What the Bible affirms about. . .Prayer

Introduction

Without a doubt I can say that Christians are to be people of prayer.


READ Scripture- This is the Word of God


And when you pray

We should pray privately on a regular basis, and we should be a part of corporate, public prayer.  In the New Testament we are told that the Christians met together on a regular basis to pray, they were even “devoted” to it, and we are commanded to pray without ceasing.  The Lord Jesus proclaimed in the Sermon on the Mount that His followers were not to be like the hypocrites.  The word “hypocrite” comes from the word used for a Greek actor who would where a mask and parade around as various characters.  There are people who claim to be “religious” that are just putting on a show.  They love to pray in public, and the Lord says that they have their reward, that is to be seen by others which is no lasting reward.  They also like to use vain repetitions as if they are going to persuade God with many words or show some kind of religious stamina.


We know that Christians are to pray with other believers, but the average day-to-day life of the Christian is to involve regular alone time with God in prayer.  In Ecclesiastes 5:2 we are told to let our words be few.  We are not to be like the self-proclaimed righteous.  We are to approach God humbly as a servant before his master, but also confidently as a child before his father.


This passage is teaching on prayer, not a prayer itself.  Model Prayer is better than Lord’s Prayer.


Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your name

We are a body of believers, and no one is on their own.  Even when we pray individually, we still pray in conjunction with the church.


Fathers will answer questions and petitions posed by their children that they would not accept from anyone else in the world.  God is our Father.  We have a nearness, but that nearness is balanced with “hallowed.”


The Father is in heaven.  It is important where God is when we pray.  If God is not sovereign and supreme above all then what good will it do to pray?

Your name- God has a name.  He revealed it as “Yahweh,” and then completed that revelation in the name “Jesus” which means “Yahweh Savior.”  We want His name to be famous.


Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven

Adoration and submission come prior to confession and supplication.

How radical of a change would it be if God’s will was completely and thoroughly done in all the world?  The kingdom originates in heaven, but it is fulfilled in us.  Luke 17:21 says that the kingdom is within or among us.  People make up the kingdom of God.


Give us this day our daily bread

Notice the corporate nature of the prayer once again.


“Bread” means “needs.”  We are to pray that God would give us each day what we need, not worrying about the future or dwelling negatively on the past, but focusing on today.


Any notion that Christians are above and beyond others, assuming that we are promised wealth and prosperity, is done away with when we read this line.  We will face hardships, and we need God to daily provide what we need.  Our inheritance is not in this world, but the new.  Our struggles are not over in this age, but in the next.

In this society, men were paid daily.  They relied on God’s provision each day.  If the crops failed because of disaster or drought, then they had nothing to eat.


And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors

It appears that we should group verses 12-15 as instruction on forgiving.


This does not mean that we can earn forgiveness by forgiving others.  What it does reveal is that God will only forgive the sorrowful.  Remember the Beatitudes which began the Sermon on the Mount.  True penitence is a forgiving spirit.  I think our society proves that forgiveness is an abnormal human act.  No one wants to forgive or ask for forgiveness.  But we are not of this world, are we?  We are to be holy- unique and different.  We are to be people of forgiveness.


And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil

“Temptation” could mean “corrective discipline.”

Christians are those who ask to be saved.  Things are not right in this world, primarily because God’s will is not done on earth as it is in heaven.  This is an outstanding entrance place for the Gospel because most people realize that there is just something not right.  We know exactly what the problem is and we have the answer!  Sin is the problem and the Gospel is Jesus Christ is the answer.  We need to tell others


Conclusion

I am convinced that prayer is two things: relying on God and communion with God.
We approach God the Father in the name of Jesus Christ knowing that He will hear our call.