DO YOU KNOW HOW TO PRAY?
Matthew
6:5-15
In Matthew
6:5-15, the Lord Jesus Christ gives us plain, clear instructions about how we
are to pray. "And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are:
for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the
streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their
reward. (6) But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou
hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which
seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. (7) But when ye pray, use not vain
repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for
their much speaking. (8) Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father
knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. (9) After this manner
therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. (10)
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. (11) Give us
this day our daily bread. (12) And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our
debtors. (13) And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For
thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (14) For if
ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
(15) But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father
forgive your trespasses."
Our
Savior here assumes that all Christians pray. As soon as Saul of Tarsus was converted, we read, “Behold, he prayeth.” All who are godly,
all who are born of God pray (Psa. 32:6). I do not say, “They say their
prayers.” Saul of Tarsus did that all his life. There is a huge difference
between saying a prayer and praying! Yet the Word of God does declare that
every regenerate soul prays. “You may as
soon find a living man that does not breathe,” wrote Matthew Henry, “as a living Christian that does not pray.”
In these verses, our Lord does not teach his people to pray. There is no need
for that. He teaches us how not to pray and how to pray.
In verses 5 and 6, he says, Do not pray to be seen of men. Do not use a posture in
prayer that causes people to look at you or calls attention to yourself. In
public places, other than places of public worship, we are not to engage in
public prayer. Prayer is between you and God. As much as possible, let your
prayers be unobserved and unheard by men.
Do
not use vain repetitions (v. 7). That
prohibition extends to all memorized prayers, pious sounds and voice tones, religious jargon, and “Hail Marys”. This is a prohibition
against much speaking in prayer, too. God does not need to be informed or
argued with, but acknowledged, sought and honored. The prophets of Baal put on
a show when they cried aloud to their deaf god. The servant of God simply uttered
the desire of his heart (I Kgs. 18:36-37). That is what prayer is!
True
prayer is an act of faith. Place, position, and posture are
meaningless. Words are really insignificant. Prayer is the acknowledgment of
God as my Father with the confidence that he knows and will supply all my
needs. In prayer, the believer simply and confidently seeks the glory of God
(v. 9), the increase of God’s kingdom (v. 10), the will of God (v. 10), daily
provision (v. 11), daily mercy (v. 12), daily preservation (v. 13), and the praise
of God (v. 13). Let men talk all they will about prayer, unless our prayers
arise from sincere hearts of faith and love, they amount to nothing but
meaningless noise. That is what the Lord Jesus says in verses 14 and 15.
Grace Baptist Church of Danville - Grace For
Today Radio Message #619
2734 Old Stanford Road -
Danville, Kentucky 40422-9438
Donald S. Fortner, Pastor -Telephone 606-236-8235 - Email grace@mis.net