Teach Us To Pray - Matthew 6

But I really want us to really think about prayer.

And I want you guys to be able to look at prayer from a biblical perspective.

And many times prayer can be taught from these other points of view where it's about your

conversation with Jesus or your communion with Christ or these kinds of things.

And communion would be more an appropriate thing.

But I want us to really understand how God has called us and has given us a sacrament

of prayer.

That we should be praying as Paul states in the scriptures, continually.

The question is how do we pray?

Can we pray?

So before we do anything we need to define prayer.

And so I know I'm about to pray again and ask God to guide our conversation through

this.

But there is a clear model for prayer.

And so we will, doing some very purposeful expository preaching through this as we expound,

as we exegete these truths, I want you to make sure that you're spending time getting

what's being said here and not overlooking it because you guys, because we've been taught

by some other means that prayer is this or that.

I want you to see what Jesus says about it.

So Father I want to thank you so much that you are the awesome and mighty God.

I'd ask you Lord that you would guide our conversation.

Lord that as we come before you and seek the manna, spiritual manna and the spiritual water,

everlasting water, Lord as a deer pants for the water so much so long as after you, that

you would please Lord provide for us all that we need for our spiritual health.

That we are alive in Christ and that we have a responsibility to continue to walk in holiness

and to love you supremely.

That we would love others by forgiving them and that we would commit to honoring you in

our prayer life and really understand what you have given us here in the Lord's Prayer

or as they would, as has been taught that this is the Lord's Prayer.

This is really a model for us to live by as we worship and honor you in meeting with you.

Lord we thank you and praise you in Jesus name, amen.

What is prayer?

So the word prayer from the beginning, you know, you're like you got to do one of these

Greek words don't you?

Yes because it's literally the only word that Jesus uses or that really the New Testament

even describes as prayer.

What is prayer?

And it's pros ukomai.

Pros ukomai is the word for prayer.

Pros ukomai has two words within it.

First one is pros which means to be near or to come before.

So when you're thinking about prayer, you are coming near or coming before God.

That's what it's about.

The word ukomai is the word pray, will or wish.

You're like God doesn't do wishes.

Well God does give us the desires of our heart if there are certain things we do.

But the point is I think the most important word here in ukomai is the word will.

Whose will are you seeking in prayer?

Have you ever thought about prayer from this perspective?

I think we're going to have a very clear distinct understanding of prayer when you look at prayer

from this perspective.

Pros ukomai to come near according to the will of God.

Many have said including me that it's communication with God or conversation with God and all

that's true.

There is some type of communication with God.

Now God speaks to us through his word and we speak to him in our hearts as the Holy

Spirit prays for us because we pray as we really don't know how to pray well.

So it's very important that we understand that there is this idea that prayer is this

communication but it's so much more than that.

Prayer is so much more than that.

The doctrine of prayer and here's the definition.

The doctrine of prayer is a means of grace offered according to the will of God expressed

in accordance with his word.

Wow.

When you think of prayer many think I can come to God and just ask whatever I want.

One it's a fast food restaurant just go in give me a Big Mac large fry and a Coke and

just leave.

That's the way they look at God.

But it's more than it's not that at all.

This is not a one stop shop to get your stuff to get the stuff you want.

This is a means of grace offered according to the will of God expressed in accordance

with his word.

If you want your prayers to be answered then you need to do it according to his word.

Prayer is the language of the soul.

John Calvin said opening up of our hearts before God.

That's prayer.

Prayer is so much more than just having a conversation.

Prayer reveals more about your heart than the wallet in your back pocket or in your

purse.

You're like whoa.

When you think about prayer you know when you think about your treasures where your

treasure is there your heart will be also.

So prayer has a tendency to show even more about the reality of your of the condition

of your heart.

Many of you may be convicted after this.

After this be honest with you.

It's quite revealing.

So when we so if I want to sit and pay I listen to you guys pray.

I listen to every all of our people pray.

And some people are just way off.

They just don't get it.

And it may be because it's not being taught from the biblical perspective.

It's not a good understanding of prayer that we we've taken prayer and we've modeled prayer

and we've replicated prayer in such a way that now people pray in this kind of way and

they missed the whole point of prayer.

It's kind of amazing.

We will clarify this in John 17 because we will end this whole series with John 17 the

real Lord's Prayer.

And you'll see that Jesus uses this model even in that prayer.

OK.

During these next few weeks we'll examine what scripture has to say about prayer how

why what and when we should pray.

Prayer is about aligning ourselves with God's will not our own.

Matthew 26 36 just to give you a clear understanding that this is absolutely true.

Turn to Matthew chapter 26.

Matthew 26 · chapter mention

Now as you guys are turning there and I'm turning there.

Matthew 20 we're going to go along the little journey since this is more of a expository

topic of specifically prayer.

It's going to be a little bit of walking but I will clarify these scriptures very clearly

so you understand them.

So in chapter 26 Jesus is in the garden of Gethsemane.

And he has brought his disciples with him and they are there to to as Jesus goes and

prays to the father verse 36 says chapter 26 verse 36 of Matthew then Jesus went with

them to a place called Gethsemane and he said to it said to his disciples sit here while

I go over there and pray and taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee he began

to be sorrowful and trembled.

And he said to them my soul is very sorrowful even to death remain here and watch with me.

So Jesus is Jesus knows his time has come to an end and that there is a payment that

must be paid and he realizes this is the moment that he has been talking about.

So he goes to pray and you're going to see why.

Verse 39 and going a little further he fell on his face and prayed saying he fell on his

face and my father if it be possible let this cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will

but as you will.

What do you notice that Jesus does immediately?

He reorients his will.

Prayer reorients your will.

It places your heart in the place it's supposed to be.

So when Jesus goes before the father it's to reset his mind to be in communion with

Christ with the father sorry.

Now very simple truth there isn't it.

Turn to Luke chapter 11.

Luke 11 · chapter mention

So Jesus is brought to this moment with his disciples and they've seen him pray several

times they've seen him go off and pray and he come back and they've seen him pray before

people.

Now I want you to notice this look what it says in Luke chapter 11 verse 1 we're going

Luke 11:1

to do one through four.

Now Jesus was praying in a certain place when he finished one of his disciples said to him

do you see that?

How many times have we watched Hollywood?

Jesus goes off and he comes back and his disciples say hey teach us to pray.

No it's more than that.

He's literally they literally just got done watching him pray.

They've heard him pray and they're like I want to pray like that.

How do we do that?

And so they ask him the question Lord teach us to pray as John taught his disciples.

How do we pray like that?

We have to assume that that might be exactly why they're thinking will you teach us to

pray?

When he said to them when you pray say Father hallowed be your name.

That word hallowed is the word holy.

Father holy is your name.

This is what he's saying Abba holy is your name Yahweh.

The name of Yahweh is holy.

For Abba holy your kingdom come give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our sins

for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us and lead us not into temptation.

What do you see about this particular prayer that the disciples are wondering how do we

pray like that?

Teach us to pray.

And what you notice here is this is a reorientation of their heart.

I will clarify this in Matthew.

Principle number one God knows the intent of the heart.

God knows the intent of the heart.

A person always does what's in the heart.

You are what you are.

If you are flesh you're flesh and if you're spirit you're spirit.

How do we know that?

Because Jesus even tells you.

It's not what goes into a man's mouth and into his stomach that makes a man unclean

it's what comes from his heart and out of his mouth that makes a man unclean.

What makes you think if we have conversations with each other in a way that is dishonoring

the Lord what makes you think that you're honestly going to be able to go to God in

prayer and you're not going to say something foolish?

Here you go you ready?

Matthew chapter six turn there.

Just to clarify this truth Matthew chapter six verse five through six.

Notice what he says and when you pray you must not be like the hypocrites for they love

to stand and pray in the synagogue and at the street corners that they may be seen by

others.

Truly I say to you they have received their reward.

How many of you guys would like look at certain individuals on TV or particular preachers

or whatever and you go yo they're prayer warriors man they know how to pray.

I could probably pick out a couple but I have a tendency to throw those people onto the

bus quite a bit.

You already know see I don't even got to talk I just did but you guys know who they are.

You would say that's a prayer they know how to pray.

Man they're calling out demons.

Yeah they have no idea what prayer is.

No idea why because they pray according to the flesh.

They pray for what they can get not praying that they will reorient themselves before

living in holy God.

But notice what Jesus says in verse six but when you pray go into your room shut the door

and pray to your father who is in secret and your father who sees in secret will reward

you.

In other words don't be like the hypocrites who pray for everyone to see so that they

can be told hey you look you pray amazing.

Your words are amazing I wish I could pray like you.

No Jesus says the opposite.

Why don't you close the door and pray and when your father who sees in secret what you've

done he will reward you in secret.

There are many men and women who are in jail in other countries because of their faith.

They can't go to a secret room but they can go into the secret room of their heart.

Have you ever thought about that?

That the secret room is the secret room of your heart.

What reward do we get?

The conformity of Jesus.

What more of a reward do you want?

You think that the reward that you get because you prayed a certain prayer is going to be

money in your pocket or your bills paid.

Or is it conforming me into the image of a son?

What more of a reward do you desire?

God's will for you is to pray knowing God knows your need.

That's the principle.

Many professing believers pray like the idolaters begging for an answer as if God is a lifeless

idol.

It's one of the things that drives me nuts.

They think that they will be heard for their many words.

They think that they will be heard for their many words.

They think that they will be heard for their many words.

When you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do.

For they think that they will be heard for their many words.

Do not be like them for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

I want you to notice something.

Go to 1 Kings chapter 18.

1 Kings 18 · chapter mention

Many of you probably know this little scripture.

Chapter 18, verse 18, verse 22.

It's about Elijah.

Interesting, because this is exactly what Jesus is talking about.

He says, then Elijah said to the people, I, even I only am left a prophet of the Lord.

But Baal's prophets are 450 men.

Let two bulls be given to us and let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it

into pieces and lay it on the wood and put no fire to it.

And I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood and put no fire to it.

And you call on the name of your God and I will call upon the name of the Lord, Yahweh.

And Elohim who answers by fire, he is Elohim.

And all the people answered, it is well spoken.

Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, choose for yourselves one bull and prepare

it first, for you are many, and call upon the name of your God and put no fire to it.

And they took the bull that was given to them and they prepared it and called upon the name

of Baal from morning until noon saying, oh Baal, answer us.

All day, oh Baal.

Oh Lord, take it away.

Oh Lord, answer our prayer.

As if the God of all creation is a lifeless idol like Baal.

When the scripture clearly says that God already knows what your need is before you ask him,

why don't you come before me and reorient your heart?

Because I want something.

See, God is a God like an idol to them, to get what they want.

Now you see why Jesus gives this model.

It's going to shock you, hopefully.

Christ gives us principle, Christ gives us a clear model for prayer.

Here's a statement.

Why do you think we can do it better or come up with a more effective way to pray?

Oh, because we have an issue of idolatry.

We worship idols.

We worship ourselves because we think we could do it better.

And the Holy Spirit clearly states that we can't pray because we pray as we ought not

to pray.

Matthew 9, Matthew 6, 9 through 13.

Here it is.

You guys ready for the model?

Love how Jesus teaches them to pray.

This is what it says.

Pray then like this.

Our Father in heaven, hallowed, holy 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 also have forgiven our

debtors and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Evil translation from evil, not evil one.

I don't know about you, but I like to be delivered from all evil, not just the evil one.

Just saying.

What's the model here?

Why does Jesus teach them to pray like this?

Are you guys ready?

Just exalt or praise.

Here it is.

Start with God.

Exalt or praise.

Exalt Him or praise Him.

Our Father in heaven, holy be your name.

If there's anything the elders know and people that pray with me know, I start with God,

I end with God.

I purpose to think through following the model because it reorients my heart, my mind, my

will, the things I desire, I want to be what He desires.

That's the whole point of prayer.

Start with Him.

Exalt or praise.

Our Father in heaven, holy or how would be your name.

Second, surrender.

Surrender.

Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Not my will, your will.

Your kingdom come, your will be done.

Do you see the difference here?

When we praise Him and start with Him, then we're going to be able to really understand

the point of surrendering to Him because He's the King.

He's the masterful one.

He's amazing.

He's majestic.

He's beautiful.

It's easy when you realize that I am nothing to surrender my will and desires to Him and

Him alone.

As a result, you then can go before Him and ask Him for your needs.

Why?

Because you've given praise to the King.

You've surrendered your will, which means your will has now become His will because

you've surrendered your will to His will and you say, give us this day our daily bread.

Why does He use this term?

In other words, He's saying to you this, God, you are the source of my existence.

Give us this day our daily bread.

You notice He doesn't say, hey, I really want them brand new sneakers.

I want that nice car.

You're the source of all life for me.

You care my daily, my physical needs, spiritual needs.

Here we go.

You ready?

So, fourth.

So, first is exalt and praise.

Second, surrender.

Third, ask according to His will.

Fourth, repent.

Spiritual need.

What's your most important spiritual need?

To get right with God.

What does John say?

1 John 1, 9, that if we confess that we have sinned, He is faithful and just to forgive

us of all our sin and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Repent and forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Forgive us.

Help us to forgive.

Jesus says, if you do not forgive your brother, I will not forgive you.

Repent.

Number four.

Number five, because we've exalted God and glorified Him, because we've surrendered our

will to His will, because we have asked according to His will and we've repented and gotten

ourselves in right mind for Him, we then can petition Him, a petition, and lead us not

into temptation but deliver us from evil.

Notice what the petition is.

The petition is not, hey, I would really like.

No.

The petition is make me more like Jesus.

Keep me from sin and keep evil from me that I may walk in the holiness of your presence.

What's the one thing that keeps us from being able to talk?

I know men, you guys know this, fathers, if things aren't right with our wives, what happens

to your prayer?

Sometimes it feels like it hits the ceiling.

Right?

I'm looking at all the men.

You're like, why are you pointing at me?

Everybody gets a little bit, including me.

Right?

Petition.

Lead us not into temptation.

Make me right.

Make me like Christ.

Keep me from failure and keep me from evil.

Lastly, not all, not, this particular phrase is not found in the earliest manuscripts nor

in the modern manuscripts, though it is placed in there as a footnote because the earliest

manuscripts don't have this in there.

I will share this with you, though.

It does fit amazingly.

There's really nothing in here at all that would make us think that Jesus would not have

said this.

Okay?

Just making it clear.

King James would have it in some of the other translations, but this is what it says.

So if we start with God, we surrender our will, we ask according to his will, we repent

and get ourselves right, we then petition him to make us more like Jesus, we then go

back to him and give him all the praise and glory.

For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Amen.

Now, when you think about a model prayer and the disciples go, teach us to pray, and he

says, this is how you should pray, then how should you pray?

I mean, should we pray like Joel's team?

Nope.

There's a way to pray.

He's given us the model.

Now, what's interesting about this model is, it doesn't, as long as you are really following

the model, then everything gets reoriented and your prayers get heard and answered.

How do we know?

Because to be honest with you, God answers the prayer of Mount Eaton Church.

It's amazing.

You guys are praying, most of you guys are probably praying like this and don't even

realize it.

That's a spirit of God thing.

I mean, how many times have we seen people healed and we haven't come over and like smacked

them in the forehead and threw a jacket?

I mean, think about it.

Why?

Because our hearts are right with him.

The whole point of prayer is to reorient.

Prayer is not a means to get something nor a way to seem more spiritual nor a duty.

It's an act of worship and love.

It's not a time to brag or give advice.

Drives me nuts when I listen to people pray and they go, Lord, help this man, Lord Jesus,

because I'm about to kick him.

My kids are driving me crazy, Lord.

I don't know what to do.

You know, kids sitting next to you and just put your hand on them and just cast them out,

Lord.

Just Lord.

Exactly.

And so what ends up happening is that we end up giving advice to people during our prayer

time.

How irreverent is that?

It's not time for you to say to somebody, get your act together.

It's not a time to point out others' faults or issues nor a time to remind God to fix

others so that my life can be better.

It is a time to reorient your heart, a time to position yourself properly before a holy

God, a time to present yourself in humility, a time to come to daddy in faith and assurance

that Father God hears you.

That's what prayer is all about.

A time to truly rely on Him because we do not pray as we should.

Romans chapter 8, verse 26 through 27, you can write that down.

Romans 8:26–27

Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.

What's implied here is we are weak in our flesh.

We don't pray as we should.

You can't pray as you should because you live in a fallen, broken body that has not been

redeemed yet.

For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for

us with groanings too deep for words.

And He who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes

for the saints according to the will of God.

Why do you think Jesus gives us a model?

He gives us a model because left to our own demise, we'll come up with all kinds of ways

to pray and go, that's awesome prayer time.

Why are you so adamant about this?

Because remember, your prayer tells me more about your heart than your wallet.

It's a time to love and worship Him.

It's a time of refreshing and strengthening.

It's a personal, private time with Him to enjoy Him with no distractions.

It's our time together as God's people with Him, a time alone with Him.

When we gather together, let's praise Him.

Let's follow the model together.

Lift Him high.

Make the world know Him by our proclamation of the goodness of our God.

And that in the midst of all that, that we are sinful and Lord that You would forgive

us of our sin so that we can willingly and openly come before You and have the right

attitude of mind to know what to ask for.

When you come together, pray with intent.

It is a time for comfort and peace, a time to know Him more deeply as we pray through

His Word.

So meet with Him continually in prayer and you will absolutely be changed.

Make sure that your prayer time is purposeful.

That you go before God to reorient your heart with Him.

That doesn't mean that you can't go and petition for your spouse or petition for your kids.

But make sure that you've done everything you have to do to make sure your heart and

your mind, your will, your desires are all reoriented in His will according to His Word.

And then when you pray for them, you pray for them according to their Word.

Lord that You would save them if they do not know You.

Lord that You would conform them into the image of Your Son as You have promised because

they belong to You.

And Lord that You would draw out of them and that they would commit according to Your Word

of Romans 2 that they would not be conformed to the pattern of this world but be transformed

by the renewing of their mind, Lord.

Renew their mind.

Don't conform that person into my image but Lord conform them into Yours.

You see the difference when you're reoriented?

When you start with Him and you go through the process and you end with Him, how much

more, yes I said much more, it's bad English, I don't care.

How much much?

How much more much?

Your prayer life is with the Holy, amazing God.

Have you ever thought about prayer from that perspective?

So let me give these to you one more time.

Exalt or praise.

Surrender your will to His will.

Ask according to His will.

Repent of your sin.

Ask Him to help you forgive others.

In Him for your conformity into Christ and help others to be more like Jesus and exalt

and praise.

Give all the glory to Him when it's all done.

Very simple.

Isn't that a nice model?

That's an amazing model.

To be honest with you, a couple of times I'm praying with the guys Wednesday night and

they're like, man, it's a model, it's not mine.

I just follow it.

Your prayer life will be so refreshing.

If you follow Christ's model, you don't need to change it.

That being said, we're going to pick up next week in the doctrine of prayer as we start

looking through why we gave you the how and the why.

What should you pray?

I gave you the model and when.

We're going to deal with the issue of when next week.

Then we'll start going through some examples of prayer, Old Testament, New Testament.

I will tell you we're going to go through Hannah's prayer.

An amazing prayer.

Prayer of a woman who loves her God.

Then we'll go through the prayer of Jesus.

We got a lot to go through over the next several weeks.

Father, I want to thank you so much for your faithfulness and goodness.

To you be honor and glory.

Thank you, Lord, for your word.

Thank you again for all the spiritual manna, the reality of the truth that prayer is a

reorientation of our heart and our mind, our will, our desires.

That our needs are fully found and met in you.

Help us to forgive as you have forgiven us.

And to love others as you have loved us.

To honor and lift you high in all things.

To proclaim your wonderful name, the name of Yeshua, the God who saves.

For we thank you and praise you.

In Jesus' name, amen.