This last Sunday morning we started our study about The Basic Principles and Practices of Prayer. Prayer should be a normal and regular practice in a believer’s relationship with God. However, do we fully realize after our salvation one of the most important, if not the most important, characteristics of a born-again believer’s relationship with God is prayer? The following are some quotes from Billy Grham who had experienced and learned about the importance of prayer in his relationship with God.
- “In the morning, prayer is the key that opens to us the treasures of God’s mercies and blessings; in the evening, it is the key that shuts us up under His protection and safeguard.”
- “True prayer is a way of life, not just for use in cases of emergency. Make it a habit, and when the need arises you will be in practice.”
- “If [Jesus] felt that He had to pray, how much more do we need to pray!”
- “We are to pray in times of adversity, lest we become faithless and unbelieving. We are to pray in times of prosperity, lest we become boastful and proud. We are to pray in times of danger, lest we become fearful and doubting. We are to pray in times of security, lest we become self-sufficient.”
- “Whether prayer changes our situation or not, one thing is certain: Prayer will change us!”
We began our study briefly studying what Jesus taught about prayer in His sermon on the mount in Matthew chapters 5 to 7. In Matthew 5:1-2 it tells us about the context of Jesus’ teaching, “Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them, saying…”. It is not until chapter six that Jesus begins to teach about prayer. What is interesting to note is that Jesus talks about ten other topics before He begins to teach about prayer. Why? If prayer is so important for our lives why teach about the other ten topics first? Is prayer less important than those mentioned before? The Bible does not give us a definite answer why however, we need to be careful that we do not speculate why and also be careful of those in other sources we read who would inject their own opinion as Biblical truth.
When Jesus started His teaching about prayer, He gives two comparisons of how not to pray that His listeners were familiar with. In addition, Jesus also gives his listeners instructions of how to pray. To begin with He states not to pray as the “hypocrites”. “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get.” Matthew 6:5 NLT. Who were the “hypocrites” that Jesus was referring to? If we read in Matthew 23:13, 15, 23, 25, 27, 29; we can get a good idea who these “hypocrites” might be that Jesus was referring to. At the beginning of each verse Jesus very clearly states who are the “hypocrites”, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!” These Jewish leaders possibly can be the same “hypocrites” that Jesus was talking about in Matthew 6:5.
Prayer is learned by example for most Christians, first in the home and then in a religious gathering. If the example of the “hypocrites” is how NOT to pray, it could have been the only example that the audience had of how to pray. But that was NOT the example that Jesus wanted them to learn from.
The Fire Bible study notes gives us another point to consider concerning this verse.
This passage challenges us to consider our motives for doing what is right. (1) If we do good things simply to gain the approval or admiration of others, then we lose our reward and honor from God. People who seek honor for themselves under the pretense of giving glory to God will be exposed as hypocrites (i.e., phony, lacking a true heart).
Matthew 6:6 NLT, But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
Contrary to verse five, in verse six Jesus is teaching that when we pray to go find a place to be alone with God. However, Jesus did not say this is the only way we can pray. The example of prayer that can apply to what Jesus is referring to is the prayer time of our daily private devotions. This is the preferred time to be alone in a place that we will not be distracted nor be a distraction to others.
The next point Jesus is teaching about prayer is that our prayers are directed to our “Father” or God the Father. Twice in verse six Jesus says that God is our Father, “your Father”. How well and personally do we know God that we can consider Him and talk to Him intimately as our Father?
Another bad example of prayer that Jesus wanted His listeners NOT to follow was from people of other religions or the pagans. Matthew 6:7-8 NLT, 7 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! Babbling is talking rapidly and continuously in a foolish, excited, or incomprehensible way with along repetition of words. This was the way the pagans prayed to their gods. However, that is NOT the way Jesus wants us to pray. Even if those around us might pray in the way Jesus is telling us how NOT to pray, we need to be careful not to criticize them or think less of them. In these situations, we need to be an example of a mature way of praying, drawing from our daily and intimate experience of prayer. For example, are we praying acknowledging who God is as our Father because we experience His intimacy on a regular basis?
The second half of verse eight Jesus says, “for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!” This part of the verse might cause some think, “why pray if God already knows what we need?” Prayer is not for God’s benefit but rather prayer is for our own benefit and spiritual growth in our relationship with God. Prayer keeps us humble. Prayer causes us to realize how much we need God’s love and guidance in our lives. Prayer causes us to become more intimate with God and help us to continually realize and learn who He is.
Before we continue to look the next verses, Matthew 6:9 to 14 or as what is commonly known as the Lord’s prayer, we need to keep in mind what taught us in verses seven and eight. Some Christians from other religions when praying what Jesus is teaching us about prayer in verses nine to fourteen, pray these verses exactly as Jesus says how NOT to pray in Matthew 6:7. “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.”. Prayer is NOT like a recipe for making cookies. You add the ingredients in a specific sequence and after things are done in a particular order exactly as the recipe requires, you get cookies. We need to be careful of religious tradition and the examples we experienced of how we pray.
One final point concerning bad and good examples of prayer. By not making prayer a regular practice in our home life we are being a bad example to the younger generations of how prayer is NOT important. On the other hand, if prayer is a normal practice and an important part of our lives the younger generations will be able to experience what prayer really is. If we want the younger generations to learn how to pray, what examples and norms of prayer are the adults who should know how to pray giving them in the home?
Pastor John
