PRAYER
A. "O THOU THAT HEAREST PRAYER, UNTO THEE SHALL ALL FLESH COME." - Ps. 65:2
1. David had many shortcomings, so do we but he was a man of prayer:
a. His very life seems to have been an expression of prayer.
b. Most of his Psalms are prayers - Ps. 4:1; 17:1; Ps. 5:3; 6:9; 35:13; 39:12; 42:8; 54:2; 55:1; 61:1; 64:1; 84:8; 86:6; 102:1; 143:1
2. He had a regular time for prayer:
a. "My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up." - Ps. 5:3
b. "Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice." - Ps. 55:17
3. Daniel, too, had a set time for his prayer seasons: Dan. 6:10
B. PRAYER -- WHAT IT IS
1. The word "prayer" comes from the Hebrew word "lachas", and the Greek word "proseuche", and signifies "a whisper, a prayer, a request, an expression of adoration":
2. There are, as we have seen, different shades of meaning of prayer:
a. Meditation - Ps. 19:14; 77:12
b. Intercession - 1 Tim. 2:1
c. Supplication - Job 8:5; Ps. 6:9; 119:172
3. The human concept of prayer:
a. "Prayer is the soul's sincere desire uttered or unexpressed. The motion of a hidden dire that trembles in the breast." (James Montgomery)
b. "Prayer is the world in tune, the spirit-voice, a vocal joy, whose echo is heaven's bliss." (Moors)
c. Prayer is the medium that connects the mind of man with that of God.
d. Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a dear friend.
e. Prayer is to the soul what breath is to the body, without either there can be no life.
f. Prayer is the language all men have in common.
C. GOD WANTS US TO PRAY
1. "Call on me, and I will answer thee": Jer. 33:3
a. "O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come." - Ps. 65:2
b. "The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles." - Ps. 34:17
2. It is a sin not to pray:
a. "Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? Who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the Lord." - Ps. 53:4
b. "Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name." - Jer. 10:25
c. "I will cut off . . . them that are turned back from the Lord; and those that have not sought the Lord, not enquired for him." - Zeph. 1:4-6
3. The Lord Jesus uses a number of effective illustrations to show the importance of prayer:
a. The importunate widow - Luke 18:1-8
b. The man that came to his friend and asked for three loaves of bread - Luke 11:1-8
c. The attitude of the father when his son asked for bread - Luke 11:11-13
4. He gives us an example of the prayer life He lived while on earth:
a. "And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed." - Mark 1:35
b. "And when he had sent the multitude away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray." - Matt. 14:23
c. "And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God." - Luke 6:12
5. The Bible is full of statements showing that God wants us to pray:
a. The patriarchs were men of much prayer.
b. Their altars were markers of the prayer centers in their pilgrimage.
c. Prophets and apostles were dedicated men of much prayer. Can we be less?
WITH CHRIST IN THE SCHOOL OF PRAYER
LUKE 11:1-6
A. "AND IT CAME TO PASS, THAT AS HE WAS PRAYING IN A CERTAIN PLACE, WHEN HE CEASED, ONE OF HIS DISCIPLES SAID UNTO HIM, LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY, AS JOHN ALSO TAUGHT HIS DISCIPLES."
1. Whatever the shortcomings of the early disciples may have been, the petition of one of them is indicative of progress with Christ in the school of prayer:
a. The prayer life of Christ made a definite impression upon them.
b. It created a desire in their hearts to learn to pray.
2. The petition indicates further:
a. That John was a man of prayer.
b. And that he taught his disciples how to pray.
3. Best of all, our text shows:
a. That prayer is an art that must be learned from Christ in the school of prayer.
b. For we know not how to pray - Rom. 8:26
B. JESUS CHRIST, A MAN OF PRAYER
1. He, who was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, was truly a man of prayer:
a. To Him prayer was a channel through which a constant flow of divine power flowed into His life.
b. So it is with those who follow in His steps; they, too, use the prayer life as the great arsenal of their spiritual strength.
2. Let us note, briefly, some of the high points of the prayer life of Christ:
a. His habit and habitat of prayer -
(1) He spent much time in solitude, in prayer to God - Matt. 14:23; Mark 1:35; 6:46; Luke 3:12
(2) He blended thanksgiving and prayer - Matt. 11:25; Luke 10:21; John 11:41
(3) He made prayers of intercession for his friends - Luke 22:32; for his enemies - Luke 23:34
(4) His prayers indicated his complete submission to God - Matt. 26:39; Mark 15:34; Luke 22:42; John 12:27
b. Here is the study on the art of true prayer for all who want to walk in His steps.
c. There is still another inspiring and thought provoking side to the prayer life of the man of prayer -
(1) The Lord's prayer at his baptism and its effect - Luke 3:21
(2) His prayer, preceding the ordination of the apostles; He prayed all night - Luke 14:22, 23
(3) His prayer in the garden of Gethsemane before He made known His passion to His disciples - Luke 9:18-27
(4) His prayer at his transfiguration - Matt. 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-8; Luke 9:28-36
C. LESSON TO APPROPRIATE IN OUR DAILY LIFE
1. We, like the Master, must make prayer our first business of the day:
a. "Early will I seek thee" - Ps. 63:1; 78:34
b. That is what the Master did.
2. In this He lived His own teaching:
a. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God" - Matt. 6:33
b. There is a special blessing in making prayer our first business of the day -
(1) Our body is rested; our mind is clear.
(2) We are most susceptible to listening to God in prayer - "Lord, speak; for thy servant heareth" - 1 Sam. 3:10
3. Our prayers should always be mixed with prayer and thanksgiving to God:
a. Too many prayers are mixed with too much selfishness; they have too little gratitude; that is why they are not heard from in heaven.
b. There are so many things for which we have good reason to be thankful for, that our hearts should be full of praise and thanksgiving.
c. The art of prayer begins with the impelling desire of reverent thanksgiving to God, the giver of all good gifts.
4. "Lord teach us to pray":
a. Help us to better understand the meaning of prayer, what it includes, and what it should not include.
b. Give us the grace to use every opportunity to make prayer our first business of the day.
c. To not only make our petition to thee, but to live our prayers.
"OUR FATHER WHICH ART IN HEAVEN"
MATTHEW 6:9, 10
A. FATHER
1. Indicates relationship:
a. God is our Father by reason of our creation - Deut. 32:6
b. He has begotten us with the word of truth - Jas. 1:17, 18
c. We are sons and daughters through faith in Jesus Christ - 1 John 3:1-3; 5:1-5
d. We have been adopted into the family of God in the Beloved - Eph. 1:5, 6
2. The word FATHER:
a. Indicates a heart relationship.
b. We cry "Abba Father" - Rom. 8:15; Mark 14:36; Gal. 4:6
c. It indicates paternal care by God - Matt. 6:25-34
d. It shows that God is a pitying Father to His children - Ps. 106:46
B. "OUR FATHER WHICH ART IN HEAVEN"
1. With these opening words of the Lord's prayer we recognize:
a. That God has a family of which we are a part - Eph. 3:15
b. Said the good Shepherd, "Other sheep I have" - John 10:15
c. He treats them all alike - Acts 10:34, 35
2. We are all members of the same family:
a. Thus when I come to God in prayer I do not limit my petition to myself or my immediate family, but include all God's family, members of the church.
b. I remember my fellowmen - 1 Tim. 2:1-5; Luke 10:24, 33, 37
c. Think of what the opening words of my petition mean -
(1) They exclude all selfishness - Luke 18:10-13
(2) We are made conscious of God's interest in others; and reminds us of the meaning of the golden rule, "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." - Matt. 7:12
C. THE OPENING WORDS OF THE LORD'S PRAYER REVEAL GOD'S ATTITUDE TOWARD US
1. This paternal attitude was revealed in the life of the Son of God:
a. "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" - John 14:9
b. "I speak that which I have seen with my Father" - John 8:39
2. He made known His thoughts toward us:
a. "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end." - Jer. 29:11
b. He cares for you -- "He careth for you" - Matt. 6:30
c. It reveals His great sympathy for us. "In all their affliction he was afflicted" - Isa. 63:9; "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him" - Ps. 103:13
3. Is this the picture you see on the opening words of the Lord's prayer?
a. Do they unfold to you the deep and most significant relationship between us and God?
b. Can you see the true meaning of God's family and His loving care?
c. Does it make you hate selfishness as you can by God's grace?
d. Do you include others in your daily prayer? 1 Tim. 2:1-5
ILLUSTRATIONS
(1) A mother's love - Isa. 49:15; Jer. 31:20
(2) Jonah and his attitude toward others - Jonah 4:5-11
(3) The prodigal's brother - Luke 15:25-32
(4) A real challenge to us - Matt. 25:34-40; 1 John 4:8, 20
(5) The deeper meaning of "Our Father" - Mark 10:35-45; 2 Cor. 12:7-9
(6) When it is really hard to say, "Our Father" - Mark 9:38; Luke 5:29, 30; 9:52-54; John 4:9
(7) What Jesus prayed for - John 13:34-35; 17:20-23
"HALLOWED BE THY NAME"
MATTHEW 6:9
A. THE NAME OF GOD
1. Stands for His majestic Being:
a. Angels recognize His majesty - Isa. 6:1-13
b. He is surrounded by a thick cloud, unapproachable by sinful beings - 1 Tim. 1:17; 6:15, 16
2. His Name stands for His character:
a. He is holy, just, and good - Rom. 7:12
b. His Name reveals His nature - Ex. 34:6, 7
3. It stands, also, for His relationship and His attitude to men and toward men:
a. He is our heavenly Father - Rom. 8:15; Isa. 63:16
b. We are His children - John 1:10, 11; Rom. 8:14-16; 1 John 3:1-3
c. He has begotten us in Christ Jesus our Lord unto a lively hope - 1 Pet. 1:3; 1 John 5:18
B. "HALLOWED BE THY NAME"
1. Since the Name of God stands for His majesty, His character, and His glorious works:
a. We are to reverence or hallow it -- "holy and reverent is his name" - Ps. 111:9
b. Angels covered themselves when they mentioned His Name - Isa. 6:1-14
2. How we hallow the Name of the Lord:
a. When we do not use His name in vain - Ex. 20:7; Deut. 5:11. How sad it is to hear persons use the name of the Lord carelessly and with disrespect.
b. It is a great sin to use God's name in vain or disrespectfully.
c. That brings reproach upon our claims to be His children - Isa. 29:23; 48:11; 52:5
d. We hallow the name of our heavenly Father when we obey His voice and do His holy will - Luke 6:46; Matt. 5:16
e. Said Jesus, "Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" Luke 6:46
f. Only the doer of the word is blessed, and not the hearers only - Jas. 1:22, 23
C. THIS PETITION IN THE LORD'S PRAYER COVERS
1. Our attitude toward God our Father:
a. One has reason to fear that we do not take the reverent approach to Him.
b. Too many persons use that Holy Name thoughtlessly. Some use it so carelessly that it dishonors Him.
2. If angels cover their faces when the name of God is spoken of, and when they speak softly in His presence, how should we use it in holy reverence and fear!
3. The name of God is revered:
a. By those who love and adore Him.
b. By all who have become partakers of His nature -
EXAMPLES -
(1) "Thy name be magnified" - 2 Sam. 7:26
(2) "We will sing praises to thy name" - Ps. 9:2; 18:49
(3) "Blessed be thy glorious name" - Neh. 9:5
(4) "How excellent is thy name" - Ps. 8:1, 9
4. If this is the attitude of God's people, we will truly say to our heavenly Father in heaven, Hallowed Be Thy Name!
5. But the name of God is either magnified or reproached by our words and deeds:
a. It is magnified or revered when we live such lives that all who know us will glorify God in heaven - Matt. 5:16
b. That was our Lord's deep desire, that His Father might be glorified in His life and through His ministry - John 17:1
c. The name of the Lord is dishonored or reproached when we misrepresent Him before men - Ps. 69:9; 74:18
EXAMPLES -
(1) Moses and Aaron became guilty of the sin of disrespect by the people - Num. 20:12
(2) Herod, too, was guilty of the same sin - Acts 12:23
(3) Nebuchadnezzar fell into the same sin - Dan. 4:30, 31
Let us ever be on guard lest we become guilty of the sin of disrespect for the Holy Name of our Father which is in heaven.
"THY KINGDOM COME"