How should Christians pray?

Ishmael LaBiosa: Welcome to the You Ask Podcast, where the goal is to answer common questions about Christianity. Let's listen in as Pastor Rusty answers today's question. Today's question is: how should Christians pray? Well, when it comes to prayer, I think the most important thing is just to do it. It's kind of like prayer and Bible study, which are often talked about together. Today we'll focus on exclusively on prayer, is that we do kind of need to set a time, a place, and in some way a plan to have an effective prayer life. So let's begin to think about how should a Christian pray? I think this is a an important question to ask, not only that we should pray, but this secondary question of how should we pray? I think we might not give sufficient Time to think about that. Well, one of the things I would like us to think about when we pray is who God is. And on a previous podcast, I reviewed for you that God is three persons, one essence, the doctrine of the Trinity. And when it comes to prayer, our conception of God is very important. I think it is appropriate as we read about the nature of God in the Bible that when we pray Christian prayers, we pray to the Father through Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit. And we can see this in several texts. For example, we'll look at the Lord's Prayer in a moment, found in Matthew 6, 9 through 13. But Jesus tells us in our praying to address God as Father. God is a loving Heavenly Father who has bestowed to us the gift of grace. And I think when we think about God and think about His grace, that God invites us to pray, invites us to come to Him as a loving Heavenly Father. At the end of our prayers, You may hear people say, in Jesus' name, amen. Well, I think that's appropriate because we pray to the Father through the Son, and then in the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 8, 26 and 27 says sometimes we don't even know what to pray, and the Holy Spirit intercedes for us. And I do think getting God in view. And maybe more specifically, the Trinity in view will help us to pray. It was none other than the disciples of Jesus who said to Jesus, Lord, teach us to pray. And as I have matured in my own Christian life, I realize that there are some prayers that are more Christian than others. In various world religions, people pray. But when Christians pray, they pray to God as revealed in the Bible, and they pray in line with the priorities that have been taught to us primarily by Jesus, but not only by Jesus. I want to again here in a moment look at the Lord's Prayer, but maybe just to point out some other Realities in the Old Testament, there are often times when the characters in the Old Testament pray. Abraham, for example, prays for Lot. ⁓ Moses prays for the children of Israel. You can go through the Old Testament narratives and see Solomon has a great prayer, and these can serve as models. It's interesting that the prayers of the Old Testament are prayers offered to God, and that which was said to God becomes in the scripture a word for us. One of the richest places, I think, to listen to the prayer and praise given to God, which becomes in effect a word from God to us, is the Psalms. The Psalms are excellent to Read and then to learn the priorities, learn the struggle of prayer in the Psalms, and then pray it. I'd point out one other area in the New Testament before we look at the Lord's Prayer, and that is the letters of Paul. Paul has many prayers that he prays, and again, the prayers that Paul prays become model prayers for us. That we can see the priorities of prayer in the letters of Paul. Paul writes letters to churches, and those letters almost always begin with a prayer. And so you can begin to see that which Paul is going to unpack theologically and apply later in the letter is usually in a condensed form in a prayer. Paul will say, I give thanks. To God in every remembrance of you. And then he says, And I pray, that the eyes of your heart may be opened, that you may be able to discern God's will, and so forth. These show us Christian ways of praying. But there is no other prayer that should guide us as much as the Lord's Prayer. The Lord's Prayer in many ways is actually, I guess. Rightly titled in some sense, I mean the Lord taught it to us, but this prayer is really the disciple's prayer. It's the prayer that the disciple is to pray. In some church traditions, this is recited. I recite it now. Our Father in heaven, holy is 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 have also forgiven our debtors, and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. This prayer can be recited, and honestly, is so short, it should be memorized, I believe. Shouldn't take too much difficulty to do that. But then it's not just the mere reciting of this prayer, but beginning to look deeper into what are the priorities. Of the disciples' prayer or the Lord's prayer. Well, I think we should see, if I just give you a quick sketch here, that the priorities of prayer here, first of all, focus on God. I do think that prayer should focus our minds and hearts on God and not just rush into praying with all of our needs. We see, first of all, that we have a Loving Heavenly Father who has his abode in heaven, and that the name of God, which is often associated with the old testament name of God, ⁓ Yahweh, his name is to be honored as holy, the old English phrase hallowed be your name, which means holy is your name. You know, this is a good point I Did a previous podcast on translation and some people say, Well, why do we need fresh translations? Well, because language changes. And very few people would know at first glance what Halloween be, your name, even means. But if we say it, your name be set apart as holy, you're like, ⁓ well, I can I can ⁓ get that a little more clearly. That's the idea that God's name, which is really the whole person of who God is, that we should see him for who he is, that he is a being like no other. He is indeed a loving heavenly father who relates to us and loves us, but how awesome is he? I mean, I think hallow it be. Holy is your name. And then what is our goal for praying? God, give me a better job. God help me in this situation. God No, though those, no, no, no. Those are situated in the bigger vision of what God has. Your kingdom come. Your will be done. And may it be done on earth as it is in heaven. Now here's the reality of the gospel: that the perfect rule of God that is presently in heaven will one day fully. And completely be on the earth. We as Christians believe that Jesus will return. And when he returns, Revelation 21 and 22 will be realized. Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men. We will be his people. God himself will be our God, and he'll wipe away every tear from our eyes. Kingdom come. As my grandmother used to say, Rusty, till kingdom come. It's a very Christian idiom, which means. One day the fullness of God's kingdom will be. But the Christian praise that which will be in the future may it be right now in me. God would you work in me and work through me to bring about a little bit of the beauty and joy and love of The future, right here in the present. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Now I actually do think, by the way, that prayer changes things. But I also think, especially in this area, prayer changes you. When you pray every day, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Do this in me, God. Well, that begins to reshape and reorient your priorities. And then notice this, that the petitions of our prayers, while it is appropriate to ask for your needs, you should notice here that it says give us this day our daily bread. God give me today what is needed, not for tomorrow what is needed, not for yesterday which is gone, but give us this day our daily bread. To come to God and say, Sustain me today. I can't help but think of the Old Testament Israelites as they traveled through the wilderness and God provided them manna, manna from heaven, daily bread, to give them a sign that God is providing for them, God is caring for them, but God is giving them enough. Enough for today. And that should be our prayer. That can Reduce our anxiety to be overly thoughtful about tomorrow and can make us rely upon God for what we need today. And then notice forgiveness. We are to pray and forgive us our debts as we have forgiven our debtors. A Christian has been forgiven much. And so a Christian operates from the place of forgiveness. And I would say the only way that you will act in a forgiving way is that you remember that you have been forgiven and forgive us our debts. As we also have forgiven our debtors. And then this final part of the prayer, and lead us not into temptation. Now, honestly, again, this is a kind of a difficult translation. I I actually think that probably it should be because God doesn't lead us into temptation. It's a clear statement. James says that God doesn't tempt us. God lets us into the test. Actually, here's one of these situations where the same Greek word can mean tempt or test. And actually I think that probably a better rendering here, what is meant, is that we ought to ask God, could we miss the test today? I mean, I can we wake up in the morning and say, God, I don't want to be pressed down and shaken out today. I don't want Satan to sift me like wheat today. And if that could be missed, let it be. And let me, if the test comes, God, may I not succumb to it? And I think that's at the heart. God, don't lead me into a time of a test. But if that's the case, deliver me from the evil one who would want to destroy me. This is spiritual vigilance, keeping our spiritual eyes open. Where's my vulnerabilities? Where are my weaknesses? Where where could I be taken down? For Satan walks around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. I just want you to hear this as we wrap up today's podcast. Can't you see that you don't, you do need to pray? Yes. And many Christians don't pray consistently enough. This isn't a place of guilt. It should just be a place of devotion. And I want to pray. I want to talk to the Heavenly Father. But if Prayer not only changes things but changes us. We need to pray with God-given priorities. We need to grow up in our prayers. And if we situate in our mind who God is, we pray for God to realize his kingdom in me in the here and now, awaiting God's fullness of what he's going to do in the future, to pray, God, give me enough for today. And not to take thought for tomorrow, for tomorrow has enough worries of its own. And then to say, God, keep me in a place that I am one who's been forgiven and will forgive. And then, God, keep me spiritually alert, that may I not succumb to temptation, may I be delivered from the evil one, and may you give me what I need for today. I do think breaking up your prayer. into different priorities. Some people have also thought about this simple acrostic acts, A, Adoration, C confession, T, thanksgiving, S supplication, Axe. There are others. Some people say the acrostic pray, praise, repent, ask, yield. What am I trying to say? You need a model and a guide to make sure that your priorities in prayer Stay sufficiently lined up. So not only do you pray, but you pray in a way that is scripture taught. Thank you for listening to the You Ask Podcast. This is a ministry of Liberty Baptist Church, and we pray this podcast enables you to more faithfully live out your Christian life.