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How
to Pray
I. Matt 6:9-13
A. Prayer is essential
1. Commonly misunderstood
a. people don’t know how to pray
b. people “pray” canned prayers which mean and accomplish nothing
c. people think prayer is just a way to tell God what He needs to do for them
2. Luke 18:1 men ought always to pray, and not to faint
3. 1 Thess 5:17 Pray without ceasing
4. If prayer is so important we should know how to do it right – God taught us how to pray right here – going to take this apart and see how God wants us to talk to Him
II. Mt 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye
A. We are not to “pray” canned prayers
B. This passage is often called the Lord’s Prayer
1. people repeat this in churches and at home and think they are doing some great thing
a. guy on Flight 93 on 11 Sep recited this prayer before taking over the plane
2. After this manner – in other words here is how to pray, not what to pray
3. Matt 6:7
i. God doesn’t even here that stuff
ii. it doesn’t come from the heart
iii. 1 Sam 16:7 says the Lord looketh on the heart – doesn’t care so much what’s coming from your mouth, but what is coming from your heart
iv. prayers don’t come from a book or from recitation of memorized scripture they come from a person’s heart and are expressed in that person’s own words
4. Call this the Model Prayer because it is a model of how to pray – like a blueprint
III. Address God
A. Verse 9 Our Father which art in heaven
1. Want to get God’s attention before talking to Him
a. just like when talking to a person
2. Want to specify talking to God in Heaven
a. many people pray to false gods
b. 2 Cor 4:4 calls Satan the god of this world – some people do pray to Satan
3. Notice it says Father – if you are not saved then God is not your Father and you have no right to call him Father
a. John 8:41-44
i. Jesus talking to Pharisees tells them God is not their Father, the devil is
b. until you get saved there is no guarantee that God will hear your prayers
i. only two things a lost person can pray about that are sure to be heard and answered by God
- prayer of salvation
- prayer of someone earnestly seeking God who doesn’t know how to be saved
ii. anything else God does not hear unless He so chooses
c. if you want God to hear and answer your prayers you need to get saved
i. Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God…
IV. Praise God
A. Verse 9 Hallowed be thy name.
1. Hallowed means holy
B. We should praise God for
1. Who He is
a. Creator, life-giver, Saviour, Lord of all
2. What He has done
a. providing us salvation and providing our needs, etc
C. Unique form of worship
1. People commonly use God-given talents to worship God or for furtherance of His gospel
2. Praising God is giving Him something He didn’t first give us
a. Singing to God
i. He gave us voices
b. Giving money to God
ii. He gave us money in first place
c. Thanking God
iii. He gave us what we’re thankful for
d. But praising God is something we give Him that He didn’t first give to us
V. Pray for God’s will
A. Verse 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
1. Humble yourself and submit to God and His will
a. 1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us
2. Many believe God is ignoring them because He doesn’t answer their prayer exactly as they wanted—problem is usually because they asked for something contrary to God’s will for them
a. we don’t always know what is best
i. Isa 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
3. Pride keeps us from submitting to God’s will. We think we know it all and have it all figured out
a. 1 Peter 5:5 be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
b. If we want God’s grace we must humble ourselves and submit to God
4. Jesus did this in Luke 22:42
a. Lu 22:42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
VI. Pray for supply
A. verse 11 Give us this day our daily bread.
1. Ask God to provide what we need
a. food, clothing, shelter
b. ask Him for needs that we may not realize we need
2. Php 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
a. need is the key word
b. God doesn’t have to give us all our wants
3. Still can ask for things we want – that comes into this part of the prayer
4. this is where to pray for others
a. friends and family
b. pastor
c. leaders of your country
d. missionaries
e. people you know are lost
5. remember that you can pray for what you want, but to ultimately submit to the will of God
VII. Pray for forgiveness
A. verse 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
1. We never stop sinning in this life
a. if saved you are saved from the punishment for sin – Hell
b. sin can still hurt your fellowship with God
i. Isa 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
c. so we ask for forgiveness to restore fellowship with our Father
i. 1 John 1:8-9
A. verse 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil
1. God never tempts us with sin but allows temptation to come our way to test us
a. Job 1:6-12
2. But God will always provide a way out of the temptation
a. 1 Cor 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
b. A fellow once said “The best cure for sin is prevention”. Ask God to help you in times of temptation.
A. verse 13 For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
1. We can never praise God enough
- Billy Sunday said “Yank some of the groans out of your prayers and shove in some shouts.”
a. 17 times in Psalms told to sing praises unto God
b. certainly God is worthy of praise
c. Rev 5:11-14
i. the saved will get to sing praises unto God throughout eternity – that ought to be enough to make you want to praise God right now
A. God gave us the privilege of being able to come and talk to Him through prayer
B. How many of us would like the chance to talk to the president of the USA? How much more of an honour is it to talk to God?
C. God gave us instructions on how to pray right there in His word.
D. Follow his instructions and He will guide you through life on the course that He knows is best for you.
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