it my son will walk around with a guilt complex the rest of his life."

Jesus tells us to pray, "Your will be done, whatever it is." Because we are all involved.

G. "Give us this day our daily bread." This is simply committing each day to God. "Lord, today I have an important meeting, & I really need to do a good job. So Lord, would you guide my thinking? Would you help me not make mistakes? Would you help me make a good presentation?"

Or, "Lord, our family is getting together. Would you help me not get mad at the kids when they misbehave? Would you bind us together in your love?"

Or, "Lord, I’m going to take a test in chemistry & you know how much this test means. So would you help me recall the things that I’ve learned?"

It is simply committing the activities of the day, every day, to the Lord. "I commit this day to you. Lord, would you help me glorify you in all that I do & say today?"

H. "Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors." We’re getting down to the nitty﷓gritty here. Jesus said, "This is the moment when you come to the Father & get real. You say, "Father, I stretched the truth a bit today. No Father, I lied. Would you forgive me of the lie that I told?"

"Lord, I looked at that magazine on the shelf & I shouldn’t have. I should have put it back. Would you forgive me of my lust?"

And there is a second part to it. It says that you can’t be forgiven of your sins until you are willing to forgive everybody else of theirs. So if I pray, "Lord, would you forgive me of lying," & I am holding a grudge still against someone who lied to me, then it doesn’t count.

Or if I’m saying, "Lord, forgive me of my lust," & yet I am still angry at someone who has been unfaithful to their mate, then it doesn’t count.

You see, I must be a forgiver before I can be forgiven. So Jesus is saying, "Pray, `Father forgive me as I have forgiven others.’" It is a very important part of the prayer, isn’t it?

I. It is really getting down to the important stuff when it says, "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." You see, everybody here has an area of weakness, & you know from experience that Satan will always attack you in the area of weakness. So your prayer is, "God, don’t lead me into those areas where I am most vulnerable. Keep me from the evil one."

ILL. A boy had been saving his money for a baseball glove, & he just about had enough. So his prayer was, "God, please don’t let the ice cream truck come down my street again today."

That is what we’re praying. "God, please don’t let this temptation come my way today. Lead me from the evil one. Protect me from the sin that is there."

J. And then in the footnotes in most of our Bibles we have these words, "For thine is the kingdom & the power & the glory forever."

III. WOULD YOU PRAY THIS PRAYER WITH ME?

Would you pray this prayer that Jesus taught us with me? Would you bow your heads & close your eyes, & think about these phrases as we pray together?

Our Father, Who art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name,

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,

On earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day, our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

As we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, And the glory forever. Amen.

A. Would you think what it means to pray, "Our Father in heaven"? Think about the joy of being able to come into the presence of God & call Him, "Father."

B. "Hallowed be your name." Would you lift up your voice & your heart to God in respect for who He is? Would you thank Him for all the ways He has blessed you over & over again?

C. "Your kingdom come." Would you pray for Central Christian Church? Would you pray for her mission, her outreach, her leaders, her ministry, her future?

D. "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Would you pray for God’s will to be done in all things, confessing to Him that you oftentimes think the wrong thoughts & want the wrong things? And therefore, we just pray that God’s will be done.

E. "Give us this day our daily bread." Would you pray for all the things that are going on in your life? And would you begin by committing all of your activities to God?

F. "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." Would you confess your sins to God? Would you be aware of those who sinned against you, & be willing to forgive them so that you can receive God’s forgiveness?

G. "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." Would you commit your areas of weakness to God, & pray that God will give you strength & victory over all of them?

H. "For thine is the kingdom & the power & the glory forever. Amen."

CONCL. Would you pray for this invitation? Would you pray that people will make the right decisions this morning? There are decisions that are made every Lord’s Day that aren’t necessarily expressed by people who come forward & make them publicly.

I pray that you are making some decision right now. I pray that you are deciding in your heart that you are not only going to pray every day, but that you are going to read your Bible every day, that you are going to make that a permanent part of your life. And that you are going to commit yourself to that, & nothing is going to interfere with that.

If you will, I promise you that God will make it known in your life. His power will be yours.

Maybe there are people here who need to decide for Jesus. We are praying for you that you will make that decision today. We know that it is God’s will that you do that. We know that you must turn from the evil one & turn towards Him. And we pray that you won’t delay.

We pray that this morning you will decide. We pray that whatever your decision is, that you will make it. That it will be a decision that will bless God & His church & you as His child.

We commit this time of invitation to the Lord. And if you have a decision that you need to make publicly, we invite you to come forward & we’ll guide you every step of the way. As we stand & as we sing.