When God's People Pray

“WHEN GOD’S PEOPLE PRAY”

Mark McCool

TEXT: Matthew 6:6-13

6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

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

10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in 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 lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

14 For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

(KJV)

INTRODUCTION:

Jesus was quite thorough in his instructions on prayer… in fact much is said from the mouth of our Lord concerning prayer and praying to God.

In this dissertation concerning prayer, notice that Jesus says, “when thou prayest,” and “when ye pray.”

He did not say “if”, but rather “when” you and I pray…

In the when of praying, he tells us “what to do" in v. 6. And “what not to do" in v.7. Then in v.9 he tells us “what to say" in a basic outline of prayer to God.

But in my study of this text, I noticed that Jesus, in all of the “what to do”, “what not to do”, and “what to say”, he never ever said anything about what is happening in the “when” of prayer…

It was almost as though Jesus, in his wisdom, never felt the need to tell them what is taking place “when” we pray! It was as though, as far as He was concerned, that was the Father’s business about all the details!!

But if we could somehow look beyond the dark veil of the “when” and could see what God sees, and what the devil sees, and what causes demons to tremble and angels to rejoice over, I do believe we would never go to a prayer room to pray in a half-hearted fashion anymore… We would never question or wonder if God is going to even hear us… We would forevermore settle the issue and find a renewed effort and desire to pray and know that God is going to answer our prayers.

I. GOD PROMISES TO ANSWER OUR PRAYERS!

Consider the word of the Lord when Jesus said:

(read through these scriptures exhorting occasionally)

Mark 11:24

24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Matt 7:7-11

7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

Matt 18:18-20

18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Matt 21:18-22

18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.

19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.

20 And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!

21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.