Sermon on the Mount (VII) The Disciple’s Prayer – Mt

The Disciple’s Prayer Life Vs.6-8 Mt 6:5-8 "But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that 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.”

The Disciple’s Prayer Life Vs.6-8 “When you pray…” –Pray Consistently –A weak prayer life is a reflection of… 1. Our busy lives 2. Our inability to pray (lack of know how) 3. The state of our spiritual lives in general –Unrepentant sin –Spiritual laziness and indifference –Worldliness –Lack of relationship with God.

The Disciple’s Prayer Life Vs.6-8 “Go into your inner room” –Pray privately The reward: Time with God

The Disciple’s Prayer Life Vs.6-8 “Do not use meaningless repetition…many words” –Pray concisely and thoughtfully

The Disciple’s Prayer Life Vs.6-8 Pray Consistently Pray Privately Pray Concisely and Thoughtfully

The Disciple’s Prayer “Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed 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 do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]”

The Disciple’s Prayer “Our Father” –Implies things like: Dependence Trust Love Admiration

The Disciple’s Prayer “Our Father” Mt 7:7-11 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!”

The Disciple’s Prayer “Our Father” –Implies things like: Dependence Trust Love Admiration Intimacy

The Disciple’s Prayer “Who is in heaven” –Distant; intangible; absent Jn 7:33-34 “Therefore Jesus said, ‘For a little while longer I am with you, then I go to Him who sent Me. You will seek Me, and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come.’”

The Disciple’s Prayer “Who is in heaven” –Distant; intangible; absent Jn 13:33 “ Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, 'Where I am going, you cannot come.”

The Disciple’s Prayer “Who is in heaven” –Distant; intangible; absent –Yet near, present -- Mt 28.20; How present here if in heaven? –Through the eyes of faith: 2 Cor 5:7 “for we walk by faith, not by sight”

The Disciple’s Prayer “Who is in heaven” –Distant; intangible; absent –Yet near, present -- Mt 28.20; How present here if in heaven? –Through the eyes of faith: Heb 11:27 “By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen.”

The Disciple’s Prayer “Who is in heaven” –Distant; intangible; absent –Yet near, present -- Mt 28.20; How present here if in heaven? –Through the eyes of faith: Jn “Jesus said to him, ‘Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed’”

The Disciple’s Prayer “Who is in heaven” –Distant; intangible; absent –Yet near, present Knowable Phil 3:10 “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death”

The Disciple’s Prayer “Hallowed by your name” –Praise “Hallowed” = “holy”, special, set apart “Name” = character, nature – not simply what he is called. He is different (Isa 6.1-6), but not distant (Isa 57.15): Isaiah 57:15 “For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, ‘I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite.’”

The Disciple’s Prayer “Your kingdom come” –It has – Mk 1.15; Acts 2; Col 1.13 –But needs to spread -- 1 Tim Tim 2:1-3 “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

The Disciple’s Prayer “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” –Prayer is about submission to God cf. Mt ; Jas 4.2: Jas 4:2 “You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask.”

The Disciple’s Prayer “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” –Prayer is about submission to God But also Jas 4.3: James 4:3 “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.”

The Disciple’s Prayer “Give us this day our daily bread” –Daily dependence upon God – for needs

The Disciple’s Prayer “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” – Ask for and extend forgiveness. (v. 12)

The Disciple’s Prayer “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil” –Ask for protection from temptation and evil –But we must do our part