A praying man is more worth in sight of God than man with knowledge.
Some people pray like this.
a) When they get a problem - They will go and search scriptures, where such kind of problem happened and see how they pray and then do such kind of prayer .
suppose sickness, then they quickly go to Hezekiah's prayer 2 kings 20:3
Now, O Lord, please remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.
b) some people pray without any basis of knowledge of Word of God. They keep praying hard and hard an hard. With out knowing what the scripture says how can we pray.
Then how should we pray.
Matthew 6:5-13.
First Lord Jesus teaches u how Not to pray and then teaches How we should pray.
First we will look at Don'ts
Hypocrites: (V 5)
Pagans: (V 7)
Hypocrites
Characteristic of hypocrites while praying.
They love being seen by others , they love to be recognized for what they do. They want to become famous to people, so that people can say hey here is so and so a prayer warrior.
Some people when asked in Church to pray they can pray long long prayers. Sometimes people fall asleep during their prayers. But if they go to their secret closet they wont even get words to pray.
They got their reward in full from the people. So people have seen their eloquent words and how long they can pray, what beautiful language they can use.
V 6 . This is the character of God - that He sees what is done in secret and reward them.
He doesn't reward the people who do it publicly because they already got the reward from people when they appreciated them. But what is done in secret, people have not seen, and there is no reward from people, Now God steps in and sees what is done in secret and Rewards. How Great is God.
Gods ways are Higher than mans ways.
Hypocrisy is a character they Love to be seen to be recognized by people. and they Love it.
But God says - Do you Love to come to that secret place ?
Is Our faith walk built on a strong secret an intimate prayer life with God then its built on rock.
or is our faith walk is like hypocrites who just want to be seen.
When we have a strong secret prayer life, then people will see and recognize the fruit that comes out of it. they wont say hey here is praying man( because they don't whether you are praying or not), but they will say Hey, here is man in whom Gods power is revealed.
But a prayer warrior is not a person who is recognized and appreciated by people, but a prayer warrior is one who has a secret prayer life.
Pagans.
Characteristic of pagans while praying.
First who are pagans. - one who is a idol worshiper and is not a believer of True God.
We all know how people of different religions pray in India.
They will have prayer books. They will have mantras which they can repeat in the whole day.
They keep repeating it and think that because they repeat so many times they can be hear by God.
They think that by Repetition of Dhyan for more number of days in or repetition of prayers for long hours, they can get an answer from God.
Sadly, believers whose mind is not renewed also looks at the world and paganism and they do the same thing after becoming believers.
Pastor already touched on this yesterday, so I wont go into this.
But what is required here is Faith:
Declare who God is in your life.
if you are in need of finance - declare God is Jehovah Jireh who can provide. When you make a declaration of your faith what you are basically saying is that Yes I Know My God does not leave as a beggar but my God will provide for me.
It is the Knowledge of the Heavenly Father that helps us not be like pagans.
Do we have that knowledge of Heavenly Father that He is my Father who will not leave me to the streets and go and beg.
Then How should we pray.
you may say, so i cannot pray in public, and also i cannot repeat some words, then there is nothing left to pray.
This is how Lord Jesus tells us to pray.
v 9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven
Hallowed be Your Name.
Prayer should always be based on our knowledge of God.
when we pray we should know whom we are praying to, Who our God is.
and when you have knowledge of God the Father, then you will pray this prayer.
"Hallowed be Your Name" - that Lord Let your Name be Holy, Glorified, Seperated from other Names.
That we say He is the Almighty God.
When we pray to God , o we know that we are calling upon the Greatest Name in the universe.
that we should know that He is not on the top of the list of all other Gods. But He is distinct from all others. that He can not be compared. There is none like Him.
Malachi 1:1 says
Malachi 1:1 - "My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations," says the LORD Almighty"
When we understand that this very character of God.
And also the intense desire in our hearts that He is great and He must be glorified in my life.
let us check ourselves is God really glorified in and through my life.
or is Go just glorified on Sunday and rest of the week self glory.
If I am at my work place , is my God glorified in my work place.
In my family , is God glorified.
Even in my prayer request there is an intense desire that God Let Your Name be honored and glorified in this prayer request.
Moses seeing Name of God to be glorified.
Exodus 32:7
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. 8 They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’
9 “I have seen these people,” the Lord said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked people. 10 Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”
God saying to Moses Your people whom you have bought.
When God Himself says Moses your people, whom you have bought.
then Moses could have thought my these whom i brought out of egypt they are disobedient. I am also descedant of Abraham,Issac,Jacob. So he could have agreed with what God has said.
But Moses know that they are not his people, they are Gods people.
He realised that it is God who brought the people, he realised he is just a tool in Gods hands.
and so He said see the reply in .
1 But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. “Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?
Moses is replaying , Lord its not my people, but its Your People whom You brought out
Who can pray that Father Hallowed be Thy Name.
It is the people who dont boast or own up but always credits God and says it is God given, its Gods.
They are the people who relalize that it is Gods Name to be glorified.
Your Kingdom Come.
Your Will be done.
Romans 14:17 says
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,
But God, Let Your Righteousness, Your Peace and Your Joy be revealed even in this prayer time or because of my prayer.
When we look at these words, we can understand what Lord Jesus and His Heart is.
His heart is full of Gods glory.
Church, do we understand what is it that is most important when we come to prayer.
Do we have the intense desire that God should be declared Holy in my life, that Gods kingdom of Righteousness, Peace and Joy in the Holy Spirit should be revealed in my life.
Do we know that Gods will is the best to happen in my life.
How can we be not like hypocrites or pagans.
Renewal of your mind.
Not following the patterns of the world, but a renewal of mind. an understand mind that knows what the Heart of the Father God is and then pray accordingly.
Romans 12:2
2 Do not be conformed to this world,[c] but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect
Let us begin to think how God wants us how to think.
Some people pray like this.
a) When they get a problem - They will go and search scriptures, where such kind of problem happened and see how they pray and then do such kind of prayer .
suppose sickness, then they quickly go to Hezekiah's prayer 2 kings 20:3
Now, O Lord, please remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.
b) some people pray without any basis of knowledge of Word of God. They keep praying hard and hard an hard. With out knowing what the scripture says how can we pray.
Then how should we pray.
Matthew 6:5-13.
First Lord Jesus teaches u how Not to pray and then teaches How we should pray.
First we will look at Don'ts
Hypocrites: (V 5)
Pagans: (V 7)
Hypocrites
Characteristic of hypocrites while praying.
They love being seen by others , they love to be recognized for what they do. They want to become famous to people, so that people can say hey here is so and so a prayer warrior.
Some people when asked in Church to pray they can pray long long prayers. Sometimes people fall asleep during their prayers. But if they go to their secret closet they wont even get words to pray.
They got their reward in full from the people. So people have seen their eloquent words and how long they can pray, what beautiful language they can use.
V 6.
Go to secret place where others dont see and then pour your heart to God/
One thing to realize here is Hypocrites stand in street corners to be seen by men.
But when you go to secret place you are praying to God who is Unseen.
There is a tendency in us that we want to be seen by somebody.
V 6 . This is the character of God - that He sees what is done in secret and reward them.
He doesn't reward the people who do it publicly because they already got the reward from people when they appreciated them. But what is done in secret, people have not seen, and there is no reward from people, Now God steps in and sees what is done in secret and Rewards. How Great is God.
Gods ways are Higher than mans ways.
Hypocrisy is a character they Love to be seen to be recognized by people. and they Love it.
But God says - Do you Love to come to that secret place ?
Is Our faith walk built on a strong secret an intimate prayer life with God then its built on rock.
or is our faith walk is like hypocrites who just want to be seen.
When we have a strong secret prayer life, then people will see and recognize the fruit that comes out of it. they wont say hey here is praying man( because they don't whether you are praying or not), but they will say Hey, here is man in whom Gods power is revealed.
But a prayer warrior is not a person who is recognized and appreciated by people, but a prayer warrior is one who has a secret prayer life.
Pagans.
Characteristic of pagans while praying.
First who are pagans. - one who is a idol worshiper and is not a believer of True God.
We all know how people of different religions pray in India.
They will have prayer books. They will have mantras which they can repeat in the whole day.
They keep repeating it and think that because they repeat so many times they can be hear by God.
They think that by Repetition of Dhyan for more number of days in or repetition of prayers for long hours, they can get an answer from God.
Sadly, believers whose mind is not renewed also looks at the world and paganism and they do the same thing after becoming believers.
Pastor already touched on this yesterday, so I wont go into this.
But what is required here is Faith:
Declare who God is in your life.
if you are in need of finance - declare God is Jehovah Jireh who can provide. When you make a declaration of your faith what you are basically saying is that Yes I Know My God does not leave as a beggar but my God will provide for me.
It is the Knowledge of the Heavenly Father that helps us not be like pagans.
Do we have that knowledge of Heavenly Father that He is my Father who will not leave me to the streets and go and beg.
Then How should we pray.
you may say, so i cannot pray in public, and also i cannot repeat some words, then there is nothing left to pray.
This is how Lord Jesus tells us to pray.
v 9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven
Hallowed be Your Name.
Prayer should always be based on our knowledge of God.
when we pray we should know whom we are praying to, Who our God is.
and when you have knowledge of God the Father, then you will pray this prayer.
"Hallowed be Your Name" - that Lord Let your Name be Holy, Glorified, Seperated from other Names.
That we say He is the Almighty God.
When we pray to God , o we know that we are calling upon the Greatest Name in the universe.
that we should know that He is not on the top of the list of all other Gods. But He is distinct from all others. that He can not be compared. There is none like Him.
Malachi 1:1 says
Malachi 1:1 - "My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations," says the LORD Almighty"
When we understand that this very character of God.
And also the intense desire in our hearts that He is great and He must be glorified in my life.
let us check ourselves is God really glorified in and through my life.
or is Go just glorified on Sunday and rest of the week self glory.
If I am at my work place , is my God glorified in my work place.
In my family , is God glorified.
Even in my prayer request there is an intense desire that God Let Your Name be honored and glorified in this prayer request.
Moses seeing Name of God to be glorified.
Exodus 32:7
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. 8 They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’
9 “I have seen these people,” the Lord said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked people. 10 Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”
God saying to Moses Your people whom you have bought.
When God Himself says Moses your people, whom you have bought.
then Moses could have thought my these whom i brought out of egypt they are disobedient. I am also descedant of Abraham,Issac,Jacob. So he could have agreed with what God has said.
But Moses know that they are not his people, they are Gods people.
He realised that it is God who brought the people, he realised he is just a tool in Gods hands.
and so He said see the reply in .
1 But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. “Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?
Moses is replaying , Lord its not my people, but its Your People whom You brought out
Who can pray that Father Hallowed be Thy Name.
It is the people who dont boast or own up but always credits God and says it is God given, its Gods.
They are the people who relalize that it is Gods Name to be glorified.
Your Kingdom Come.
Your Will be done.
Romans 14:17 says
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,
But God, Let Your Righteousness, Your Peace and Your Joy be revealed even in this prayer time or because of my prayer.
When we look at these words, we can understand what Lord Jesus and His Heart is.
His heart is full of Gods glory.
Church, do we understand what is it that is most important when we come to prayer.
Do we have the intense desire that God should be declared Holy in my life, that Gods kingdom of Righteousness, Peace and Joy in the Holy Spirit should be revealed in my life.
Do we know that Gods will is the best to happen in my life.
How can we be not like hypocrites or pagans.
Renewal of your mind.
Not following the patterns of the world, but a renewal of mind. an understand mind that knows what the Heart of the Father God is and then pray accordingly.
Romans 12:2
2 Do not be conformed to this world,[c] but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect
Let us begin to think how God wants us how to think.
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