"How to Pray" - Part 2
Text: Mt. 6:9-13 and Selected
Cross Creek Community Church
Pastor Dave Martin - April 14, 2002
www.crosscreekcc.org
God’s Word is Powerful, Relevant, and Life Changing!
Two men were talking together. The first challenged the other, "If you are so religious, let’s hear you quote the Lord’s Prayer. I bet you $10 you can’t."
The second responded, "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. And If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take."
The first man pulled out his wallet and fished out a ten dollar bill, muttering, "I didn’t think you could do it!"
Source unknown
Remembering the message from last week. We learned about our supreme example of Jesus. We learned that prayer is communication with God and in order to communicate we need a personal relationship with Him. We also learned to pray in sincere humility, not being proud like the Pharisee’s. We learned prayer takes time and effort, it’s hard work and also to pray in secret. Lastly we saw the tremendous benefits to prayer. Today we’re going to actually look at the model prayer Jesus taught His disciples when they asked Him in Luke 11:1. "Lord, teach us to pray".
Matthew 6:9-13
"This, then, is how you should pray: " ’Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11Give us today our daily bread. 12Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen."
* Is it possible to be a Christian for 25 years and still struggle with prayer?
* Is there a "right way" or "wrong way" to pray?
* You may be a Christian yet are fearful to come out Wednesday evenings to pray.
* Do you truly desire to learn to pray correctly?
Answering the disciple’s question, "Lord, Teach us to pray". Jesus gave the "Lord’s Prayer" as a model to use. We should learn to pattern our prayers the way Jesus taught.
* Please notice Verse 9 where Jesus says, "This is HOW you should pray" Not this is WHAT you pray.
* This is important in light of the fact many religions in our society teach their people to pray this prayer over and over again by rote. Jesus said in verse 7 not to use vain repetitions as the unsaved does.
* Would you personally like to see your life change, both spiritually and physically?
* I ask you this morning to yield yourself to learning how to pray.
* Do not let Satan rob you of this valuable privilege of prayer.
This morning let’s look at six key truths in learning to pray.
Six key truths in learning to pray...
1. Worship and ADORATION of God. Vs 9-10
"This, then, is how you should pray: " ’Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
* True prayer starts with worshipping God. It’s expressing my love to Him.
* Last week I mentioned waiting upon God in silence as we come before Him, This is a time of preparation, of preparing my heart to come before my Creator.
Hebrews 12:28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,
* This is critically important, it gets our attention off ourselves, off our problems, off our distractions and gets us focusing upon our God. In reverence and awe for who He is.
* A proper adoration and worship causes our attitudes to change.
Rev. 15:4 Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed."
* God alone is the one we worship and adore. Be worshipping now because for all eternity you’ll be serving and worshipping Him.
* Our Father in HEAVEN. Hallowed. Your Kingdom come!
Psalm 96:9 Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth.
* As we begin our prayer time, come before Him in worship and adoration for who God is. Omnipotent, omnipresent, and an all-knowing God. He is Jehovah God, there is no other.
* When we rely upon organization, we get what organization can do;
* When we rely upon education, we get what education can do;
* When we rely upon eloquence, we get what eloquence can do, and so on.
* When we rely upon prayer, we get what God can do.
C. Dixon, in Evangelism, A Biblical Approach, M. Cocoris, Moody, 1984, p. 108
Come before the Lord in Worship, praise and adoration...
2. A personal SUBMISSION. V 10
"This, then, is how you should pray: " ’Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
* This point is so important. That of having a correct attitude both toward God & ourselves.
* As fallen sinful man we often love and think so highly of ourselves.
* Take time to see yourself as God would see you - personally become submissive to God’s will.
* A personal submission to God’s will not my will. True prayer is brokenness before God.
Luke 18:14b "...For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
* Prayer is the mechanism, the channel God provides for His children.
* Coming to Him in simple child-like trust, with a clean, open and sincere heart.
Isaiah 66:2b "...This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.
* Praying not my will but God’s will to be done in my life, my family, my home, my church,
Come before your Lord with worship and adoration, a personal humbleness and submission...
3. Honest REQUESTS in faith. V11
11Give us today our daily bread.
* What do I mean when I say "honest" requests? It’s praying in God’s will and not my lusts.
* Food, shelter, clothing, wisdom, safety, understanding, praying God’s Word.
* Not a name it claim it attitude we see proclaimed in many religious circles today.
Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
* As we approach God in a submissive attitude our hearts will be vitally linked with God’s.
* God’s focus becomes our focus, we pray as God would have us to pray, in the Spirit.
John 14:13-14 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
* Our wills are aligned with our heavenly Fathers - Salvation for lost souls, growth for believers, spiritual maturity within the body of Christ, a deepening love for others, an impact for Christ upon our community, a healing touch upon someone, a job search problem. Etc.
* Far too often our prayers become self-centered always praying for me, my, or I.
Dear God,
So far today I’ve done all right. I haven’t gossiped, I haven’t lost my temper, I haven’t been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish or over-indulgent. I’m very thankful for that. But in a few minutes, God, I’m going to get out of bed, and from then on, I’m probably going to need a lot of help.
Amen
* Honestly look at the balance of your prayer life. Self-centered or God & others centered?
Philip. 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Come before God in worship and adoration, a personal humbleness and submission, honest requests...
4. Giving and seeking FORGIVENESS. V12
"Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors."
* Forgiving others that has wronged you and seeking personal forgiveness of sin.
* As we’re praying before God, ask Him to search your heart. To reveal sin in our hearts.
Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
* The closer we get to God the more He’ll reveal our hearts for what they are.
* We commit sin one at a time. We confess them the same way. Don’t seek one big blanket confession - God forgive me for my sins. You name them and confess them to God.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
* Seeking and forgiving others who has wronged you. If you cannot forgive others, don’t expect God to forgive you. If you’re harboring unconfessed sin, resentment or bitterness toward someone, get things right or God won’t hear your prayers.
Psalm 66:18-20 If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!
* Prayer is a time for evaluation, an examination to see the true condition of your spiritual heart.
* Unconfessed sin - am I being obedient to God’s Word - Following God’s will?
John 9:31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will.
Worship, Submission, Requests, Forgiveness...
5. PROTECTION from ALL enemies. V 13a
13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’
* The tempter is always on the prowl as a roaring lion - especially during prayer.
* The believer has these three dominate enemies: The world the flesh and the devil.
* Jesus tells us to pray for deliverance from temptation and the devil.
During the Mau Mau uprising in Kenya in 1960, missionaries Matt and Lora Higgens were returning one night to Nairobi through the heart of Mau Mau territory, where Kenyans and missionaries alike had been killed and dismembered. Seventeen miles outside of Nairobi their Land Rover stopped. Higgens tried to repair the car in the dark, but could not restart it. They spent the night in the car, but claimed Psalm 4:8: "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." In the morning they were able to repair the car and continue their trip.
A few weeks later the Higgenses returned to America on furlough. They reported that the night before they left Nairobi, a local pastor had visited them. He told how a member of the Mau Mau had confessed that he and three others had crept up to the car to kill the Higgens, but when they saw sixteen men surrounding the car, the Mau Mau had left in fear. "Sixteen men?" Higgens responded. "I don’t know what you mean!"
While they were on furlough a friend, Clay Brent, asked the Higgens if they had been in any danger recently. Higgens asked, "Why?" Then Clay said that on March 23, God had placed a heavy prayer burden on his heart. He called the men of the church, and sixteen of them met together and prayed until the burden lifted.
Did God send sixteen angels to represent those men and enforce their prayers?
Touch the World Through Prayer, W. Duewel, OMS, pp. 85-6
* The devil is out to destroy you. Be pray for protection from the enemy. Yourself, spouse, family, church family, our country.
God tells us in Eph 6:1 to, "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes."
Ephes. 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
* God crowns our spiritual armor with prayer.
Ephes. 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
* We are in a spiritual battle, even though we can’t see the spirit world with our eyes.
* Remember the story of Elisha and his servant in 2Kings 6?
* God knows the seriousness of our necessity to pray. That’s why He speaks of prayer over 345 times in the Bible.
* An absolutely essential element of the Christian life.
Psalm 86:7 In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me.
Hebrews 4:16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Worship, Submission, Requests, Forgiveness, Protection ...
6. Praise and Thanksgiving with EXPECTATION. V13b
"For Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen."
* Notice our pray should begin and end with worship and praise.
* We are saved by grace through faith. Eph. 2:8-9, we pray with the same type of trusting faith
1 John 5:14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
* Does God lie? Do we believe His Word? Why then do we not pray believing God?
Matthew 21:22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
* We pray in the name of Jesus. Have you ever wondered why?
* Why do I say, "In Jesus name, Amen"?
* Is it a catchy little signal to God to let Him know, I’m done praying? Is it like finishing your phone conversation when you say "good bye"? Or is it like a secret code word that only Christians know? Or like CB talk, 10-4 good buddy - catch you, later?
I heard a story once that illustrates it. A pastor friend I know took his young son and about fourteen of his son’s friends to the carnival for a birthday party. He bought a roll of tickets and he’d stand at the front of every ride and as the kids came by -- his son and his fourteen friends -- he gave everybody a ticket. He was just handing them out. All of a sudden he looked up and realized there was a little boy with his hand out asking for a ticket that he’d never seen in his life. He stopped and said, "Son, are you with my son’s party?" No. "Then why should I give you a ticket?" The young boy turned around and pointed to the man’s son and said, "Your son said you’d give me one." So he gave him one.
* I close my prayer "In Jesus Name" because Jesus is my access to the Father. He is the way.
* As a Christian we do not stand before a Holy God because I’m good enough, I am not. But we stand before God in the righteousness of His Son Jesus Christ.
1 Tim. 2:5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
* Jesus is our mediator, our intercessor. I come to the Father because of what the Son of God, Jesus has accomplished at Calvary. Our salvation, our prayers are by grace through Christ.
* We use this model prayer of Jesus to truly learn how to pray.
* Join the church family on Wednesday nights at 7pm for prayer. You will not find any pressure for you to pray - you will find great Bible study and love.
* I continue to invite you to experience God in a new dramatic way. As a believer to "Change YOUR Life through Prayer!".
Let’s Pray
