Matthew 6:7-15
Righteous Prayers
Read…
Luke 11:1 Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”
Pray
Intro
√ Righteous Prayers
As Jesus continues to examine the works of the Pharisees, He turns His attention to the way in which they prayed.
Like all of their other religious practices, their prayers were impressive to Man…
…but did not touch the heart of God.
In this section of scripture Jesus will expose the error of their prayers, and teach us how to pray so that the Father will listen and respond…
Empty prayers
Effective prayers
Encumbered prayers
Listen to what Jesus says because prayer is the means the Father has given us to commune with Him.
Empty Prayer (vs. 7-8)
Matt. 6:7 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.
Matt. 6:8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
√ Empty prayer
As Jesus continues His instructions on prayer He moves from the pretend prayers of the Pharisees…
…to the empty prayers of the heathen (worshippers of false gods).
You’ll remember that a pretend
prayer is a prayer prayed for the sake of gaining the attention and applause of
An empty prayer as Jesus describes it is a prayer characterized by…
Vain repetitions – saying the same things, or praying the same words, over and over again, with the motive of getting God’s attention.
The problem? The same as it was with the pretend prayers…
…God’s not listening!
Why not?
Because the person praying that way isn’t really talking to Him!
Repetitious prayers are more like the incantations, and the spells used by witches and practitioners of the occult.
Their hope is that if they say the right words, in the right way, enough times, that they’ll move the hand of the one they worship.
√ Prayers of the Jews
One of the problems with the prayers of the Jews, both in the time of Christ and also today, is that they have adopted the prayer techniques of the heathens!
Rather than praying directly to the Lord the Jewish people wrongly concluded that it would be blasphemous to have such a personal approach to God.
So, they created prayers for people to pray for every conceivable purpose.
Ex. Fiddler on a roof
When the Rabbi was asked if there was a prayer for the Czar he responded that there is a prayer for everything…
“May the Lord bless the Czar and keep him far from us!”
Ex. Judaism today
If you visit
A Jewish person would never think to pray a spontaneous prayer, or a relational prayer!
Rather, you’ll find them repeating the prayers written in the prayer books…
…just as Jesus tells us not to do.
Rather, Jesus tells us…
“Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.” ~ vs. 8
So, Jesus tells us that if we want to be heard by God then we are not to pray like the heathens…
…repeating the same words, or scripted prayers.
Good thing the Church doesn’t do that! J
Actually, we do! L
Ap. The Church has adopted formula prayers
The unfortunate truth is that the Church has done the same thing that the Pharisees did and the Jews continue to do today.
Rosary
“Prayer of Jabez”
“Prayers that avialeth much”
The trouble with all of these forums of prayer is that we’re not really talking to God…
…we’re simply reciting incantations like the heathens believing that we’ll finally get God to do our will or respond to our request.
That misses the purpose of prayer completely!
The real purpose of prayer is to get ourselves in line with God’s will!
Robert Law wrote…
“Prayer is a mighty instrument, not for getting man’s will done in heaven…
…but for getting God’s will done in Earth!”
If you examine the formula prayers of the Church you’ll find that the whole purpose is to get something done for ourselves, or those we love.
That’s not to say that we shouldn’t ask God for help, but we don’t do it through vain repetitions!
Rather, we’ll find that God is both able and willing to help us and to meet our needs when we pray His way!
Ap. A word about repeated prayer vs. repetitious prayers
Please understand the distinction. It’s okay to ask the Lord about something more than once…
Jesus did ~ Matt. 26:36-46 (prayer in the garden)
Paul did ~ 2 Cor. 12:7-8 (prayer for healing)
That’s not a “vain repetition”. A prayer becomes vain (or empty) when it is just babbling words without relationship.
So, don’t pray empty prayers!
How do we pray effectively, Jesus tells us in vs. 9-13!
Effective Prayer (vs. 9-13)
Matt. 6:9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.
Matt.
Matt.
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For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
√ Effective Prayer
For centuries people have called this…
“The Lord’s Prayer”
But, it would more accurate to call it…
“The Disciples Prayer”
…because the Lord is teaching us how to pray effectively.
The first thing we want to observe is that Jesus did not mean for this to become a formula kind of prayer! How do we know that?
1) Jesus said…
“In this manner, therefore pray”
Not…
“Repeat this prayer”
That is, Jesus gives us a model, or pattern for effective prayer, not a substitute for talking to God.
2) Jesus just told us not to pray repetitively!
3) There’s no record in the New Testament of the disciples ever praying this prayer!
So, while many people pray these words over and over, don’t make the mistake of thinking that it is some magic formula that you can mindlessly repeat.
If you do, you’ll be doing the same thing that the heathens did and God won’t be listening.
So, let’s look at the model for prayer that Jesus has given us.
√ The Model Prayer
1) Relational – vs. 9a
Jesus begins…
“Our Father in heaven…”
To address God as “our Father” would have shocked the people sitting on that hill side for the Jews revered God to such a degree that they wouldn’t even speak His Name.
They would say…
“The Name”
Or write…
“G_D”
So, to address God as “Father” was revolutionary!
What it reveals to us is that God desires a personal relationship with Mankind.
Prayer as God desires it involves real communication between Him and His people – individually and corporately.
God isn’t interested in religious rites, He wants you to know Him and love Him!
Ex. Still radical!
The idea that we can approach God as our “Father” is still getting the attention of religious people today.
In the book, “I dared to call Him Father” a Muslim woman recounts that it was this teaching of Jesus which drew her to give her life to Jesus!
So, when you pray, talk to God – don’t recite meaningless words, He wants to have a relationship with you!
2) Reverent – vs. 9b
“hallowed be Your name.”
While God desires to have an intimate relationship with us, Jesus reminds us that we must still come to Him with reverence and awe.
That is, we ought never to talk to God in a flippant way. He is after all, God Almighty!
Ex. Dinner time prayers
“Over the teeth and through the gums, watch out stomach here it comes – yea God!”
While most people are just being silly when they pray that way, none the less, it still shows a lack of respect for the Lord.
Ex. Think of how the saints react when God shows up!
John on His face before Jesus in Rev. 1!
So, when you pray make sure that you exalt Him in your thoughts and approach Him with respect.
3) Surrendered – vs. 10
“Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
This reminds us that the key to effective prayer, prayers that God answers…
…are prayers prayed according to His will, not ours!
James tells us…
“You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” ~ James 4:3
All too often our prayers sound more like a shopping list rather than a humble desire to know what the Father’s will is for our lives.
The truth that we must remember when we come to God in prayer is that He alone knows what is best for us!
If He were to give us whatever we asked for instead of what is best for us…
…we’d be in trouble!
Ex. Elijah in the desert – 1 Kings 19
Good thing God didn’t give him what he asked for!
So, when we pray we want to surrender our requests to God and ask that His will be done.
Ex. Jesus in the garden
“Not my will, but yours be done.”
In so praying Jesus shows us by example how to pray in a surrendered way.
4) Dependant – vs. 11
“Give us this day our daily bread.”
You’ll notice that Jesus now turns the attention of our prayer to personal interests.
That is, in vs. 9-10 the model of prayer demonstrates that we should begin by…
…praying about God’s interest.
His Name
His Kingdom
His will
Having addressed God’s interest, Jesus tells us how to pray for our own needs.
The first need, daily provision!
Jesus reminds us that God is concerned about our welfare and that He has chosen prayer as the means of meeting those needs!
That’s not to say that we should stop working and just pray the food in!
Rather, it is the humble recognition that no matter how hard a man might work…
…it is ultimately the Lord Who makes the seed to grow, and our labor fruitful.
Therefore, we recognize that we are dependent on God.
Also, praying after this model protects our heart from the sin of pride in which a person wrongly believes that they don’t need God!
So, Jesus tells us to pray and ask God to meet our daily needs and trust that He will (ref. Matt. 6:33).
5) Humbly – vs. 12
“And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.”
This is fascinating because it reveals that prayer that pleases God is prayer that humbly acknowledges our sin!
Contrary to the practice of the Pharisees who would never admit to being sinners!
Ex. Story of the two men who prayed
Luke 18:10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
Luke 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, “God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.
Luke 18:12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’
Luke 18:13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!’
Luke 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
So we’re reminded that effective prayer is humble communication with the Father.
The willingness to admit our sin and to seek His forgiveness…
…and to extend that forgiveness to those who have sinned against us!
So, if we want the Father to hear our prayers we must come to Him humbly and be willing to acknowledge our shortcomings.
6) Guarded – vs. 13
“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”
Jesus closes this model prayer by telling us that we need to seek the Father’s protection so that we don’t end up doing the Devil’s will!
This request also demonstrates humility on the part of the person praying.
For they are acknowledging that they are spiritually weak and need the protective covering of the Father.
There’s a great deal of wisdom in praying this way because one of the consequences of spiritual pride is that we become blinded to our own weakness.
Ex. Sampson
His pride led him to believe that he could conquer any enemy. However, he failed to seek God’s protection and ended up being led into temptation that ultimately destroyed him.
The Lord’s instruction then is that when we pray we ought to continually seek the Lord’s covering that we not follow the path of the enemy into destruction.
So, we pray that we would be guarded by the Father.
Encumbered Prayer (vs. 14-15)
Matt. 6:14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Matt. 6:15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
√ Encumbered Prayer
After Jesus taught the disciples how to pray effectively, He then adds this little addendum about forgiveness, sandwiched between His instructions on prayer and fasting?
I would suggest that the Lord’s comments be taken in context with His instructions of prayer.
That is, that an unforgiving spirit will encumber our prayers.
Please understand that Jesus isn’t saying that you’re forgiveness is contingent upon you forgiving others…
…we’re forgiven by faith in Jesus.
Rather, what the Lord is telling us is that effective prayers are based upon a right relationship with the Father.
When we harbor un-forgiveness toward another then we can’t be in right fellowship with God…
…therefore, our prayers will be hindered (encumbered)!
Ex. Hindered prayers
1Pet. 3:7 Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.
My thought is that Peter gives us additional insight into how our prayers are hindered.
In his example he tells husbands that they need to be in right fellowship with their bride…
…lest their prayers are hindered.
In a general sense I think we can argue that Jesus is telling us that if we’re unwilling to forgive others…
…then we’re not in right fellowship with man or with God and our prayers will be hindered (encumbered).
So, if we want the Lord to hear us and to respond to our prayers, then we ought to demonstrate the same forgiveness to others that He has shown to us.
Close
√ Righteous works – prayers
Jesus has a lot to say about prayer! More than anyone He knows what kind of prayers…
Please the Father
Don’t please the Father
So, we want to listen and practice what Jesus has said so that our prayers won’t be empty or encumbered…they’ll be effective!