What Jesus Taught about Prayer

Notes: What Jesus Taught about Prayer
Harvest
October 19, 2014
Pastor Greg
Sunday morning
Ephesians 6 / Matthew 6

Pastor Greg is telling a funny story or joke, about a pilot calling to the air controller in a panic. After all the checks the air controller decided to lead the pilot in the Lord's Prayer.

He says that the Lords Prayer is a template for how we should pray.

Ephesians 6:18 NKJV
[18] praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints-

We should pray always. “All prayer.”

We can pray publicly, privately, on our knees, while driving, in bed, we can pray anywhere.

Many think the best place to pray is in the church, which is a great place to pray, but God doesn't live in the church He lives in you.

Daniel was a man of God and prayer, the king's other advisors did not like him. So they tried to take him down by attacking his prayer life.

Daniel 6:10 NKJV
[10] Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.

Do your enemies know that you pray? They may try to attack you but they know there is power in prayer.

Rule of thumb from the Bible, prayers in public should be short and prayers in private should be long.

Daniel gave thanks to God just as usual after the law was made that he could not pray.

Give thanks to the Lord because he is good. He is sovereign and we should acknowledge that.

1 Timothy 2:8 NKJV
[8] I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting;

Nehemiah 2:5 NKJV
[5] And I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, that I may rebuild it."

To pray at all times does not only mean to bow your head and pray; it means you are to simply be conscious of the fact that God is with you wherever you go.

1. We should pray because Jesus told us to!
(Luke 18:1 NKJV
[1] Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,)

Jesus on earth was fully God and fully man. The only time in history that God has done that. Even Jesus prayed to God His Father.

John 11:41-43 NKJV
[41] Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. [42] And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me." [43] Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"

When Jesus fed the 5000 is the only miracle recorded in all four gospels.

Matthew 19:13 NKJV
[13] Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.

2. We should pray because prayer is God’s appointed way for obtaining things.
(James 4:2 NKJV
[2] You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.)

You may be facing difficulty right now because you have not prayed about it.

The Bible says you have not because you ask not.

Greg is not suggesting that God will always answer your prayer as you ask for it. He will however listen to your prayer. You can then sit and listen to Gods response.

John 14:3-4 NKJV
[3] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. [4] And where I go you know, and the way you know."


3. Prayer is the way by which God helps us to overcome our anxiety and worry.
(Philippians 4:6 NKJV
[6] Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;)

It's been said if your knees are shaking then kneel on them.

What do we do for anxiety? Turn your worries into prayers. Offer it right to the Lord and move on.

4. Prayer is one of the ways in which we make ourselves ready for Christ’s return.
(Luke 21:34 NKJV
[34] "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.)

Mark 13:32-33 NKJV
[32] "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. [33] Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.

Greg says many say, "I did pray and God didn't answer my prayer!". Greg says that isn't true, He just didn't say yes to you

If you want God to speak to you, provide for you, help you not to worry, and be ready for His return, you must pray!

If the request is wrong, God says, “No.”
If the timing is wrong, God says, “Slow.”
If you are wrong, God says, “Grow.”

But if the request is right, the timing is right, and you are right, God says, “Go!”

Is there a secret to prayer? Yes and no

Matthew 6:5-13 NKJV
[5] "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. [6] But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. [7] And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. [8] "Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. [9] In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. [10] Your kingdom come. Your 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 forgive our debtors. [13] And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Jesus refers to the Pharisees as hypocrites, originally the base of the word hypocrite means an actor.

It is not hypocritical to sin as a Christian, we are all sinners. You should repent of your sin and turn from it after, we will sin again in the future because we human.

The disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, they didn't ask Him to teach them a prayer.

Don't teach your children a prayer, teach them how to pray.

Matthew 6:7 NKJV
[7] And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their man

The objective of prayer is not to change God; it’s to change you.

Align your will with God's will, not God's will with your will.

When you are in a boat and you throw a rope to the dock, you don't pull the dock to you, you pull yourself to the dock.

The value of prayer is that it keeps me in touch with God.

True praying is not overcoming God’s reluctance, but laying hold of His willingness.

The first three (hallowed, kingdom come, will be done) deal with God’s glory.

The second three (daily bread, forgive debts, lead not into temptation) deal with man’s needs.

The God of the Bible can not be contained. If you have a big God then you have small problems. Not that your problems are serious but it gives you the correct perspective. Our Father in Heaven loves us.

Jews kept God in great reverence, almost to a point of fear. Jesus taught us that God is like a Father to us. We should treat Him as that caring Father.

Greg is talking about his experience as a child, how his mom had 7 husbands. Greg was adopted by Oscar Laurie, that is where he got his last name. That is the only father that treated Greg as if he was Greg's father. Greg loved him.

Greg is now talking about all the different types of fathers, good and bad.

Greg says he doesn't know how your father in earth is, but he knows that your Father in Heaven loves you.

We are sinners and God still loves us, just like as if we are with a loving father on earth.

Ecclesiastes 5:2 NKJV
[2] Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few.

Romans 8:15 NKJV
[15] For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."

John 14:9 NKJV
[9] Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'?

John 8:19 NKJV
[19] Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?" Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."

Hallowed means, “set apart.”

Matthew 6:10 NKJV
[10] Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

1. This is a request for the return of Jesus Christ to the earth.

2.This is a personal request.

3. This is a request for the salvation of those that don’t know the Lord.

Isaiah 53:12 NKJV
[12] Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

Acts 7:59-60 NKJV
[59] And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." [60] Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Do you have a relationship with your Heavenly Father?