Matthew 6: jesus on prayer

1. Matthew 6: jesus on prayer

2. Luke 6:12: At that time Jesus went up a hill to pray and spent the whole night there praying to God. • Luke 9:28: About a week after he had said these things, Jesus took Peter, John, and James with him and went up a hill to pray. • Luke 11:1: One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples." • Luke 22:39: Jesus left the city and went, as he usually did, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples went with him.

3. “The prayer of a good person has a powerful effect.” James 5:16

4. 2 ways not to pray • “When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites! They love to stand up and pray in the houses of worship and on the street corners, so that everyone will see them. I assure you, they have already been paid in full. But when you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:5-6) • “When you pray, do not use a lot of meaningless words, as the pagans do, who think that their gods will hear them because their prayers are long. Do not be like them. Your Father already knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6:7-8)

5. Meaningless words • “to say the same thing over and over” • “to babble” • “to rattle off” • “to speak without giving thought to what is spoken” • “unthinking words”

6. “According to Tibetan Buddhist tradition, spinning such a wheel will have much the same effect as orally reciting the prayers.”

7. Prayer • Luther “did not pass a day without devoting three hours at least to prayer, and they were hours selected from those the most favorable to study….full of adoration, fear, and hope, as when one speaks to a friend.” D’Aubigne, b. 14, ch. 6 • “The LORD would speak with Moses face-to-face, just as someone speaks with a friend.” (Exodus 33:11) • “Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend” (Steps to Christ, pg. 93).

8. Meaningless words “You are awesome…” “Help the poor people…” “Please help me with this and this and this…”

9. How to talk to God: Jeremiah • “LORD, if I argued my case with you, you would prove to be right. Yet I must question you about matters of justice. Why are the wicked so prosperous? Why do dishonest people succeed? You plant them, and they take root; they grow and bear fruit. They always speak well of you, yet they do not really care about you. But, LORD, you know me; you see what I do and how I love you.

10. “Drag these evil people away like sheep to be butchered; guard them until it is time for them to be slaughtered. How long will our land be dry, and the grass in every field be withered? Animals and birds are dying because of the wickedness of our people, people who say, ‘God doesn’t see what we are doing.’ • The LORD said, ‘Jeremiah, if you get tired racing against people, how can you race against horses? If you can’t even stand up in open country, how will you manage in the jungle by the Jordan?” (Jeremiah 12:1-5)

11. “Then I said, ‘LORD, you understand. Remember me and help me. Let me have revenge on those who persecute me. Do not be so patient with them that they succeed in killing me. Remember that it is for your sake that I am insulted...I did not spend my time with other people, laughing and having a good time. In obedience to your orders I stayed by myself and was filled with anger. Why do I keep on suffering? Why are my wounds incurable? Why won't they heal? Do you intend to disappoint me like a stream that goes dry in the summer?” (Jeremiah 15:15-18)

12. “To this the LORD replied, ‘If you return, I will take you back, and you will be my servant again. If instead of talking nonsense you proclaim a worthwhile message, you will be my prophet again. The people will come back to you, and you will not need to go to them.’” (Jeremiah 15:19)

13. How to talk to God: Moses • “Then Moses turned to the LORD again and said, ‘Lord, why do you mistreat your people? Why did you send me here? Ever since I went to the king to speak for you, he has treated them cruelly. And you have done nothing to help them!’” (Exodus 5:22-23)

14. Prayer • 1. Prayer is honest conversation with God as with a friend about the things that are really on our mind

15. “This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven: May your holy name be honored; may your Kingdom come; may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9-10)

16. “May your holy name be honored” • “And eternal life is this: to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I have glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do…I have revealed your name to those whom you took from the world to give me.” (John 17:3-6 – NJB)

17. “May your Kingdom come” • “Some Pharisees asked Jesus when the Kingdom of God would come. His answer was, ‘The Kingdom of God does not come in such a way as to be seen. No one will say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’; because the Kingdom of God is within you.’” (Luke 17:20-21)

18. “May your kingdom come” • “And this Good News about the Kingdom will be preached through all the world for a witness to all people; and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14)

19. “May your kingdom come” • “For I am not ashamed of the good news of Christ…For in itthe righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith…” (Romans 1:15-17)

20. “May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. • “God wants all people to be saved and to learn the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4)

21. “May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. • Romans 8:28: “In all things God is working together with us for the good.” • But not every-thing that happens is God working for the good.

22. Prayer • 1. Prayer is honest conversation with God as with a friend about the things that are really on our mind • 2. The central role of prayer is to participate in bringing God’s character , God’s Kingdom, & God’s will to this earth

23. “Give us today the food we need. Forgive us the wrongs we have done, as we forgive the wrongs that others have done to us. Do not bring us to hard testing, but keep us safe from the Evil One.” (Matthew 6:11-13)

24. “Give us today the food we need”

25. Forgive us…as we forgive others • “Do not judge others, so that God will not judge you, for God will judge you in the same way you judge others” (Matthew 7:1). • Does this mean that if we forgive others and refuse to judge them that only then God will extend forgiveness to us and not judge us? • Do we “earn” a right to be forgiven by God if we forgive others? Do we “earn” a right not to be judged by God if we refuse to judge others?

26. “Dear friends, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Whoever loves is a child of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:7,8).

27. Prayer • 1. Prayer is honest conversation with God as with a friend about the things that are really on our mind • 2. The central role of prayer is to participate in bringing God’s Kingdom, God’s character & God’s will to this earth • 3. God cares about the “small” things in our lives • 4. Prayer is to change our view of God and in the process to change the way we treat others

28. “Keep us safe from the Evil One” • “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the Evil One comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path.” (Matthew 13:19) • “I write to you, young people, because you have defeated the Evil One.” (1 John 2:13) • We must not be like Cain; he belonged to the Evil One…” (1 John 3:12)

29. The Evil One is “the prince of this world” (John 12:31, 14:30) • Paul: “the god of this age” and “the ruler of the kingdom of the air” (2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2) • John: “the whole world is under the control of the Evil One” (1 John 5:19)

30. Prayer in the setting of a cosmic conflict • “Daniel, don’t be afraid. God has heard your prayers ever since the first day you decided to humble yourself in order to rain understanding. I have come in answer to your prayer.” (Daniel 10:1,11-13)

31. “The angel prince of the kingdom of Persia* opposed me for twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief angels, came to help me… Now I have to go back and fight the guardian angel of Persia. After that the guardian angel of Greece will appear. There is no one to help me except Michael, Israel’s guardian angel. He is responsible for helping and defending me” (Daniel 10:13,20; 11:1). • * ”spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia”

32. Prayer in the setting of a cosmic conflict • “Simon, Simon! Listen! Satan has received permission to test all of you (Satan has demanded to sift all of you), to separate the good from the bad, as a farmer separates the wheat from the chaff. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you turn back to me, you must strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:31-32)

33. Prayer in the setting of a cosmic conflict • “This kind can come out only through prayer.” (Mark 9:28-29) • “We are legion, for we are many.” (Mark 5:1-9)

34. Prayer • 1. Prayer is honest conversation with God as with a friend about the things that are really on our mind • 2. The central role of prayer is to participate in bringing God’s Kingdom, God’s character & God’s will to this earth • 3. God cares about the “small” things in our lives • 4. Prayer is to change our view of God and in the process to change the way we treat others • 5. Prayer is spiritual warfare

35. Prayer and Faith • “If you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:14) • “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, then you will ask for anything you wish, and you shall have it.” (John 15:7) • “He was not able to perform any miracles there, except that he placed his hands on a few sick people and healed them.” (Mark 6:5)

36. Prayer is complex • God’s will • Our will • The will of other people who are free moral agents. • You can pray with faith (vision and conviction) about something, but that doesn’t take away the free will of others that are related to the prayer. • Faith • There is an Enemy and opposing spiritual forces that work to counteract our prayers • The effects of sin

37. And Jesus said to his disciples, "Suppose one of you should go to a friend's house at midnight and say, 'Friend, let me borrow three loaves of bread. A friend of mine who is on a trip has just come to my house, and I don't have any food for him!' And suppose your friend should answer from inside, 'Don't bother me! The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' Well, what then? I tell you that even if he will not get up and give you the bread because you are his friend, yet he will get up and give you everything you need because you are not ashamed to keep on asking. And so I say to you: Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For those who ask will receive, and those who seek will find, and the door will be opened to anyone who knocks. Would any of you who are fathers give your son a snake when he asks for fish? Or would you give him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? As bad as you are, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more, then, will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" • (Luk 11:5-13)

38. Psalm 69 • “Save me, O God! The water is up to my neck; I am sinking in deep mud, and there is no solid ground; I am out in deep water, and the waves are about to drown me. I am worn out from calling for help, and my throat is aching. I have strained my eyes, looking for your help. Those who hate me for no reason are more numerous than the hairs of my head.” • “This, however, was bound to happen so that what is written in the Law may come true: ‘They hated me for no reason at all.’” (John 15:25)

39. Psalm 69 • “My sins, O God, are not hidden from you; you know how foolish I have been. Don’t let me bring shame on those who trust in you, Sovereign LORD Almighty! Don’t let me bring disgrace to those who worship you, O God of Israel! It is for your sake that I have been insulted and that I am covered with shame. I am like a stranger to my relatives, like a foreigner to my family. My devotion to your Temple burns in me like a fire; the insults which are hurled at you fall on me.” • “His disciples remembered that the scripture says, ‘My devotion to your house, O God, burns in me like a fire.’” (John 2:17 – GN) • “For Christ did not please himself. Instead, as the scripture says, ‘The insults which are hurled at you have fallen on me.’” (Romans 15:3 – GN)

40. Psalm 69 • “You know how I am insulted, how I am disgraced and dishonored; you see all my enemies. Insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair. I had hoped for sympathy, but there was none; for comfort, but I found none.”

41. Psalm 69 • “When I was hungry, they gave me poison; when I was thirsty, they offered me vinegar.” • “They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall.” (Matthew 27:34) • “After this, when Jesus knew that everything had now been finished, he said, ‘I’m thirsty.’ He said this so that Scripture could finally be concluded. A jar filled with vinegar was there. So the soldiers put a sponge soaked in the vinegar on a hyssop stick and held it to his mouth.” (John 19:28,29)

42. Psalm 69 • “May their banquets cause their ruin; may their sacred feasts cause their downfall. Strike them with blindness! Make their backs always weak! Pour out your anger on them; let your indignation overtake them. May their camps be left deserted; may no one be left alive in their tents. They persecute those whom you have punished; they talk about the sufferings of those you have wounded. Keep a record of all their sins; don’t let them have any part in your salvation. May their names be erased from the book of the living; may they not be included in the list of your people. But I am in pain and despair; lift me up, O God, and save me!” (Psalms 69:1-29 – GN)

44. “If only I had more faith…”

45. “I pray because the need flows out of me all the time – waking and sleeping. It doesn’t change God – it changes me.” – CS Lewis

46. “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” (James 5:16 NLT)

47. “Daniel, don’t be afraid. God has heard your prayers ever since the first day you decided to humble yourself in order to rain understanding. I have come in answer to your prayer.” (Daniel 10:1,11-13)

48. “The angel prince of the kingdom of Persia* opposed me for twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief angels, came to help me… Now I have to go back and fight the guardian angel of Persia. After that the guardian angel of Greece will appear. There is no one to help me except Michael, Israel’s guardian angel. He is responsible for helping and defending me” (Daniel 10:13,20; 11:1 – GN). • * ”spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia”