Pray in His Way

Pray in His Way

Matthew 6:5-15

Intro: I’ll need to review this daily!

In Matthew 6:5-15, we continue in Jesus’ sermon on the mount and study a section where He addresses prayer and the way it was being gone about. He then
provides a model for the way in which His disciples can pray. Not to be recited word for word necessarily, but a reference point, showing us a more
excellent way.

Prayer had become a way in which the Pharisees would be looked at as righteous. Jesus, as He is giving His sermon on the mount, has a better way for His
disciples. Not only does He address the way in which it is being wrongly gone about, but, He gives instruction on praying the right way, for and before
the Lord.

Read: Matthew 6:5-15

Like giving to the poor and fasting, prayer, is a good thing! Jesus didn’t start out with “if” you pray, but rather “when you pray.” The Pharisees were
praying, which is a good thing, but they were going about it in the wrong way. Praying for the applause or honor of people, not the Lord. Jesus begins
speaking on prayer by addressing the common expressions of prayer.

Their prayers looked good on the surface, but they were all for looks and the applause or awe of people. As Jesus turns His attention to prayer, He points
their attention away from what they have seen and toward the One who always sees. Certainly, there are ways in which we too have seen prayer gone about,
but I am thankful Jesus gives us a model, so we can pray in His way.

I. Remember Who You are Praying to

Matthew 6:5, When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites…

How were they praying?

• According to Matthew 6:5, they would stand and pray aloud in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men.

• The Pharisees had designated times of prayer at 9am, 12pm, and 3pm.

• The way they were going about these times of prayer was in order to be seen and applauded by people, rather than praying to the Father.

• While heading to the prayer meetings, they would stop on the street corners and offer long prayers for all to hear.

• They would head to the synagogue and do the same, for the very purpose of being seen by others and looked at as exceedingly righteous.

• Mouthing words toward God where they would have the largest audience, with the purpose of impressing another.

• Rather than for, or before men, their prayers were to be to the Father, in the inner room, who sees what is done in secret…Go to the inner room, shut the door (Vs. 6).
  

Illus. Shut everything else out, and come before the Father.

Matthew 6:7-8, And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose they will be heard for their many words. So, do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

• Repeating the same words over and over again will not ensure that God hears our prayers.

• It was common in pagan practice to focus on how they delivered their prayers, repeating the right words in the right order so that their god would
  bless them.
  

Illus. Baal or The Lord God.

Ecclesiastes 5:2, Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore, let your words be few.

• Your Father knows what you need, even before you ask Him, you don’t need to use meaningless repetition, jump up and down, scream louder or let your
  blood flow down in order for God to hear you; don’t be like them.

• Jesus encouraged persistence in prayer (Luke 18:1-8), before we end the sermon on the mount we will read His encouragement to “ask, seek, and knock.”
  Which reads in the Greek: keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking.

• What He is saying here is that we don’t need to inform the Lord, or convince the Lord, we need to pray and connect with the Lord.
  

Illus. Pray knowing that He knows all things.

• We pray to the God who knows, the God who doesn’t need our prayers but wants our prayers.Recognize who you are praying to, not to man, but to the God
  who knows.
  

A.Pray in this way

• This prayer Jesus gives, is called the Lord’s prayer, but it’s truly the disciples prayer. Given not as a prayer that is to be repeated meaninglessly,
  or even word for word; but as a model prayer.
  

Matthew 6:9, Pray, then, in this way…

• In this way, rather than pray these exact words. What we know is that He does not want meaningless repetition.
  

Illus. Let’s hear you quote it!

• Not a set group of words to repeat, but a true prayer with words of praise, adoration, and petitions.
  

Matthew 6:9, Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be your name.

• When we pray, we come before the Lord, God, who created it all, as children.
  

John 1:12, But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.

• He is God, the Father of those who trust in Him. Coming to Him as our Father is coming before our Abba Father (Romans 8:15).

• In our Father we express confidence and trust. Abba Father signifies a close relationship between a father and his child, as well as a childlike trust
  that a young child puts in his Abba (daddy).

• When we refer to Him as our Father, He doesn’t change, but we do!

• Matthew 6:9 “Who is in heaven, hallowed be your name.”

• He is our Father, but He is our Father in heaven. He transcends everything on earth, but He is also personal and loving.

• “Hallowed” It means regarded as holy, sacred, set apart. We recognize who He is with honor and reverence; which is an attitude of deep respect.

• We come before our Father, recognizing that He is to be highly honored and is worthy.

• Matthew 6:10 “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

• This is where we place a priority not on my plans, but that He would reign in my life and reign in all the earth.

• We know Christ will return rule and reign, as King of kings and Lord or lords. Remembering that “He is coming quickly” (Revelation 22:20)

• There is a way that we can approach Him, saying, “your will be done.”
  

A.Give His will priority, one day at a time

• When we come before the Father, surrendered to His will, we come to Him with a recognition that it’s not about our plans and schemes – Rather His ways
  are higher. 

Isaiah 55:8-9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

• You mean there is something bigger going on than I might be recognizing?
  

Illus. Sometimes it helps to remember prayers that I am glad weren’t answered.

Illus. Joseph who experienced great trouble, named his sons Manasseh: “God has made me forget” and Ephraim: “God has made be fruitful in the land of my affliction (Genesis 41:51-25)

• There are times however, where instead of seeking to “be still and know He is God,” we tell God to “be still and know that I am me.” 

• Thy will be done Lord, no my will. Your will be done at home, church, work, school. It’s not always easy, but your ways are higher. 

Matthew 26:39, And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”

• We can pray this way as well, if there is any other way; yet, not my will, but yours be done.
  

Psalm 16:8, I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

• We can say this in different ways and moods, but it’s said best with honor and trust. “Your will be done in this world and in my life.”
  

Matthew 6:11, Give us this day our daily bread.” And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

• Daily provision, forgiveness, and strength in the face of temptation are all important and rightly brought before the Father.

• When Jesus spoke of our daily bread, He meant real bread, the food we eat daily.

• The word daily only occurs once in the New Testament, here.

• I look to you, Lord, for what I need today and trust that you will provide. This prayer is not weekly, monthly, or yearly, but give us THIS day…I
  am trusting you daily for what is needed.

• Not only do we trust His daily, but we understand that He is the forgiver.

• Verses 14-15 give us some insight that if we forgive others, we too will be forgiven.

• Our moral debts are forgiven, as we forgive. Have you forgiven? Are you willing to?

• Lead us not into temptation…The word here is not descriptive of enticement to do evil, but testing as God does not tempt men to do evil (James
  1:13). 

Illus. Praying for a test.

1 Corinthians 10:13, No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

James 5:16, The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

• Praise God (6:9), intercede for His work in the world (and your world, 6:10), ask for provision for your daily needs (6:11), and request help with
  forgiveness and daily struggle. 

He has given the outline: Pray in His Way, give His will priority, one day at a time.

Matthew 6:5-15