How Prayer is the Foundation of God’s Kingdom
Matthew 6:5-15
Aug 25, 2019 AM
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland
I. Introduction (Matthew 6:5-15)
A. Almost all cultures, and all religions pray using some form or another
1. It is universal
a. People pray to all kinds of deities & spiritual powers outside of themselves for help
b. New age religions teach people to pray to themselves, and to the power within them
c. But they all pray – at least go through the motions
2. Most prayers are mystical and magical in nature (meditations)
a. Some are sung
b. Some are constantly repeated over and over
3. Whether the world admits it or not, most people pray at various times of their lives – even though they do not know who they are talking to (John 4:22) Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
B. Modern Christianity, is not much different than most religions around the world
1. I have noticed that
a. Many Christians still see prayer as mystical and magical
1) Believe in praying in “an unknown tongue” – that’s a joke – so easy
2) They pray like they are casting GOOD incantations, and spells
3) Try and “visualize” what they want, and command it to happen…
4) So, no wonder people quit praying when their “incantation” don’t work
b. Praying most times for most Christians is the striking of a bargain, or agreement with God…
1) “God if you do this, then I will do that.”
2) “If I do such and such, I expect YOU to do such and such back.”
3) I’ve prayed those kind of prayers as well – when in deep concern for things and people – and so did Jacob in Genesis 28, and several others!
c. Or they miss the whole point of prayer completely
1) People look for fancy words to repeat, and big/important reasons to pray
2) They want to hear success stories about answers to prayer instead of how to get closer to the God of our prayer!
3) People sometimes even go to conferences on prayer, but come away ignorant of just WHO it is they are praying TO!
4) That’s a shame, wouldn’t you agree?
d. It is saddest to me that this generation of young people will never really pray unless they can be convinced that they will get something out of it – they just do not see any reason to pray at all!
2. In the end, most people wonder if praying actually mean anything at all
C. God invites us to pray – to talk with Him (Jer 33:3)
1. Invites us to approach Him
2. To actually “talk” to Him – use words
3. To sense Him / feel for Him when we pray
4. To rest in His care AS we pray
5. Praying is what it is like living in the centre of the kingdom of God – kingdom activity
D. The greatest praying Person to ever live (Jesus), also WANTS us to pray
1. To depend upon God for everything just as He did
2. To worship God while praying
3. To actively love God
4. To spend time with Him, alone, just you and He
5. To yield to God’s will and work in YOU
6. To fight and win our biggest battles (Luke 22:31,32)
E. And so Jesus here in Matthew 6 gives us a simple way to pray (6:9-13)
1. Now, if you want a collection of prayers, read the Book of Psalms, which is a collection of what David, and Moses and Solomon, and many others prayed!
2. But that would take years to study and learn from and master – we actually ARE studying the Psalms verse by verse on Wednesday evenings… you ought to come out
3. So, Jesus summarises prayer into 66 simple words… say them with me:
a. Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
b. Thy kingdom come.
c. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
d. Give us this day our daily bread.
e. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
f. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.
g. Amen.
4. That took us all of 25 seconds!
5. And that is all it took to show this world, NOT WHAT to pray, but what prayer should look and sound like
F. So, this morning, we will ponder Our Lord’s Simple Example of Prayer
1. Because in its simplicity
a. It show us an open invitation
b. It reveals a listening Father in heaven
c. And exposes the main reasons why we don’t get answers to prayer
2. Because the Holy Spirit inside every believer pulls us to heaven (Gal 4:6) And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
a. The very desire of a Christian should be, “I can’t wait to pray”
b. Our most satisfying moments of the day ought to be experienced WHEN we pray
G. Just know this – prayer takes work – effort – time (Col 4:12) Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
H. One other note
1. Jesus never prayed this prayer
2. No one in the entire Bible prayed these words as a prayer, ever
3. They are a PATTERN to follow – an EXAMPLE of how to talk to God
4. But they are not what you should say to God – God does not want prepared speaches
5. What you say to God must come from your heart, and you must use your own words
II. Message
A. When Ye Pray… (6:5)
1. When do YOU pray?
a. Gen 19:27 And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD
b. Psa 5:3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
c. Psa 55:17 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.
d. Psa 88:13 But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.
e. Mark 1:35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.
2. The biggest problems in almost every relationship is communication
a. Interrupting each other
b. Pre-judging
c. No listening
d. Not talking at all
e. Just expecting the other person to do something, but not themselves
f. Communication is a two-way motor-way: with no obstacles between you, with a speed limit, and with mutual respect
g. OUR biggest problem today is the lack of real communication with our God
3. The testimony of a Christian ought to be a life of PRAYER
a. Not a life of complaining
1) Or Judging
2) Murmuring
3) Criticizing
4) Anger
b. Ask people about YOUR general disposition
c. If you spent any time praying, it should be sweeter, better, kinder, more compassionate, more yielded
d. People here may never know how much time you spend walking with God, but in heaven, it will be known
e. And MOST of us will be ashamed of how little we actually prayed!
4. We have an awesome God who loves hearing us pray
a. Isa 65:24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
5. Our Saviour lived a life of prayer
a. Luke 11:1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
b. Even though he was God, he lived as a man who needed God
c. Jesus did nothing without depending upon God to help Him
6. So, every one of us needs to make time to pray!
B. How You Pray Matters (6:5-8)
1. Check YOUR Heart
a. Are YOU a hypocrite? A faker? An actor?
b. You may look like a follower of Jesus on the outside - Pharisees
c. But never spend time with Jesus on the INSIDE!
d. Christian means Christ-Like. Are you like Jesus in PRAYER? Honestly?
2. No Showing Off (6:5,6)
a. The Pharisees loved to pray for only one reason – to show off
b. They memorized long elaborate prayers, using big fancy words
c. They did it to be seen of men – not to be heard by God!
d. If you ever pray and get everybody’s attention and admiration, you have failed
e. It would be like only talking to my wife at dinner so that my grandkids can watch and clap and pat me on the back after I act like I am interested in her!
3. No Repetitions (6:7,8)
a. Examples of repetitious praying
1) The false prophets of Baal – repeating themselves over and over
2) Hypnotic prayer ‘vigils’ that wear people down so they become cult-like and easily manipulated by their religious leaders
3) Saying the same things over and over and over
a) “O Lord hear us, O Lord hear us”
b) “Oh God, dear Lord, heavenly Father, dear loving heavenly Father, father in heaven…”
c) GET ON WITH IT!
d) “Oh Lord, I, Lord, well, Lord, could use some help lord, help Lord, OH help me Lord, Lord, dear Lord…”
e) WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?
f) “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”
g) And then repeat!!!
h) Those are not prayers – they are fluff!
4) When I was in secondary school, I had to write reports, and do you know HOW I wrote 10 and 15 page reports on projects in Chemistry, and English Literature, and History Classes? I just stretched out my sentences with a lot of worthless FLUFF. 10 page reports should have been FOUR pages long only!
b. No need to constantly repeat yourself, dragging the prayer out as long as possible
1) It may sound religious
2) But it is repulsive to God
3) Luke 20:46,47 Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts; Which devour widows' houses, and for a shew make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation.
c. Just ask God for what you need. (James 4:2) Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
d. Yes, pray, and later ask again and again, but don’t just sit and repeat your words over and over…
e. No need to be super long in your prayer either
4. Pray in Private Mainly (6:6)
a. Prayer requires us to get away from everyone and everything going on around us and talk to God about everything on our heart!
b. Matthew 14:23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
c. Find you a place no one will find you – or expect you to be – like in a tiny, crowded closet!
d. Pray a lot when no one is looking
e. It is like Christian GIVING – not doing it to be noticed by anyone but God
5. And pray sometimes in public – there is great power in unified prayer together!
a. Be man enough, woman enough, courageous enough to pray anywhere it is needed
b. 1Tim 2:8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.
c. Make everyplace a place of praywer when needed!
d. Examples:
1) Next to someone in a hospital bed
2) Before every meal, in your home, or at the office, or at a restaurant
3) When you first wake up, when you are getting into bed
4) When someone asks you to speak at a wedding – PRAY out loud first
6. Just make it natural
a. How long have you been married… and you still don’t know how to just talk?
b. Same with Christianity!
c. Make it part of your normal thinking and talking – talk to God!
d. Not something you do only when required
e. Is that how you treat your wife, or husband, or children that you claim to love?
f. Col 4:2 "Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving" – with JOY
g. Rom 12:12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
h. Love praying
C. The Five Parts of Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13)
Jesus’ short example prayer gives us the five ingredients to praying
1. Strong Worship – priority (6:9)
a. If you did nothing else while praying than worship, you probably did fine
b. Worship – show the worth of God our Father
1) Not so that people only pray as a group
2) But that Jehovah is the God of all
3) It is okay to pray to ‘MY Father’ – Abba
4) You created everything
5) The God who gave us life and has given us the gift of eternal life
c. Look up to him – really up! You are ABOVE everything
1) Above the clouds, the storms
2) Above the stars
3) Above the height of the furthest galaxies
4) You are God alone
d. Treasure his name! Your name is holy to me
1) God Almighty – Jehovah – the I AM – Jesus
2) Clean, and precious and powerful!
3) There is no tainted view of that name
4) You have no cloud overhanging your reputation
5) At your name, angels still bow, demons flee
6) And I worship!
e. All because of who you are, God!
f. Someone might say, “I DON’T TALK THAT WAY”
g. Well, you need to start talking that way to the God who made you and invites you into His presence to get what you need!
2. My Only Want - “thy kingdom come” (6:10)
a. The Christians greatest desire should be for the kingdom of God to be here, in me first, and then in everyone around me (see also Matt 6:33) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
b. Men throughout the millenniums have fought to establish kingdoms and empires
c. We seek a better kingdom
1) Not our own kingdom, or our own wealth and prosperity
2) We do not yearn to expand the kingdom of England
3) Or of France
4) Or of the Czars
5) But that the Kingdom of God would fully come to earth
d. It will happen only when Jesus returns
1) Not through politics
2) And not through warfare
3) But through prayer as we wait for the coming of our Lord
3. Seeking the Will of God (6:10)
a. THE hardest part of any prayer time
b. Is asking God to do HIS will in your life – allowing God to take charge!
1) Letting God take away whatever He wants
2) Letting God lead you wherever He wants – ask Jonah
3) Letting God ask you to love whoever he wants you to love – ask Hosea
c. If ONLY we wanted God’s will to be done in OUR lives, no matter what it may be
d. THEN we would have Christian homes, and would evangelize our world
e. When was the last time you prayed this way?
1) “Thy will be done”
2) Act 9:4-6 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?
3) Psa 40:8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
4. Forgiveness (6:12,14,15)
a. Everyone who ever stands or kneels before God is in need of forgiveness
1) There are no exceptions
2) Prove me wrong
3) Your very existence before God is selfish, self-centred, and self-serving, sinful!
4) Do you ever see yourself as…
a) Arrogant and proud and big-headed? That is a sin
b) Impatient? That is a sin
c) Covetous of having more THINGS? THAT is a sin
d) How about being loud, dominating, angry all the time? Those are sins too!
e) Lazy? Unwilling to work or pay your own way? That is sin!
5) Much of our prayer should be admitting our sinfulness to God
6) Naming our own sins, and seeing them for what they are – awful!
b. But there is also the need TO forgive as well
c. We hold a load of Grudges – many we are not even aware of we have held so long
1) Just like WE take advantage of GOD, people have taken advantage of US
2) So after a while
a) We complain about just about everything – think about it
b) We resent people
c) We hate others
d) We are bitter towards people we used to love
3) And it ALL comes between us and God like a wall
d. Signs of unforgiveness
1) Anger at the thought of somebody
2) Desire for someone to suffer as you have suffered
3) REFUSING to pray for someone who hurt you, or who is better off than you – not blessing them like Jesus commands us to
4) Not giving honour to someone simply because you don’t like them
5) Disrespecting them in your presence or behind their back!
e. If YOU want God to hear your prayers, YOU need to forgive everyone!
5. Finally Asking for What You Need (6:11,13)
a. It is always the first thing on our minds…
b. It is basically LAST on the things that make godly prayer
c. Be careful when it is first
d. Ask for
1) Daily bread - provisions
2) Protection me from troubles and away from temptation (6:13)
a) God does not tempt us, but He does test us and expose us
b) How? By putting us in situations where we must choose Go
c) Like God did when he put Adam and Eve in the Garden and allowed the devil in
3) Everything you can think of
4) Especially everything you really need
a) Like for contentment with what you already have!
b) Like for a right spirit / right attitude about everything
c) For a godly government
d) For courage to live bright and right in this wicked world
D. The Three Reasons We Can Pray (6:13)
1. God is in charge of the answer
a. He decides whether we get it or not
b. Not anyone else – and not even ourselves
c. And if he does answer us, it will because it is His will, and because He is kind
2. God has all power to answer
a. Do you even believe this anymore?
b. Isa 59:1,2 Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
c. Jer 32:27 Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?
d. Luke 18:27 And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.
3. God gets all the glory when He does answer
a. If YOU can get the glory, then God will allow you to do the work
b. But if GOD can get all the attention, and the praise, and the appreciation, then GOD will do the work
c. No wonder God doesn’t do much in our generation
d. Because we allow people and social programs to meet our needs
e. When we should have prayed!
4. Is GOD alone the reason you pray?
a. Needs drive us to prayer – which is fine
b. But God invites prayer – which is far better
III. Summary – Prayer is…
A. Priority
1. It is not something OTHER people do – it is what EVERY believer must do
2. Must make it a PRIORITY – like getting dinner ready, changing dirty nappies, having fresh clean water, making sure all the bills are paid, driving on the left side of the road
3. PRAYER is more important than they all put together!
4. Did you know that the Temple of God, in Jerusalem was NOT known as a house of worship, or a house of sacrifice. It was to be known as a house of what? PRAYER
5. Mat 21:12,13 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
6. Make a time when you purposefully pray
7. Decide on a place – by your bedside, in your favourite chair, at the breakfast table before anyone comes downstairs
8. Like when you make a place for breakfast, make a place for prayer
B. Personal - Heart to Heart
1. You don’t have to make sense when you pray
2. Groaning, sighing is just fine (Rom 8:26) Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
3. Just make sure you use emotions
4. Prayer is not analyitical, not sensible, not sophisticaded, not a mental excersize like math is…
5. Prayer is the emptying of the heart into another heart
6. 1Pe 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
7. Php 4:6,7 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
C. A Constant Conversation
1. Talk to Him about everything
a. Even the little things
b. That’s what friends do
c. And Jesus considers US His friends
2. THANK Him for everything!
3. Don’t go weeks without talking about the little things
a. Don’t only wait until there is really big need to start taling with Jesus
4. Too many people refuse to actually pray out of awful pride!
a. Too embarrassing
b. Someone might notice
c. Someone might chuckle or laugh
5. It would be like you going on a walk with your wife or your husband or your children and refusing to talk to them as you walk, or in public, because you are embarrassed!
6. Shame on us all!
7. Just pray all the time!
a. Act 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
b. Col 4:2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;
D. A Growing Awareness
1. Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
2. Of the distance you are travelling
3. Of the King you are addressing
4. Of the kindnesses you are accessing
E. Loads of Confessing
1. Cleansing of the Conscience
2. Being real, and humble, and honest
3. So that you can be restored
4. And so that you can be heard
F. A Couple of Requests
1. Make a prayer list – of people and needs
2. Don’t make it so that you have so many things and people to pray for that you can’t pray
3. Bring a few needs before God at a time
4. Then some more later
5. Pray throughout a day all the needs on your list
G. Absolute Believing
1. It sounds obvious, but most people pray out of duty
2. They pray words
3. And those words bounce off the ceiling
4. They do not know God, and do not believe that he actually cares about our needs
H. Constant Forgiving
1. Don’t forget this
2. Ask God to bring to memory anyone you haven’t forgiven, and that you can’t love
3. And then decide to forgive them before God
4. And then pray for them to be saved, blessed, used of God
5. As much as you need forgiveness, remember that you need TO forgive!
I. Always Accepting
1. Last thought
2. If you are going to spend time talking with an all wise, all good, heavenly Father…
3. Trust His answer
4. Accept God’s answers as right and good
5. Even when those answers are silent, or are long coming
6. You pray believing that God knows best, and will answer your need…
7. So, keep believing – don’t give up
IV. Conclusion
A. If only you prayed… then you would know:
1. The peace that passes understanding
2. That you can ask God for ANYTHING
3. That you can trust God with the answer to your biggest and deepest needs
B. Did you know that WEDNESDAY is our time as a church to pray together? 7pm
1. Our church has never grown and been strong since so many of you have neglected the work of prayer both in your private lives and as a church on Wednesdays
2. We need you HERE!
C. And did you know that one heart felt cry to almighty God, can save your soul? (Rom 10:13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
D. Let’s take time to pray right now