The Lord’s Prayer – Part One
Sunday June 18, 2006
Matthew 6:5-13
5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
6 “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
7 “And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
9 “In this manner, therefore, pray:
1 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 this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
My normal method of driving is with my gas tank as full as possible – I’ve run out of gas on several occasions and I’ve learned the value driving on a full tank of gas.
If you haven’t noticed, you don’t get very far driving around on fumes – besides that, it’s an extremely powerless, frustrating way to travel.
A lot of people are trying to operate their spiritual lives on fumes – trying to get somewhere without the fuel that provides the spark that energizes the power of God in us through the Holy Ghost!
You can’t get far in your walk without a “prayer life”, yet many are doing it because they think they can get away with it.
But if you ignore your need to pray it won’t be long until you’ll wind up on the side of the road looking for help.
Many times we have a struggle with prayer!
I’m glad we’re not the only ones – Jesus disciples watched Him pray one day and said, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Lk.11:1).
That’s interesting because they didn’t ask him how to preach, but when they saw him pray they said, “We need to get in on this”!
Jesus responded to their request by giving them a MODEL PRAYER we call “The Lord’s Prayer” – actually it’s our prayer!
Jesus said, Matthew 6:9
9 “In this manner, therefore, pray:
Jesus didn’t give us this “prayer” to read it as our prayer, but as an “outline” or “pattern” by which we can learn to pray!
Before we “detail” this pattern I want to give you a basic definition of prayer.
Prayer – a believer’s basic communication with God who is our Father, through the authority of Jesus Christ and assisted by the Holy Spirit.
Communication isn’t just talking.
God is a person to be communicated with, not someone we just talk to.
We pray in the name of Jesus because He’s our access to the Father.
The only way we can get to God is by the door that was opened through the blood of Christ.
John 14:6
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Jesus is our access to God, and because of what He did on the cross we can “draw near with assurance” and come “boldly before the throne” (Heb.4:16).
Prayer also assists us by the Holy Spirit.
Romans 8:26
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
When all we can do is groan and grope for the right words, the Spirit interprets those expressions and turns them into intelligible requests before God.
The Spirit knows what we mean even when we don’t!
So the Spirit’s ministry in prayer is to take what cannot be clarified and clarify it!
That’s why you’re NOT wasting your time when you don’t know what to say because the Spirit is at work organizing your confusion.
The Lord’s prayer is set in what I call a “precautionary context” –
That’s because before Jesus gave them this model prayer he taught several important principles about prayer that we need to consider.
I. Principle #1 – Pray Regularly…
Matthew 6:5 – When you pray!
He didn’t say, “If” but “when”!
Our need to pray is the unstated assumption behind Jesus’ statement!
Believers are expected to pray.
Prayer is God’s appointed medium through which He blesses and moves among us, and acts on our behalf!
James said, “Ye have not because ye ask not” (Jam.4:2).
Some view prayer like the national anthem at a ball game – it gets the game started but it’s not seen as having anything to do with the action on the field!
If we want the blessing of God on our lives and ministries; the work of God to go forth in power, we must pray and intercede in prayer.
All through the scripture we’re admonished to pray:
Mt.6:6 – Pray to thy Father.
1. Mt.6:9 – After this manner pray.
2. Mt.9:38 – Pray ye the Lord of the harvest.
Matthew 26:41
41 Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you. For though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak!”
Lk.18:1 – Men ought always to pray and not to faint
Eph.6:18 – Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication.
1Thes.5:17 – Pray without ceasing.
1Tim.2:8 – Pray everywhere.
The problem isn’t so much in knowing we need to pray and make it a part of our daily lives as it is developing the spiritual discipline of prayer.
To pray regularly we’ve got to establish the habit (practice, custom).
Prayer has to be something we do everyday – it must be a regular part of our lives because it’s crucial in so many ways.
Prayer is an expression of our “faith” and the Bible says,
“Without faith it’s impossible to please Him” (Heb.11:6).
If we know we NEED to pray but we don’t, we should search the genuineness of our heart and profession.
II. Principle #2 – Pray Sincerely…
Matthew 6:5 – Don’t’ be like the hypocrites!
Praying sincerely requires praying with the “right motive”!
Jesus said it’s possible to pray amiss with the wrong motives and in the wrong way; to pray and never be heard by God; to pray and only be speaking to ourselves; have our prayers go no higher than our own ears.
That’s the reason Jesus sets out to teach us the “right” and “wrong” motives:
1. Wrong motive – to be seen of men!
2. Right motive – to be heard of God!
Praying, even loving to pray is not a sign that a person really knows God!
If a person really knows God he’ll pray – in fact, there’s nothing that will keep him from his appointment with God.
Most Jews prayed 3 times a day, but he hypocrites prayed on the streets and in crowded places to be seen.
This takes us back to vs.1 where Jesus said, “Don’t do what you do to be seen of men.
Two important things:
1. A person who only prays in public but not in private is only fooling himself!
2. The person who only prays in public prays for one reason – to receive recognition and be seen of men!
Notice the posture of this hypocrite – he “stood praying” (vs.5):
1. Standing is an acceptable posture but the picture is that of pride, arrogance, and self-confidence.
2. Kneeling is a picture of humility, reverence, and dependence upon God.
Ephesians 3:14-19
14 When I think of the wisdom and scope of God’s plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,
15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.
16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.
17 And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love.
18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.
19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
III. Principle #3 – Pray Secretly…
Matthew 6:6 – Shut the door!
This is how you measure sincerity – you pray secretly.
Jesus wasn’t equating “praying alone” to “effective praying” but expressing the need to “shut out” anything that would keep us from concentrating on God.
If you’re gong to connect with Him you must connect spiritually – when God sees you’re serious enough to remove all distractions he’ll show up!
To do this you’ve got to make the TIME to pray, and to make the time you have to have the WILL to pray!
Jesus says, “Get lone, enter your closet, shut the door – be unobserved, undisturbed, unheard”!
We see this over and over in scripture:
Acts 10:9 – Peter went to the housetop to pray.
Acts 10:30 – Cornelius prayed in his house at the ninth hour.
Mk.1:35 – Jesus rose up early in the morning before day and went into a solitary place and there prayed.
Mk.6:46 – Jesus went up into the mountain to pray and continued there all night.
Lk.22:41 – Jesus withdrew himself from the three and went a stones throw away and kneeled down and prayed.
Many don’t pray because they say they don’t have the time – in reality they don’t make the time!
None of us would miss our appointment with the president, yet we’ll miss it with the God of the universe!
It comes down to re-arranging our schedules to make time, etc.
“Thy Father which is in secret and which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly” (Mat.6:6).
The reward of praying in secret is two/fold:
The strength and presence of God will be on our lives!
Our needs, both material and spiritual, will be met!
The answer is seen in:
Renewed strength (Eph.3:20).
Provision of a necessity (Mt.6:33).
Victory over a temptation (1Cor.10:13).
Peace that passes all human understanding (Ph.4:6-7).
Soundness of mind (2Tim.1:7).
IV. Principle #4 – Pray Thoughtfully…
Matthew 6:7 – Don’t use vain repetitions!
“Vain repetition” is babble, and “babble” is saying the same words over and over with no thought behind them.
Many times we allow the awareness of His presence to fade and we just go through the motions of prayer.
Several things that lend themselves to “vain repetition”:
Written and well-worded prayers – thinking that how we say it is bound to carry weight with God.
Ritual prayer – saying the same prayer at the same time on the same occasion!
Thoughtless prayer – saying words that sound like prayer when our mind is somewhere else!
Sometimes prayer is just words we toss out to salute God so we can get on to the real deal – “Hurry up and pray so we can have church”!
There have been times I’ve prayed and had my mind on something else – I just had to get past “prayer” to get it!
Many times this praying lends to “long” praying!
Why some pray long:
Feel long prayers convince God – He has to be moved, nudged, stirred to hear and answer; the longer they pray the more He’ll listen.
Feel they need to pray long – feel God needs to be informed and made to understand their situation!
Feel long praying makes them more spiritual – that has nothing to do with how spiritual we are!
Feel long prayers are what’s demanded of believers – that it’s our duty and it’s the religions thing to do!
Feel it’s needed to show their sincerity – to secure God’s approval!
Feel it impresses people – you may impress some but not all!
God doesn’t hear our prayer because it’s long & repetitious but because we genuinely pour our heart out to God!
“For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise” (Ps.51:16-17)
Prayer is a matter of the “heart” and not a matter of “words” and “length”!
Times when extended times of prayer are necessary:
We feel a tug at our heart!
A special need arises!
We’re facing a great trial or temptation!
We’re about to make a major decision!
Several things that will keep us from “vain repetition”:
A genuine heart – a desire to have real fellowship with God!
Thought & concentration – really focusing on what we say!
Preparation – prepare ourselves by meditating on His Word!
Closing…
There are dangers surrounding prayer:
Prayer can become hypocritical – we can pray for the wrong reasons and with the wrong motives!
Prayer can become habit-forming – we can love to pray and pray amiss!
Prayer can become connected only with certain places – we can limit God’s presence to those places!
Prayer can become empty repetition – we can take a phrase or form of prayer and make it powerful experience or make it formal and non-productive!
Prayer can become self-glorifying – we can feel we have to inform and convince God of our great need and then glory in our spirituality when the need is met!
Prayer can become self-deceptive – we can begin to think we’re heard because we pray a lot and are more spiritual!
All of this renders prayer ineffective!
But if we can pray regularly, sincerely, secretly, and thoughtfully, we can pray affectively!
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Pastor Ed Pruitt
