This morning, we begin a new series on the topic of prayer. Most people are fascinated with the topic of prayer. Religious people see prayer as a duty to their god or a privilege of their faith. Non-religious people may see prayer as helpful self-talk or a comforting mental exercise. Even the medical community has researched and found that prayer statistically makes a difference in the recovery of patients.
The dictionary defines prayer as a reverent petition made to a deity or god. The Bible often groups praise and thanksgiving along with prayer to God. Many Christians have broadened the definition of prayer to loving or reverent communication with God. For instance, the 17th century cleric and spiritual mentor, Fenelon, equates prayer with loving God.
Prayer in the Christian faith is like communication in the marriage. Prayer is a channel for growing and strengthening our relationship with God. And the absence of prayer in the life of believers often indicates a loss of love for God and an anemic spiritual life.
C.H. Spurgeon, the Prince of Preachers, noted, “We should pray when we are in a praying mood, for it would be sinful to neglect so fair an opportunity. We should pray when we are not in a proper mood, for it would be dangerous to remain in so unhealthy a condition.”
Between now and the end of May, we will learn a great deal about prayer. And those who will attend the Prayer Adventure this coming Saturday will learn by doing. We will experience quality time with God, listening to God and praying in groups.
This morning, we will look at the best thing about prayer. Many think that the best thing about prayer is getting what we ask for. Or the best thing about prayer is the way we feel after we’ve prayed. But Ben Patterson got it right, “The best thing about prayer is God.” All else are side benefits.
Our text is Matthew 6:5-10.
Before we dive into the best thing about prayer, let me make two notes that Jesus made. First, God hears our prayer (our words), but He knows what we really want. Jesus pointed out how certain people pray more in public than they pray in private. These people want to be known as spiritual. They want to be recognized as pious. There words are directed at God, but the response they seek is recognition from people.
Here’s a good question to ask: “What do I do more of, pray with people around me or pray privately?” If I am praying more with people than I pray privately, what I really want may not be what I am asking God for. Unless we pray in private regularly, our public prayers are rarely genuine.
Second, we pray because prayer strengthens our relationship with God. Jesus said that God knows what we need before we ask Him. When we pray, we are not informing and instructing God. We are sharing our hearts with Him as we do with a good friend.
George MacDonald answers the question: “Why pray, if God loves us and knows all we need before we pray?” He observed, “What if [God] knows prayer to be the thing we need first and most? …What if the good of all our smaller and lower needs lies in this, that [these needs] drive us to God? Communion with God is the one need of the soul beyond all other needs; prayer is the beginning of that communion.” In other words, God wants us to pray, even though he knows our needs, because prayer strengthens our relationship with God.
In the remainder of this message, we will look at how prayer enables communion with God. We will divide Jesus’ model of prayer into two messages. We will look at verses 9 and 10 in this message, and verses 11-13 in the next message. In verses 9-10, Jesus encourages us to get to know God, and he identifies four ways.
We get to know God by approaching God as our Heavenly Father.
Most people approach God like He is a cosmic security camera, where He doesn’t care about us until we do something wrong. Then He lays a guilt trip on us, gives us a flat tire or sends us to the hospital. This wrong picture of God prevents most people from coming to God and enjoying Him.
Matthew 7:9-11 tells us, "Which of you [fathers], if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
Maybe you didn’t have a good or close relationship with your earthly father. Your earthly father may have been verbally and physically abusive. Maybe he was angry, absent, silent or emotionally detached. But Jesus assures us that God, our Heavenly Father, is good.
Romans 5:8 tells us God’s love is unconditional. He doesn’t love us more when we are good, and He doesn’t love us less when we are bad. John 17 tells us that God is righteous. He will do what is right, even when we don’t. We can trust him. 2 Timothy 2:13 tells us that God is faithful even when we are not. He won’t give up on us, even when we give up on Him. That’s the kind of Father God is to us who believe in Christ.
Next, we get to know God by adoring God above all else.
To “hallow” means to set apart as most worthy. The Apostle Paul considered everything in his life to be garbage compared to his relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Television, gardening, pleasures that money can buy or friendship with others have their place in our lives. But when we adore these things more than we adore God, we will lose our love for God.
I still remember my courtship with Susan. I was working and going to school at the same time, but I re-arranged my schedule in order to be with her. I adored her. The hours felt like minutes; the evening always came too quickly. She was my first thought in the morning and my last thought before I fell asleep at night.
That’s not the case very often now. I still love Susan, but she has become one of many priorities. And for all of us, God can become one of many priorities.
The reason why we don’t pray much is because we don’t love God more than all others. We might love what God can do for us, but when we don’t need anything from God, we have no motivation to pray. We might love the good feeling that comes from prayer sometimes, but when those feelings are absent, we have no motivation to pray. St. Augustine said, “He who loves little, prays little; he who loves much, prays much.”
The only way to regain our first love for God is to set God apart as the most worthy of our adoration. Think on God the first thing in the morning and the last thing as we fall asleep at night. Re-arrange our schedule to have unhurried time with God. Consider everything and everyone else as secondary. Make God primary.
Next, we get to know God by accepting God’s way of life.
Isaiah 55:8-9 explains the tension we have with God, "For [God’s] thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are our ways [God’s] ways…. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are [God’s] ways higher than our ways and [God’s] thoughts than our thoughts.”
In his book, God is my CEO, Larry Julian contrasts unwritten business rules with God’s principles: (adapted excerpt)
Unwritten Business Rules God’s Principles
Achieve results regardless of means Do the right thing regardless of outcome
Dollar as bottom line People as bottom line
Work to please people Work to please God
If we are unwilling to accept God’s ways of life, we cannot get to know God. We will keep God always at a distance, because His ways interfere with our ways. Prayer will be empty and dry. Prayer will only be religious language spoken for people to hear.
But when we are open to accept God’s way of life, God’s ways will confront our ways. And over time, His ways and thoughts will become our ways and thoughts. We will begin to really know God. We are inviting God’s kingdom to come.
Finally, w get to know God by applying God’s will for your life.
Romans 12:2 tells us, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
If we say we trust God’s ways, we must then accept God’s ways as His will for our life. We have to have the courage to live by them, not just to speak them. God’s will doesn’t always produce peace and the desired results right away. But if we patiently live according to God’s will, we will find that God’s will is truly good, pleasing and perfect.
On Friday, Michael Yao at the Mandarin Fellowship shared from Malachi 3 about how God wants us to give 10% of our income to His church, so that His work can be done. God wants us to test Him in this to see Him bless us for honoring him.
When we read or hear God’s instruction from the Bible, different thoughts pop up. Some people might think, “Church is only interested in my money. Others might think, “God doesn’t know how tight a budget I already have.” Or still others might think, “I’ll start with 1%, and if God really blesses me, then I’ll give 2 %, and so on.” But those of us who have given 10% have seen God keep His Word.
(We must be careful not to treat Malachi 3 as a Christian get rich quick method. Heaven’s economy is not the same as earth’s economy. Heaven offers spiritual blessings.)
When we pray God’s will be done, we are applying His will in our lives. Obeying God allows us to confirm that His commands are truly good, pleasing and perfect. If we do not obey God, we will always question His character and wisdom.
Two ladies had the reputation of being self-centered. When their friends pointed out that these ladies do nothing but talk about each other, one lady denied that happening. She said, “When we get together, both she and I talk about me only.”
And the other lady chimed in, “That’s right, we only talk about her, but inside, I’m thinking about me.”
Jesus understands we are by nature self-centered, even in the presence of the God of the Universe. But being self-absorbed is no way to build a healthy relationship with anyone, including God. So, Jesus models for us how to get to know God first. When we know God well, we will be drawn to Him often.
