 |
 |
|||||
 any
books, sermons, essays, Bible studies, and various multimedia have been
devoted to the subject of prayer. There is one prayer, however, that
has received the most attention. Most of the followers of Jesus call
it the “Lord’s Prayer.” In some churches this prayer
is recited every Sunday. In fact, the only prayer some people ever say
is the Lord’s Prayer. The Lord’s prayer has been translated
into at least 1,300 languages. Yet, when asked to pray, some of us do
not know what to say.
One mother discovered this the hard way on a very hot summer day. The
house was full of guests as mom was hurrying to put the food on the table.
The guests were seated, and in her hurry she asked her seven year old
daughter to pray. Her daughter did not know what to say. So mom told
her daughter, “Just say the last prayer you heard from me.” The
daughter bowed her head and said, “Oh, Lord, why did I invite all
these people on such a hot day?” We can be sure the guests were
surprised, but especially mom. Her daughter needed to be taught how to
pray and so do we. In this study we will look at a section of Matthew
6 that we skipped in our last study. The section is known as the “Lord’s
Prayer." But as we will discover, it is actually “Our Prayer” -
or how we should pray.
Teaching Tool. The Lord’s Prayer was the result of a disciple’s
question about how to pray. The question was asked because Jesus had
warned them to not pray as their religious leaders did. If you were a
disciple who had been taught how to pray by the scribes, Pharisees, and/or
Sadducees and then Jesus warned you to not pray like them, you might
also ask Jesus how to pray!
Earlier in Matt. 6:5-7 Jesus had warned them to not stand on the street
corners seeking attention as the religious did, and He had encouraged
them to pray without seeking approval as a holy person. He warned them
against giving money, praying, and fasting in public. So the disciples
wanted to know more.
The Jewish religious leaders had many rules about prayer. In the Mishnah,
they encouraged every Jew to pray the eighteen benedictions per day (Berkahot
4.3). There were morning, afternoon, and evening prayers. There are rules
about when a person could pray and what to pray (Berkahot 1.5). There
were rules about when to lie down and pray (Berkahot 1.3). Berkahot 2.3
indicates that a Jew could recite the Shema softly and fulfill his prayer
obligation if he quoted it without error. There were prayers before one
studied. In The Mishnah we read the following:
One may stand to pray in a solemn frame of mind. The pious ones used to tarry one hour [before they would] pray . . . (Berkahot 5.1). Just imagine standing one hour before starting to pray! You were considered
holy if you did. Imagine a prayer meeting where one of the members stood
to pray and then everyone waited one hour before he or she would start
to pray. It is said that Dwight L. Moody did not like long public prayers.
One time at the close of a service, a guest speaker was finishing his
message with a long prayer. His prayer was so long that after a while
D. L. Moody turned to his song leader and said, “Lead us in a hymn
while our brother is finishing his prayer.” There is no virtue
in long prayers.
It is important to notice that Jesus did not give them any instruction
about standing, sitting, lying down, walking, running, or driving an
automobile while one prays. Jesus did not talk about head coverings,
kneeling, the position of one’s hands, or closed eyes. Why? God
wants us to pray at all times (1 Thess. 5:17 ) and in every place, under
any condition, and in various situations (1 Tim. 2:8).
Repetitive Prayer. Just before Our Prayer, Jesus warned the disciples
against repetitive prayers.
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. (NASB) Matt. 6:7
What does Jesus mean by “meaningless repetition?” Have
you ever asked and asked God for something again and again? God is interested
in sincere prayers that come from a sincere heart. He does not care for
meaningless ones. Even Jesus prayed three times in the Garden of Gethsemane
(Matt. 26:36-46). The Apostle Paul prayed three times about his thorn
in the flesh (2 Cor. 12:7-16). Have you ever prayed for something again
and again in an attempt to motivate God to answer your prayer? I once
did. God is not interested in manipulative prayer. He is interested in
sincere prayer from a heart that willingly submits to His will. Yes,
prayer can be repetitive but not manipulative. God already knows what
you need.
So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. (NASB) Matt. 6:8 He is watching our hearts. He is looking for our
submission and sincerity. Even though God knows what we need, He sometimes
waits for us to ask (James. 4:2). |
||||||
|
||||||
| Life & Heart of Jesus | ||||||
