Part 2 To God Our Father The Second Message In A Series Addressing A Life Of Prayer Pastor Larry Goding Community Church At Sun Village Surprise, Arizona
Teach Us To Pray Part 2 To God, Our Father Matthew 6:9; Luke 11:2a The Sermon On The Mount, as it has been called, appears in chapters 5-7 in the book of Matthew. It has been described as the most famous sermon Jesus ever gave, one which some claim is perhaps the most famous sermon ever given by anyone. If we were to summarize the Sermon on the Mount in a single sentence, it would be something like this: How to live a life that is dedicated to and pleasing to God, free from hypocrisy, full of love and grace, full of wisdom and discernment. Matthew writes a concluding statement about that sermon. When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at His teaching, because He taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law [Matthew 7:28-29]. May we all continue to be amazed at his teaching and follow the principles that he taught in that amazing sermon. As an important part of that great sermon we have what has been called The Lord s Prayer, or sometimes called, The Disciples Prayer. This prayer is given as a model for effective prayer. It is designed to express the 1
manner in which we are to pray, but not necessarily the precise words or petitions which we are to use. On another occasion the disciples, being with Jesus, asked that he teach them to pray. Luke tells us that what occasioned that teaching was the example of Jesus regarding what real prayer is all about. He had just finished one of his private sessions of prayer when one of his disciples came to him and asked, Lord, teach us to pray as John also taught his disciples to pray [Luke 11:1]. The disciples had heard Jesus pray. They had witnessed his fervor, the seriousness, the moments when he was at his lowest, and perhaps something of the elevation, of his spirit in his supplications. Having observed all that, they were greatly motivated in their personal desire to emulate what they saw in Jesus. Prayer appeared to them in a new light. Up until now it was a ceremony that was performed in keeping with the practice of offering common prayers at specified times each day. Now it was understood more as an inward, spiritual experience with God. For the first time they began to regard their prayer times as the work of the heart, and they became conscious that up to now they had not been fully engaged in that kind of prayer. Seeing his example their request was, Lord, teach us to pray. From that request it seems clear that they desired that in the future their prayers might be of a deeper and 2
more spiritual character. Should that not be the desire of every true child of God who longs for a closer walk with God? What is implied in the disciple s request? Clearly it implies a conviction of the importance and need of an effective prayer life that reaches the very throne of God. It raises a sense of the need to be taught and a sincere desire to learn. It implies that Jesus disciples already had a true spirit or disposition of prayer and that there was no one better to teach them than Jesus himself. It is easy to imagine that in his heart of hearts Jesus was eager to teach them the secrets of prayer. The Model For Prayer [Matthew 6:9a]. This, then, is how you should pray... Jesus began his instruction with these words: This, then, is how you should pray [Matthew 6:9a NIV]. He did not say, Pray this prayer, which would suggest that we pray it verbatim. Rather, the prayer he gives is a model prayer, meaning it should serve as a pattern for our devotion. Its characteristics should mark our prayers. So, let us learn from it the method in which we should pray. The model for prayer that Jesus gave to his followers as part of the Sermon On The Mount can be divided into 3
three parts. The first Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name deals with God s glory. The second Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven deals with His reign everywhere; that His laws may be obeyed; and especially that the gospel of Christ may be advanced everywhere, until the whole world shall be filled with His glory. 1 The third Give us our daily bread, forgive us our sins, lead us not into temptation deal with our personal needs. When we pray we are to begin with the character of God. And, the reason we pray and the reason God answers is to put Himself and His glory on display. We end with a burst of praise acknowledging the eternal nature of His kingdom, His power and authority, and the glory of His character. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen [Matthew 6:13 NKJV]. The Manner Of Prayer [Matthew 6:5-7]. Before giving the model prayer Jesus talks about the proper posture of prayer. He suggests that there is a right way and a wrong way to come before God in prayer. His instruction stems from the cultural and religious practices of his day. 1 Barnes' Notes. 4
5 And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 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 [Matthew 6:5-7 NKJV]. A Wrong Way To Pray Public prayer was common among the Jews of Jesus day. Jewish rabbi Nissan Mindel writes, Jewish Law makes it our duty to pray three times daily: in the morning, in the afternoon and at nightfall. These prayers are called morning prayer, afternoon prayer, and evening prayer. Our Sages tell us that the custom of praying three times a day was originally introduced by our Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Abraham introduced prayer in the morning, Isaac in the afternoon, and Jacob added one at night. 2 2 Chabad.org. 5
We have examples in the New Testament of individuals who followed the practice as required by the Law. Peter and John followed that practice when they went up one day, at the prescribed hour, to the temple to pray when they encountered a lame man who asked for their help [Acts 3]. A Pharisee and a tax collector followed that practice when the Pharisee prayed a flowery public prayer while the tax collector expressed his unworthiness to come before God. [Luke 18:10]. At times those required prayers were long and full of many words, and the prayer hours throughout the day obliged the faithful to repeat these prayers wherever they happened to be. The Pharisees, who were full of their own self-righteousness, often planned to be present in the streets during those times so they might be seen by the people, and applauded for their great display of piety. It was to that outward display of hypocritical piety that Jesus referred and that he warned against. A sincere prayer does not have to be wordy; however, earnestness is imperative in prayer. Bible commentator Adam Clark puts it this way, At the heart of prayer is a pouring out of the soul to God, as a free-will offering, solemnly and eternally dedicated to him, accompanied with the most earnest desire that it may know, love, and serve him alone. When we come to Him in that way God 6
will hear and bless our prayers. Prayer is the language of dependence. If we fail in our prayer life we are endeavoring to live independently of God. 3 So, Jesus first addresses the matter of public prayers, which was a common practice of the Jewish people and were often done in public places at specified times during the day. Let s be clear, however, that Scripture nowhere condemns public prayer, nor individual prayer offered in a public place. Neither the Pharisees nor the publicans sinned by praying in the temple. What Jesus speaks to here is the ostentatious praying, that is, having one s private devotions in the most public place with the intention of being seen and honored by the people. 4 Hear the words of King Solomon: Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few [Ecclesiastes 5:2 NIV]. In other words, when you come before God in prayer be thoughtful about what you ask, remembering that God is all-knowing and needs only hear your deepest concerns. 3 Adam Clark Commentary on Matthew 6:5. 4 William Hendriksen, New Testament Commentary: Exposition of the Gospel of Matthew. 7
So, Jesus warns regarding the wrong way to pray. 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 [Matthew 6:7 NKJV]. A Right Way To Pray Having given some warning as to the wrong way to pray, Jesus continues with his instruction on the right way to pray. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly [Matthew 6:6 NKJV]. What Jesus is teaching is that there should be a quiet place where we may go to in secret, where we may be alone with God. There should be some place to which we may retreat where no ear will hear us but His ear, and no eye can see us but His eye. A place where we can freely pour out our heart to God. The story is told of a young Jewish lad who lived on an isolated farm with his family. They were quite poor and lived simple lives. One day the boy got to travel to a village with his father. He was drawn to a synagogue where he heard prayers being recited. His heart was 8
touched, so he went in and sat down to listen to the prayers. The boy was deeply moved and wanted to join in the prayers, but he could not read the Siddur, the Hebrew prayer book. So he closed his eyes and simply prayed the alphabet, Aleph, Bet, Gimmel, Dalet, and on through the whole Hebrew alphabet. He recited the alphabet over and over again. Then he said, O God, I don t know how to pray or what to say; so please take these letters and form them into the words that You would like to hear. God, no doubt, hears such prayers, for His Spirit searches our hearts when we pray. The Apostle Paul helps us understand that. He writes, Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God [Romans 8:27 NKJV]. The Method Of Prayer [Matthew 6:9b]. Our Father, Who is in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Today we are going to look at the first phase of the prayer Our Father, Who is in heaven, Hallowed be thy name [Matthew 6:9b NASB]. I want to take this entire phrase 9
apart piece-by-piece so that we might gain a clear understanding of what Jesus is teaching. Our Father We are immediately struck by the words, Our Father. It is instantly clear that not everyone is privileged to address God as Father in the spiritual sense. That is the exclusive prerogative of those who are in Christ. Puritan preacher Thomas Watson said it this way: Since God has a Son of His own, and such a Son, how wonderful God s love in adopting us. Even though God is the Father of all creation, He is only the Heavenly Father to those who have made their peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, when His children come to Him in prayer they can be confident that He is always ready to hear their prayers as a loving father who is ready to hear and attend to the request of His child. The foundation of prayer, therefore, is a personal relationship with God as our Father. We might say there is both a vertical and horizontal relationship to this prayer. Vertically we are to recognize God as our loving Father. We can say with confidence, I have an 10
intimate relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Horizontally God is not just my Father, but the same Father for all believers around the world and throughout history. Believers around the world share in that same relationship with our heavenly Father. The common bond comes through our relationship with Jesus Christ. So, when we come to Him as our Father, we share a common bond with the whole body of Christ in the World. Think about it for a moment. The one to whom we pray is our own loving Father, not some far away unseen deity. He is not only God in heaven, but He is my Father in heaven. He is personal in His dealings with His children. I can say with confidence, therefore, that He is interested in my every need and concern. He is the Almighty, holy God who calls us to holiness. I can call Him Father because I have established a personal relationship with Him through His Son. It is because of God s unmerited love, poured out for us through his Son Jesus, that we are blessed to be able to pray Our Father. Jesus used the term Abba, Father, which implies intimacy, a relationship of love and trust. It is a term a young child would use to address a loving 11
father. It is also a form of address an adult child could employ without embarrassment to address a father with honor and respect. Abba is a Greek and English transliteration of the Aramaic word for father. It is a word that engenders respect and honor of the one you call father. It is a term of intimacy whereby we can come to Him and expect that He will do for us what any loving father would do for his child. It is to Him that we humbly go in prayer. Our Father indicates His nearness. He is near to all His children. Therefore, as His child you can approach the Father s throne with confidence to, as the hymn writer puts it, make all our wants and wishes known. That is, in harmony with His revealed will. 5 Who is in heaven He is our Father who abides in heaven literally, in the heavens. In the New Testament Heaven is spoken of as the Throne room of God. It is there that we are free to come boldly before the throne of Grace to receive mercy and grace to help us in our time of need. It is there that Christ our Savior sits at the right hand of God, in a 5 Hendricksen. 12
position of power and authority. It is there that Christ serves as our High Priest who understands us because he himself experienced the same things in life on this earth as we do. It is there that Christ talks to our Father about us and brings our petitions to the Father. We direct our prayers to our Father in heaven where His glory dwells. When we pray, we are reminded that we are dependent upon our heavenly Father who knows our need before we even ask. It reminds us that, This world is not my home, I m just passing through. It causes me to, as the Apostle Paul reminds us, let my mind dwell on the kingdom of God Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth [Colossians 3:2-3 NKJV]. Recognition of Him as in heaven and hallowed set apart and holy puts us in the proper frame of mind when we come to Him. It brings us near to Him as a personal God. It causes us to recognize His holiness and brings us to Him humbly yet confidently, knowing that He is our heavenly Father God. 6 We are reminded of that fact by the Apostle Paul. 14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, 6 Lawrence Richards, The Bible Reader s Companion on Matthew 6:9-13. 13
let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need [Hebrews 4:14-16 NKJV]. It reminds us that we are to be holy because He is holy. The Apostle Peter reminds us of that fact. He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, Be holy, for I am holy [1 Peter 1:15 NKJV]. When we say Father we use a privileged title, demonstrating a privileged relationship. When we say in heaven we are acknowledging God s holiness and glory. He is our Father, but our Father in heaven. 7 From there He reigns supreme. Jesus is God s Son by nature. We are born again as God s children through faith in Jesus Christ. Developing this theme, the Apostle Paul assures us that all who believe have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, Abba Father it is that very Spirit bearing witness with 7 David Guzik Commentary on the Bible. 14
our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him [Romans 8:15-17 NASB]. Hallowed be Your name. The last part of the introduction to prayer is hallowed be Your name. God s name reveals His character who He really is. To hallow God s name means to hold Him in reverence, to honor, glorify, and exalt Him lift Him up. With that comes a spirit of humility and gratitude, and a desire for more knowledge of Him that will result in deeper experiences of worship. To hallow God s name means that we pray that God s name may shine forth gloriously, and that it may be honored and sanctified set apart as holy by us, in the whole course and tenor of our lives. By our being 15
brought into that loving relationship with the Father we invite everyone who shares that same relationship to join us in our praise and worship of Him so that we might glorify Him together. It is as the psalmist declares, Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together [Psalm 34:3 NKJV]. So, when I pray hallowed be your name, I am not asking God to make Himself holy, because by his very nature He is holy. What I am asking is that His holiness may be made known throughout the world. I am really saying, Father, in heaven, help me to be a revelation of Your holiness in this world. Help me to live in holiness because You are holy. Help me to live in awareness that by Your Son I have been made righteous before You and by Your Spirit I am able to live in holiness before You. The psalmist reminds us in speaking to God, But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel [Psalm 22:3 NKJV]. Conclusion The focus of our prayers should always be to bring glory to God. The right kind of prayer has a passion for God s glory and agenda. His name, His kingdom, and His will 16
have the top priority. 8 The Psalmist reminds us of the importance of our praises. 5 Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You. 6 Then the earth shall yield her increase; God, our own God, shall bless us. 7 God shall bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall fear Him [Psalm 67:5-7 NKJV]. This, then is how you should pray, Our Father, Who is in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. What a privilege we have of going directly to our heavenly Father to express our love, adoration, and acknowledge His holiness. As Moses prepared the Israelites to go into the Promised Land, he blessed each of the tribes with an individual blessing. To the tribe of Asher he declared: 26 There is no one like the God of Israel. He rides across the heavens to help you, across the skies in majestic splendor. 27 The eternal God is your refuge, and His everlasting arms are under you [Deuteronomy 33:26-27 NLT]. Make that personal. There is no God like your heavenly Father to help you God whose dwelling is in the 8 Guzik. 17
heavens. The prophet Jeremiah reminded the Jew who were in exile that God had not forgotten them. He gives them the very words from God Himself. 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart [Jeremiah 29:11-14 NKJV]. If it was good for the Jews who because of their disobedience had been taken captive, it is good for us who would call upon God every day of our lives. The message is the same. Let us freely pray, Our Father, Who is in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 18