Until We Pray-5 Series

UNTIL WE PRAY-V—Matthew 6:5-15

Attention:

We have & will discover that our independence as a nation is tied to prayer.

We also realize that our ministries as a church are bound to prayer as well.

We cannot celebrate our ministry efforts unless we celebrate independence from sin, self, & the world, thru a dependence upon God in Christ.

Need:

?Can a country receive God’s blessings when it will not embrace the true & living God?

?Can our ministry efforts receive God’s blessings when we will not embrace the true & living God?

Jesus presented a model to guide His disciples praying.

God’s people have guidance to help them in prayer.

How are God’s people to direct/guide their prayers?

When are our prayers successful?

10 realities which must be embraced for successful prayer.

In the past couple of weeks we have discovered that,

We are not praying & We are not free until we embrace...

1. God’s MANNER(:9a)

2. God’s FATHERHOOD(:9b)

3. God’s REVERENCE(:9c)

4. God’s SOVEREIGNTY(:10a)

5. God’s DESIRE(:10b-c)

6. God’s PROVISION(:11)

7. God’s FORGIVENESS(:12, 14-15)

8— We are not praying & we are not free until we embrace...

God’s TESTING(:13a)

Explanation:(:13a)Avoidance

:13—“And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom & the power & the glory forever. Amen.”

God’s people must ask God to not “lead” them to a position where they would be tempted, but rather that He would instead, deliver them away from the evil of the “evil one.” “Temptation” always leads us to one of two places. Temptation can “lead us” to the door God has provided for escape from sin(1Cor. 10:13), or we can allow it to “lead us” directly into sin with its resulting condemnations(Js. 1:12-18).

*If we are fully surrendered to God(seek His face) at the moment of our greatest “temptation,” then we have allowed God Himself the freedom to “not lead us into temptation” & make it plain(to ourselves) that we can be trusted.

“Here we have a "Permissive imperative" as grammarians term it. The idea is then: “Do not allow us to be led into temptation.” ”—RWP

*1Cor. 10:13—“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

*Js. 1:12-18—“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires & enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; & sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift & every perfect gift is from above, & comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.”

God can lead us into a position where we ‘can be’ “tempted”(Js.1:13). But that is not a bad thing nor does it make God malevolent. This is because God does not force the temptation, otherwise He would be the tempter Himself(Mat. 4:3; 1Thess. 3:5—Satan). Rather, God our Father may test/try our faith—bringing us to the point of temptation— as does any Father allowing certain freedoms to his child(ren). Thus when God’s people fall victim to the enticement of temptation, they sin. Such actions become evil thus aligning ourselves with the “evil one.”

Js. 1:13—“Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.” “Lead”—eisferw—1) To bring into, in or to; 2) To lead into. Strong—To carry inward (literally or figuratively). Used 7X.

“Temptation”—peirasmov—1) An experiment, attempt, trial, proving. Strong—A putting to proof(by experiment [of good], experience [of evil], solicitation, discipline or provocation); by implication--Adversity.

Argumentation:

**Mat. 18:7—““Woe to the world because of offenses[σκάνδαλον]! For offenses[σκάνδαλον] must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense[σκάνδαλον] comes!”

Num. 11:29—“Then Moses said to him, “Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!”

**1Cor. 1:22-23—“For Jews request a sign, & Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block & to the Greeks foolishness,”

**Jn. 9:39—“And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, & that those who see may be made blind.””