This morning we continue with our new series on the topic of prayer. We already looked at the first half of the model prayer Jesus taught to His disciples, calling us to get to know God. And we saw that we can best get to know God through approaching God as our Heaven Father, adoring God above all else, accepting God’s way of life and applying God’s will to our life.
Steve Brown noted, “Nonbelievers don’t pray, because they’re afraid God is really there. Believers don’t pray, because they’re afraid that God may not be there. And we don’t want to risk finding out. Jesus taught His disciples to risk, to find that not only is God really there, but that He is your Heavenly Father.
Most people don’t go to God except as a last resort. They don’t know God as their Heavenly Father, who can be trusted, who is concerned about us and who is capable of meeting our needs. If you knew the real God, going to Him in prayer would be as natural as a hungry man going to the refrigerator.
Our text for the message comes from Matthew 6:11-13, but it will be good to read from verse 9, the beginning of the model prayer Jesus taught to His disciples.
If Jesus were to elaborate on the second half of this model prayer, he might tell us, “You can’t understand the second half, if you don’t understand the first half. And you won’t apply the second half, if you don’t apply the first half.” He would want us to know that we can only get what we need from God, because God is our Heavenly Father, and He wants to give to us what is good.
Matthew 7:9-11 reminds us, “Which of you, 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!”
Jesus assures us that God is the giver of good gifts. Not only that, Jesus tells us what God wants to give to us if we would only ask. Let’s look together.
First, Jesus instructs us to seek God’s provision for our present. “Give us today our daily bread (verse 11).”
We all have needs. We are not self-sustaining. God made us to need oxygen, water, food, love, security, and relationship with others and with God. To have needs is neither weak nor wrong. And to bring our needs to God is very appropriate and wise.
After all, God is our Heavenly Father, and He loves to provide what we need. He is not a loan shark. He is not going to make fun of us. He loves us. And giving us what we need is an opportunity for Him to show His love.
Jesus makes this clear in Matthew 6:25-26, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”
The answer is, “Certainly!”
God wants us to live without worry for our daily needs. Jesus continues in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” This summarizes the model prayer: Seek God first; then receive from God what we need.
When I worked as a campus minister, I found that many who made bad relational choices had worried about being alone the rest of their lives. They took matters into their own hands without regard for God’s ways. I found, on the other hand, that people who trusted God to provide their future spouse either ended up single and satisfied or married and satisfied, because they kept godly standards and followed God’s Word in regards to relationships.
If you have need for wisdom, ask God to meet that need. Then live what you know from God’s Word. If you have need for courage, ask God to meet that need. Then live what you know from God’s Word. If you have need for health, ask God to meet that need. Then live what you know from God’s Word.
By seeking God’s provision while living what we know from the Bible, we create a channel for God to give and for us to receive. Seeking God’s kingdom and righteousness is another word for obeying what we know from God’s Word. When we ask and obey, we do not ruin our lives by worrying and taking matters into our own hands without regard for God’s ways. To take care of self, seek God’s provision for the present.
Second, Jesus instructs us to seek God’s pardon for our past. “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors (verse 12).”
The question is not whether we have wronged God and wronged each other. The Bible is clear that we all have sinned. The question is, “What are you going to do about it?”
You can deny it. Hide it. Blame others. Or carry the guilt and punish yourself endlessly. But Jesus instructs us to ask God for forgiveness and to be willing to forgive others who have wronged us.
Dr. Michael Youssef wrote, “I am convinced that the underlying cause of famine and hunger in the world is not bad agricultural policy or overpopulation (these aggravate the problem) … [or a lack of] arable land or technical problem of food production … [but] spiritual problems … [For instance] in the East, where Hindu beliefs breed fatalism, disease and starvation are sometimes seen as divine punishment, or karma. By the logic of the religion, relieving poverty may be wrong because it prevents a person from doing correct penance for past sins.”
Countries with Christian foundations, however, understand that God forgives sins through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Each day can be a new start. While making restitution is biblical, forgiveness is granted, when asked and where restitution is beyond the ability of the sinner.
Jesus said to Peter in John 13:10, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” Jesus was explaining that those who put their trust in Him are cleansed of their sins by His shed blood on the cross. Yet, as long as we walk this earth, we will continue to sin. In those instances, we need to make restitution where we can, and ask for forgiveness for those sins.
But if you’ve never put your trust in Jesus’ death on the cross to pay for your sins, then you need more than your feet cleansed. You need the blood of Jesus Christ to wash your entire person clean of sin. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 9:22, “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”
Ask God, “God, I need your forgiveness. I accept Jesus’ death on the cross as payment for my sin. I want to be clean.” God always answers that prayer with, “Let it be so.”
If, on the other hand, you already received forgiveness of your sins by the blood of Jesus Christ, but you’ve recently committed more sins, make restitution where you can and go to God and ask for forgiveness. To take care of self, seek God’s pardon for our past. Make this a daily prayer so you do not carry the burden of guilt unnecessarily.
Third, Jesus instructs us to seek God’s path for our future. “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one (verse 13).”
Someone prayed, “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, I’m going to get out of bed, and from then on, I’m probably going to need a lot of help. Amen”
The Bible reveals from where temptations come: From situations, from self and from Satan. And these each can lead us to do wrong or not to do right. Either way, they lead us down paths that can ruin our future. So we are wise to ask God to lead us into paths of righteousness.
Dr. Bob Beltz wrote, “Of all the resources God has provided for overcoming temptation, the most effective is avoidance.” This does not mean that we run from everything that is difficult, but it does mean that we should not place ourselves in danger of sin.
2 Timothy 2:22-23 gives us examples, “Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.”
We would be wise each morning to mentally go through our day and ask God for alternatives to foreseeable tempting situations. Just as a good father wants to keep his children out of danger and onto a safe path, God is ready to answer our prayer to lead us into His path of righteousness. To take care of self, seek God’s path for our future.
On Thursday, I drove behind a car with a bumper sticker that read, “Lord, help me to become the kind of person my dog thinks I am.” It took me a moment to understand that one, but when I got it, I echoed that prayer to God. And God said, “Nobody can be that good, but I love you anyways.”
Praying is not about getting God to love us. Praying is about getting to know the God who already loves us and who wants to show us His love, if we would only ask.
