July 29 Principles of Prayer
Step 25 Part 3: From a Galilean Synagogue to Mount Tabor
The Sermon on the Mount is Jesus’ longest and probably most important recorded sermon.
It represents Jesus’ foundational instruction on what life in God’s kingdom looks like.
Tonight we talk about the Model Prayer
Matt. 6: 5-15 and Luke11:1-4
In Matthew ch. 5,6 and 7, Jesus’ teaching is revolutionary and mind-boggling to the disciples! The things that He is teaching go completely contrary to worldly wisdom! Since they are being taught new ways of living, they realize that their old strengths and power supplies will no longer be sufficient.
They had watched Jesus; they knew that He looked to God for power and that He drew strength from prayer, so in Luke 11: 1 we hear them ask Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray!” So, in this Bible Study, we have His teachings on the principles of prayer.
- Righteous prayer vs. Hypocritical prayer – You can fool men, but you will never fool God.
- “The Lord is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous.”
Proverbs 15:29 NKJV
- Matt.6:5-6 Don’t seek attention with public prayers.
- Prayer life should be private and intimate between you and God.
- Is Jesus saying that He is opposed to public and corporate prayer? No
- Jesus knows the difference between the hypocrite and the righteous person. Throughout the New Testament, we see Jesus praying in public. He encourages all forms of praying by righteous people. Prayers from families, couples, friends, churches, and so forth.
- Jesus is telling us He knows our hearts. He knows the difference between a heartfelt and a hypocritical prayer.
- Matt.6:7-8 Jesus is not impressed by long prayers. Here, he compares them to religions that repeat magical incantations over and over.
- Jesus encourages persistent prayer but condemns shallow, repetitious so-called prayer.
- In verse 8 He assures us that God is a personal God who knows what you need before you even pray. “It shall come to pass That before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear.” Isaiah 65:24 NKJV
- Most people know it as the Lord’s Prayer, some as the Model Prayer, and a few as the Disciples’ Prayer! Whatever we call it, to learn to recite it word for word is good, but reciting it word for word is not necessarily praying. When Jesus taught these words to His disciples, He was not teaching them words to say but principles of prayer to apply! The truth is memorized words will seldom change anyone’s life; however, applied principles always do.
- Jesus gave this to us as a model prayer to guide us as we pray. We might call it a pattern . It teaches us to –
- praise God,
- pray for His work in the world
- pray for our daily needs
- pray for help in our daily struggles
Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord, Jeremiah 29:11-14 NKJV
- The principles of prayer found in this teaching.
- Who benefits from your prayer? When you pray, are you praying for God’s benefit or praying only for others? Do you feel selfish praying for yourself?
- Prayer is for the one who is praying. Twice in Matt.6:5-6 we see the word rewards. This tells me that God intends to reward righteous people for their prayers. What does the following scripture tell you?
“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”
Luke 11:9-10 NKJV
- The Lord’s principles of Prayer
- (Our Father) The synergy of prayer. Not My Father, not The Father, but Our Father. This highlights the fact that we are related by the Blood of Jesus to all other Followers of Jesus. Look at Paul’s teaching in Romans.
“Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me,”
Romans 15:30 NKJV
- (Our Father) speaks of a personal relationship with the God of creation.
Father comes from the Greek word “pator”. It means one who looks after another in a paternal way. Like a daddy! Pator speaks of a nourisher, protector and upholder.
- (in Heaven) Not only is He a personal and loving God, but He is the Author and finisher of our Faith and we express our Faith when we acknowledge His presence in Heaven. In Hebrews 11:6 we read:
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
- (Hallowed be Your Name) an expression of worship as we acknowledge His Power and Holiness. This is not as much a statement of praise as it is a statement of intent. It is saying I WILL worship God our Father.
- (Your Kingdom Come) This speaks of expectation; it is knowing that the millennial kingdom of God will come. The Kingdom is God’s dominion and He does rule. It is Coming!
- (Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven). This speaks of submission. This may be the most dangerous prayer you ever pray. If His Will is done on earth, it means that His good pleasure is completed, finished on earth. Before you concern yourself with His will being done anywhere else, you must first let His will be done in your life and heart. Can you? Have you done this?
- (Give us this day our daily bread) Trusting God to provide. But also trusting Him to provide day by day. This also teaches us to pray like we eat, daily.
- (Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.). Confession: you admit that you are a sinner. Compassion: you forgive those who have hurt you. Danger: do you really want God to forgive you the way you have forgiven others? Look at Verses 14-15
- (Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.) God has never promised to keep us from temptation but has promised to preserve us in and through temptation. “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.” I Corinthians 10:13 NKJV
- (For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.) Ends with Praise and worship while acknowledging God’s eternal reign.
- (Amen) So be it.
From The Bible
“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. 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.
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. “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 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.
“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
Matthew 6:5-15 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/mat.6.5-15.NKJV
Douglas Huff
From Down Where the Pavement Ends
email-douglas@pavementendsministry.com
