THE LORD’S PRAYER: PATH TO INNER PEACE
Have you ever taken the time to teach someone to pray?
For most of us are first prayer was: "Lord I lay me down to sleep I pray the Lord my soul to keep, if I die before I wake I pray the Lord my soul to take."
If you listen to that prayer, at a very casual level - it is kind of frightful. Who wants to think about dying - before we wake?
However, if you listen to it again - it is a prayer of reassurance. We can pray with full confidence that we can lay our heads to rest every day in sickness and in health with the full confidence that one day we will wake up in the presence of God.
Our sermon series this month is going to focus on 4 simple verses - commonly called the Lord’s Prayer.
This prayer is a model - that can be repeated or used an outline for effective communication with God.
If you pray the Lord’s Prayer you will:
* Connect with God
* Place appropriate boundaries around your relationships
* Stay focused and cleanse your life from unwanted distractions
You are probably wondering why I would want to take this prayer that most people know by heart and repeat it without even thinking. That’s the problem.
* The Bible tells us "to pray without ceasing."
* Most of us "pray without thinking."
Truth: Prayer is a behavior not a series of random thoughts.
Over the years people have understood this, and that is why many people:
* Get on their knees
* Find a prayer place
* Keep a prayer journal
My goal in this series is to get us to change our behavior in a very small area of our lives, with the hope that this one simple behavior will be the beginning of some positive life change for us.
Read: Matthew 6:5-13 (NIV)
"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. [6] But 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. [7] And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. [8] Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
[9] "This, then, is how you should pray:
" ’Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
[10] your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
[11] Give us today our daily bread.
[12] Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
[13] And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’
1. PRAYER IS AN ACTION - NOT A THOUGHT
When Jesus starts this discussion on prayer the first thing that he does is criticize certain ways that people pray.
Hypocrite = Actor - someone playing a part, but not willfully engaged.
These actors:
* Engaged their bodies (standing, kneeling, prostrate, tears)
* Engaged their mouths ("babbling...for they think they will be heard for their many words)
* Did not engage their heart, soul, mind and strength.
Matthew 6:6 (NIV)
But 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.
I want us to look at this verse - with one simple change: Let’s change the phrase "your Father" to simply "God".
Matthew 6:6
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to GOD, who is unseen. Then GOD, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
The Don’t Take God Too Serious Translation
What got lost in the translation?
* God becomes like a white wall. It is generic and distant - without a sense of warmth.
* "Our Father" - is pregnant with possibility - it is warm and inviting, and at the same time one to be respected.
So when Jesus teaches us to pray he begins by saying:
Matthew 6:9 (NIV)
"This, then, is how you should pray:
" ’Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
Now again let me modify this verse slightly to show you the significance of what Jesus is trying to teach us:
Matthew 6:9 (NIV)
"This, then, is how you should pray:
" ’MY Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
The You Are Not Worthy Translation
In an earthly technical way - that would be appropriate. Jesus had an earthly mother, but a heavenly father. We are all the product of an earthly mom and dad and in many ways Jesus could have distinguished himself, as better than us - by using the phrase "MY FATHER."
I love what the Apostle John says:
John 1:12-13 (NIV)
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- [13] children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
Truth: When we pray "Our Father" we are reaffirming our belief in God, and establishing your personal connection to the Father and the Son.
After resurrecting from the dead Jesus made this statement to Mary Magdalene:
John 20:17 (NIV)
Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ’I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ "
Jesus is the total opposite of most of us.
* We want an exclusive relationship with our Father’s (we do not want anyone to hone in on our time alone with our dad.)
* Jesus came to share his dad with the universe.
Truth: Many have been hurt by absentee fathers, but you cannot allow that human failure to interfere with a relationship with your Father in Heaven.
Psalm 10:14 (NIV)
But you, O God, do see trouble and grief;
you consider it to take it in hand.
The victim commits himself to you;
you are the helper of the fatherless.
When you pray this prayer: "Our father in Heaven hallowed be your name"
* The victim becomes a victor
* The fatherless become the beloved child - who when they pray - God will stop and listen to you in an attentive manner.
2. PRAYER ESTABLISHES A STRONG RELATIONSHIP THAT IS BASED ON RESPECT
Matthew 6:9 (NIV)
"This, then, is how you should pray:
" ’Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
Hallowed = To personally render sacred - to make holy
In other words - when you call out that name - there is a sense of wonder connected with that thought. "Hallowed be your name!"
Have you noticed that in our society we have lost out ability to respect things that are important?
Truth: When you hallow God something positive happens to your spirit.
Galatians 4:6 (NIV)
Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father (Papa)."
Abba = Papa
Truth: God is awesome and holy without us recognizing that fact. However, when we "hallow" Him, a portion of his dignity and respect take up residence in our lives.
Have you ever been around some that has no respect for anything - what comes forth from their spirit?
* Rage
* Anger
* Brawling
* Slander
* A need for immediate gratification
Yet, what comes out of a person that is filled with Respect and Honor:
Philip. 4:7 (NIV)
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
3. PRAYER IS A COUNTER INTUITIVE ACTION
Matthew 6:9-10 (NIV)
"This, then, is how you should pray:
" ’Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
[10] your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Our nature cries out:
* I want my way
* I want things to go perfect
Again let’s change the word "your" with "my"
"my kingdom come,
my will be done
on earth as it is in heaven. "
The Self Centered Human Translation
Jesus had one of those moments. He was in the Garden about to face one of the most painful and harrowing experiences of life, and falls on his knees to pray and this is what is recorded:
Mark 14:36 (NIV)
"Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."
Every day each of us faces Choices:
* Do we keep our integrity or will we compromise?
* Will take the narrow path that leads to life or will we follow the broad path of destruction?
* Will we be a servant or will we demand to be served?
* Will God be a generic word that is used carelessly or will he be someone that is sacred in our lives?
Truth: Prayer is a behavior that takes our random thoughts and helps to turn them into positive actions.
Mouth the words out loud: Not my will but yours be done. Thy kingdom come your will be done.
Our culture has become so enamored with positive thoughts, that we have forgotten that it is the positive actions of our lives that determine our ultimate destiny.
When you pray the Lord’s Prayer and allow the true meaning of the words to fill your life, you will begin to see a positive change in your demeanor.
When you pray the Lord’s Prayer:
1. You will see yourself as a genuine Child of God.
2. You will be filled with awe, wonder and respect that you will want to share.
3. You will have the strength to fight those desires that have the ability to pull you in the wrong direction.
4. You will take just a few minutes out of your day to change your destiny.
2 Peter 3:8-9 (NIV)
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. [9] The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Let’s pray this together in closing:
“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 that have trespassed 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.
