Removing the Pits from your Prayer Life
Matthew 6:5-6
June 25, 2006
Morning Service
Introduction
When I was growing up I used to spend a lot of time with one of my friend Randy. We did all sorts of things together: we played basketball, we hunted snakes, we went fishing together, we went to the movies and all sorts of things like that.
Randy and I also had something else in common we both love peach cobbler. One time when I was visiting Randy’s house, he was given the task of cutting the peaches into slices for the cobbler. I voulnteered to help because that would make the job go faster. Then we could get back to basketball and eat cobbler that much quicker.
One thing that made the job more difficult was the fact that those peaches had pits in them. Not just small ones but great big pits. Most unfortuantely I forgot that fact when I tried to eat one of the peaches. I took a great big bite and right into the pit I went. First, it didn’t taste too good and second, it kind of hurt my teeth. I grew to hate peach pits.
Peaches would be so much easier to eat without those pits. Life has a lot of things that are the “pits”. Pits aren’t serious problems just things that seem to annoy us. Long lines at the grocery store. Slow service at the McDonald’s drive thru. Getting cut off during rush hour traffic on 275. Pits are a part of life, we just need to deal with them.
It might surprise you but many people need to deal with the pits in their prayer life as well. We allow little annoyances and small things get us off track in our prayer times.
If you have your Bibles with you open them to Matthew 6:5-8. This morning I want to look at how Jesus taught the dsiciples to deal with the pits in their prayer life.
5 "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. Matthew 6:5-8
I. The pit of a fake motive
In verse 5, Jesus makes a simple and clear statement, when you pray but I would argue that this statement is anything but simple. It is a radical call to be a radical people. Jesus lays out an expectation for His disciples to be people of prayer. often we apply this lesson to the just the dsicples of Jesus’ day. Let’s get something clear right away, disciple simply means one who follows and you CANNOT claim to follow Jesus without having a prayer life. notice that this is not a suggestion, jesus used the word when not if.
You cannot be a New Testament Christian if you do not have a prayer life - Jim Cymbala
Jesus also gives a clear warning about prayer here to the disciples and it begins with do not. It is a warning to not pray with a wrong motive.
Look at what Jesus says here, do not be like the hypocrites. We look at this and think automatically that this line could never describe us. The Greek word that Jesus uses here is hupokrites which was used in Greek theater. This word was used to describe an actor who wore a mask and played a specific role. A hypocrite is a person who pretends to e something they are not. An actor playing a specific role and nothing more.
How many people coe to church wearing “masks”? How often do we show up just to “play the part”?
We hide our pain, our turmoil, our trials our anger behind the mask of a painted smile and fake our way through. We put up masks to hide our brokenness. We put up masks to hide our true feelings and emotions.
We show up at church to fulfill our role, whatever it may be. We take on a role, play the part.
Let me tell you a simple fact, God sees through every mask you wear and every role you play. there is no hiding yourself from God. You cannot be hypoctical with God because He knows the truth already.
ALL of us are a little hypocritical at times. there are times when we pretend life doesn’t hurt. We pretend things aren’t hard at times. We pretend our lives are OK all of the time. We pretend and we become less and less genuine. Do you know what they call something or someone who isn’t genuine? Fake
How were the people being “fake”?
1.) What they are fake about - The love of prayer
Jesus said that these hypocrites loved to pray and at first glance that sounds pretty good but like scriptures context is everything. The word that is used here for love is Not centered on God and His divine love but rather is focused on the brotherly love and acceptance of humanity. The core issue here is that the focus was completely wrong. The love that jesus speaks about is not motivated by God but by human selfishness.
2.) Where they are fake about it - I worship and in public
Is Jesus saying that public prayer is wrong? Absolutely not! There is nothing wrong with praying aloud in church. We have different people pray for different parts of the worship service. The issue here is not public versus private prayer. The key issue that Jesus is dealing with here is not one of public prayer but of showboating prayer.
The Pharisees made it a practice to pray in public places to show others that they were praying. The purpose was to make themselves look good, pious and spiritual. This would be like Deloris going over to Kroger’s and just shouting out a bunch of prayers in the seafood isle to be seen by other people. it would be as fake as a three dollar bill.
3.) Why they are fake about it - to be seen by men
Who is getting the attention by that kind of praying? The person giving the prayer and the focus on God is completely lost. the goal of prayer ought to be to enter into a deeper awareness of the presence of God. You do not pray to e with others, you pray to be with God. It’s been said that worship is meant to have an audience of one - meaning that God is really the only one that matters when we worship. The same thing is true when we pray. it is not to get the attention of others but to enter the presence of God Almighty.
The end result of all this effort is nothing. Self centered prayer will get you nowhere with God. It is only when you empty yourself of self that you can truly discover the benefits and blessings of God. There is no possible way to accomplish ANYTHING of an eternal nature with selfish prayers.
The advice of Jesus about prayer
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.
1.) Get alone with God
There is an important shift that takes place in verse 6, the you becomes singular. this means that Jesus is talking about individual prayer. Does Jesus expect us to find an empty room and use that for prayer. No but the principle is being alone with God.
2.) Remember who is the focus
Being alone also helps to keep the motive pure for prayer. The purpose of prayer is to be focused upon God and to be with Him. Therefore, He is the focus of our prayer life.
3.) The gain of a godly reward
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21
The reward of God’s presence
Prayer bathes the soul in an atmosphere of the divine presence - Charles Finney
The Reward of God’s provision
Prayer unlocks the storehouses of heaven. All that god is and all that God has is at the disposal of prayer
The reward of God’s power
We are too busy to pray, and so are too busy to have power. We have a great deal of activity but we accomplish little; many services but few conversions; much machinery but few results. - RA Torrey
The reward of God’s peace
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
When we fail to pray we rob ourselves of the blessings of God. When we fail to pray we loose His strength working in our lives. When we fail to pray we will simply fail at doin God’s work.
Conclusion
Many years ago former New York Yankee Bobby Richardson was asked to speak at a meeting of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Of the words Richardson spoke that evening, his prayer became the most well known. Dear God, Your will, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else Amen
Today in your bulletin is a Prayer Partner commitment sheet. I am making the commitment to partner with you and am asking you to partner together with me. When you partner together in prayer, you partner with God.
