Part 12 - Prayer

INTRODUCTION

Matthew 6:5-8 – Prayer

5 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.

6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.

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

I. WHEN YOU PRAY

a. And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.

b. WHEN YOU PRAY – Shows the necessity of prayer.

Ephesians 6:18 - Armor of God

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Acts 12:5 – 7 – Peter in prison

5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.

6 The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. 7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. "Quick, get up!" he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists.

c. DO NOT BE LIKE HYPOCRITES –

i. They pray standing for all to see them.

ii. In the churches and on the street corners. (not it does not mention in privately) So they can be seen by men.

iii. They have their reward – the praise of men. Just as Jesus mentioned about those who announce their good deeds with a trumpet for men to see, the only reward they receive is the praise of men.

iv. Here Jesus says – those who pray for men to see have already received their reward in FULL.

v. This means that there will be NO REWARD from God.

II. DO NOT BE LIKE THE HYPOCRITES

a. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

b. WHEN YOU – refers to the believers Jesus is addressing in His sermon.

c. Go into your room (enter into your closet) – close the door and pray to the Father.

i. The word ‘closet’ is not meant literally. But it means our praying MUST NOT BE DONE FOR SHOW.

ii. Again Jesus tells us, what is done in secret (not for the praise of men) will be rewarded by our Father.

iii. Because what is done in secret – meaning not for the praise of men – is done for the Father and His purpose, not ours, and when we fulfill His purpose to please Him and not for praise from others, THEN we are truly serving the Lord in righteousness and not selfishness or pride.

Luke 22:44 – Jesus in the Garden

And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

III. PRAY TO THE FATHER

a. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.

b. Do not babble like pagans (do not use vain repetition) –

i. The scriptures make mention of pagan temples and how the repetition of chants and babblings could be heard outside of the temple.

ii. This babbling was pagans attempt to mimic the speaking in the tongues of angles. But was nothing more than babblings.

iii. They would sometimes repeat a prayer over and over and over thinking that repetition would get their prayer answered.

iv. This pagan ritual is one of the many pagan practices that seeped into the Roman Catholic Church in the early years and is still practiced today. The repeating of prayers over and over.

v. Sometimes we think we have to have a lot of words, or beautiful words to be heard by God. But what He wants is an honest and earnest heart.

vi. Jesus says “They THINK they will be heard because of their many words.”

IV. DO NOT BABBLE ON

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

i. Our Father in heaven knows all things, past, present and future.

1 Thessalonians 3:7 - 13

7 Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. 8 For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. 9 How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? 10 Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.

11 Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. 12 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 13 May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.

Next week we will look at the MODEL prayer that Jesus gave us which quickly became a prayer vainly repeated by millions over the centuries. Becoming exactly what Jesus told us NOT to do with our prayers.