Get the Flash Player to see this player.
Home Sermons 2010 The Model Prayer
 
The Model Prayer PDF Print E-mail
Written by David Charlton   

Scripture

Matthew 6:5-13

"And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 "And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread; 12 And forgive us our debts, As we also have forgiven our debtors; 13 And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil.

Summary and Function

Summary: We pray for many reasons: to seek God’s will, ask for healing and receive guidance, power or some type of assistance. Prayer, however, should be more than all that. We have access to a close, intimate relationship with God through the life, death and resurrection of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. Prayer is the primary way we maintain this relationship with God. It is simply being with and communicating with God.

When we approach God in prayer, there are certain attitudes we should have. There are also certain things we should cover through our prayer life. Jesus teaches us this in the prayer He modeled for us in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:1-4. This prayer is often referred to as the Lord’s Prayer. In it, Jesus teaches us to approach God with a humble and trusting attitude. He also teaches us to profess 1) loving adoration of God, 2) thankfulness to God 3) obedience to God’s will and 4) trust in God.

Purpose: To help the congregation to better understand the Lord’s Prayer and to have a richer prayer life.

The Sermon

 

I. Introduction: My trip with my wife Donna.

1. Just completed a raod trip with my wife to Alabama

2. Took 12 hours to get to our destination

3. Had great conversations but we had moments of quiet when we didn’t say
anything to one another.
  • These moments of quiet were not uncomforatable
  • They were relaxing and quite enjoyable
  • We simply enjoyed being in each other’s presence

4. Prayer can often be like the quiet times I had with my wife.

  • Prayer can simply be a time when we enjoy being in God’s presence
  • Jesus made it possible for us to enjoy God’s presence through His life, death and resurrection.
  • Being in God’s presence is a gift we should all cherish
5. Of course, in order to develop our relationship with God, we do have to speak at
some point.
  • During my trip with Donna, it would have been horrible if we remained quiet the whole 12 hours. Our relationship would not have grown.
  • We must learn how to speak to God in prayer.
  • Jesus teaches us this by giving us a ‘Model Prayer’.

II. The ‘Model Prayer’

1. Jesus gives us the model prayer to show us how to approach God.

  • What attitude we should have
  • What we should cover in our prayer life.
2. This, however, does not mean we should all pray in the same way or use the
same words.
  • We each should have a personal relationship with God
  • Our prayer life should reflect the personal and unique nature of our relationships with God.

III. A breakdown of the ‘Model Prayer’

1. Our Father who art in heaven

  • We acknowledge our proper relationship with God. God is the Father. We are the children.
  • God is in charge.
  • We can go to God when we are in need. God knows best

2. Hallowed be thy name

  • We give God all honor and glory
  • May we never do anything that dishonors God

3. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven

  • We pray for God’s kingdom to become a reality on earth
  • God’s kingdom becomes a reality when God’s will is done
  • We pray for this to happen around the world and in our personal lives.
  • Prayer is about aligning our wills with God’s will.

4. Give us this day our daily bread

  • This is a statement of trust
  • The Lord will provide us what we need in order to do His will

5. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us

  • Forgiveness is not an option. It’s a command.
  • Good news: God will help us do this if we ask.

6. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil

  • We ask the Lord to change and strengthen us so we can stop sinning and love God, ourselves and our neighbors.
  • We ask the Lord to protect us from Satan and the evil in this world

7. For thine is the Kingdom, power and glory forever and ever

  • Christians started to say this during Roman persecutions
  • Reminded them that God is ultimately in control and wins in the end.

IV. Sample way of praying through the ‘Model Prayer’

1. Our Father who art in heaven

  • Lord, I’m in trouble and I need your help. I’m coming to you because you are my Father.

2. Hallowed be thy name

  • Lord, what can I do to bring you honor in the midst of this bad situation?

3. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven

  • Lord, what is your will for me in this situation?

4. Give us this day our daily bread

  • Lord, give me whatever I need to get through this situation.

5. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us

  • Lord, help me to forgive the people who hurt me. Help me to love these people.

6. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil

  • Lord, in this situation I’m tempted to do wrong. Keep me from doing the wrong thing.

7. For thine is the Kingdom, power and glory forever and ever

  • Lord, you are ultimately in control and I trust you because you love me.

V. Conclusion: Come to God in prayer and experience His loving presence
 
Joomla Templates by Joomlashack