The Manner In Which We Are To Pray

However, just picking a verse or two can be very dangerous. That is, we may not receive all the blessings from the scripture we may select. We must read more to discover the context of the passage. For example, one passage that is often taken out of context is what is commonly called the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6:9-14. When we pull this out by itself we often miss the entire purpose the Lord was desiring to accomplish in giving this passage to us.

We receive much more from this when we examine WHEN IT WAS GIVEN. It was given when Jesus was concerned about the lifestyle of the Pharisees and scribes. Most of them were living hypocritical lives. Jesus was concerned that His disciples might be affected by that in three ways.

We see in Matthew 6:1-4, that Jesus did not want the disciples to be like the hypocrites in their ALMS GIVING.

We see in Matthew 6:5-8, that Jesus did not want the disciples to be like the hypocrites in their PRAYING.

We see in Matthew 6:9-13, HOW WE SHOULD PRAY DIFFERENTLY from the hypocrites.

His dealing with these three areas is the result of what He told them in verse 8, “BE NOT YE THEREFORE LIKE UNTO THEM...” However, some believe the reason Jesus gave this prayer was...

(1) So His followers could learn it and recite it often.

(2) To teach His followers NOT WHAT TO SAY, but HOW TO SAY IT.

The latter is held by many for two reasons:

I. In Matthew 6:8, Jesus said, “Be not ye therefore like unto them...”

Since Jesus did not want His disciples to be like the hypocrites in praying the same prayers repetitiously, He certainly was not teaching the disciples to commit this prayer to memory to pray again and again.

II. The second reason many believe that Jesus gave this prayer was because it was the prayer between a child of God and the Heavenly Father.

Note, it begins, “OUR (HEAVENLY) FATHER...”

All of us have been in a public gathering at one time or other when someone would say, “Let us all recite the Lord’s prayer.” Then they would proceed, SAINTS and SINNERS, to recite what is commonly called “The Lord’s Prayer.”

Listen, the sinner cannot rightfully pray, “Our Father...” Why? Because God is not the sinner’s “Father.”

Jesus told the ungodly, in John 8:44, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do...”

Illus: Many in America are alarmed because we have people now who call themselves “SATAN WORSHIPPERS.” Listen, this is nothing new. The fact is, the man, or woman, who does not know Christ, is of Satan.

Each day the gods of this world are placed before sinners and they “bow” to them in “worship.”

If they are going to pray, they would have to call upon SATAN because he is their “father.” The Bible says, of the godless, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do...”

If we are to know how to use the prayer Jesus gave in Matt. 6, we must keep in mind the context in which it was given. We should remember that this is a prayer given specifically to God’s children so we would not pray as the hypocrites prayed.

Let us look at a couple of things the model prayer teaches us about our prayers.

I. THE MANNER OF OUR PRAYERS.

In preceding messages in this series we talked about THE METHOD OF PRAYER. We saw Jesus does not want us to pray as the hypocrites prayed.

Look at verse 9, “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.”

Look at the words, “After this manner...” Christ had just gotten through telling the disciples that they were not to be as the Pharisees and scribes.

He said, “This is the way a child of God is to pray.” (Our paraphrase.)

Then Jesus went on to show them A GOOD PRAYER has certain ingredients just as a good cake has certain ingredients.

Illus: Most of us observed our mothers as we were growing up when they would bake a cake or make cookies. Most of us have heard them say at one time or other, “Oh dear, I forgot to put in the salt (or sugar).”

God gives us a list of at least THREE INGREDIENTS to prayer that we should be sure not to leave out. Verse 9 tells us what they are. First it tells us...

A. Who God is.

The first thing Jesus said we should do is recognize WHO GOD IS and WHO WE ARE.

We who have trusted in Christ for salvation are God’s children and God is our heavenly Father. When we pray, we are to pray to God, the Father. You see, Jesus said, “After this manner therefore pray ye...”