At the center of our Mission Statement is Worship. We have a tendency
to confine worship to what happens here on Sunday mornings. Or, sometimes
just the singing portion. However, the biblical understanding of worship
has a much broader meaning. The Greek word for worship is also translated
as serving. There are many facets to worship, and one of them is prayer.
This year, I will be preaching a series of sermons based on the prayer
our Lord taught us.
However, before we study the Lord's Prayer, we want to identify what
some of the foundational principles of prayer are. What do we associate
with "Prayer"? To some, prayer is a mysterious experience, like the
eastern meditation. To others, prayer is more like SOS signals. When
we are in trouble or find ourselves in situations that we cannot control,
then we pray hard and ask everyone to pray for us. There are also
many who see prayer as a means to acquire what we want from God. Or
prayer is communication with God, a conversation with someone close
to us.
As we search the scriptures, there are certainly many different forms
of prayers. There are praises for who God is, the confession of sins,
petitions regarding our special situations and needs, thanksgiving
for the requests granted, and the pouring out of one's emotions, like
David in the Psalms. Some of those emotions are joyous and pleasant,
while others are raw and ugly.
Looking at the different recorded prayers in the bible, we are to
be cautious in the interpretation and application. Are they meant
to be models of how we should pray, or simply honest descriptions
of how sinful human beings pray. For example, should we use the prayer
of Jabez as a model prayer, reading it every day, and asking God to
bless us? If so, how about some of David's prayer in which he cursed
and sought revenge over his enemies?
This morning we want to direct our attention to two guidelines that
Jesus gives us on prayer. In the few verses we read this morning is
a simple truth that prayer is coming to the Father in heaven with
the proper motive of loving him.
I. We pray to the father who is in secret.
At the onset of this passage Jesus warned his disciples not be like
the hypocrites. Hypocrites are insincere, dishonest and do things
just to show off. They have no integrity and turn people away from
them. No one likes hypocrites, even though at times we may act like
one. You may have heard friends telling you that the reason they don't
want to come to church is because of the hypocrites there. In Jesus'
day, the hypocrites like to pray in the synagogues and on the streets.
So Jesus says, "don't be like them. When you pray, go into your room
and shut the door and pray to your father who is in secret. ??????????????????????????"
Jesus tells us to pray in secret. What does it mean to us?
1. Direct our prayers to the Father in heaven.
In vs.6, "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and
pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what
is done in secret………for your Father knows what you need before you
ask him. ??????????????????????????????????………????????????????" Whom
do we pray to? The Father who is unseen. In the OT, we read that God's
people prayed to the almighty God, the Lord of hosts, or the Lord.
In the NT, we still pray to the almighty God, the holy and Merciful
God. However, a new element begins to enter into the picture. We are
taught to pray to this God with the emphasis on his relationship to
us as our Father in heaven. He is high above, he is beyond us, he
is the "OTHER". At the same time, he is also our Father.
Very often we are caught up with the techniques of prayer. How long
and when shall we pray? Is there a right posture for prayer? The focus
here in to whom do we pray? We pray to our Father in heaven. I understand
the word 'Father' can bring up different responses from different
people.
Last Sunday in one of the services, I saw an adult child sitting
close to her father who is visiting from China. From time to time,
she was snuggling towards him, with her arm under his. A very sweet
picture. I am certain she will have no problem coming to the heavenly
Father and talking to Him in a close and intimate manner. However,
I have also known individuals who are in their 40's who cannot address
God as the heavenly father. Their negative experiences with their
own father have affected their relationship with the heavenly Father.
Jesus teaches us that when we pray, we direct our prayers to the
Father in heaven. Yes, he is the almighty and all knowing God, but
there is also an intimate relationship with us. He is also our Father
in heaven. We must not let our experience with our earthly father
define our relationship with the father in heaven. Instead, all earthly
fathers must be viewed in the light of the Father in heaven.
2. We are to pray with the proper motive.
The hypocrites loved to pray in the public. There is nothing wrong
praying in public. The problem is with their motive. They prayed so
that others may see them. They wanted others to applaud them, and
they got it. This was their reward. Therefore, the contrast is, go
to your room, shut the door and pray.
Some of us like name brand clothes, shoes and fountain pens. When
do you wear them? when you are out with others. If you are alone in
your room, does it matter whether it is the real Polo or that imitation
Polo from HK? I don't think so. We want others to notice that real
Polo shirt, the yellow power tie or that Mount Blanc fountain pen.
The same is with prayer. When we are in public, there is the tendency
to pray so that others will notice that we are godly persons. We pray
so that others will applaud. But in the privacy of our room, who is
there to listen except God? And when we come before him, just the
two of us, its hard to have any hidden motives, right? Its difficult
to imagine that upon listening to our prayers, God would say, "William,
that is a very eloquent prayer, you are a very spiritual man." No,
of course not. When we come before God one on one, it strips off all
our motives except our love for him. We come to talk to him because
we love him, wanting to be close to him. It really doesn't matter
what others may think of me.
The gospels tell us that there are many times Jesus went away and
prayed alone. This does not mean that we should not pray in public.
Look at the disciples in the book of Acts. There were countless times
when they prayed in public. The lesson we learn here is that our public
prayers must be an outflow of our private prayers. We need to ask
ourselves some hard questions: do I like public prayers more than
private prayers? Do I pray more fervently in public than in private?
If our answers are affirmative, then we fail to pass the test Jesus
set for us. We are hypocrites. Besides praying with the right motive,
3. We pray to the Father who waits for us in secrecy.
Vs.6, "Pray to the Father who is in secret, who is unseen. ??????????????????????????????????"
That is, pray to the father who is there. He is already there, waiting
for us. We don't ask God to come near to us when we pray, because
he is already here. In fact, he has initiated this process of prayer,
communication with us, and he waits for our response. It is said that
behind all prayers is God's initiative. He loves us and wants to talk
to us. So when we come before him, we are only responding to his invitation
and initiative. Psalm 27:8, "You have said, v "Seek3 my face. "My
heart says to you, "Your face, LORD, do I seek.?????????????????????????????????."
II. We pray to the Heavenly Father who knows us.
The second principle which characterizes our prayer is, vs7, "when
you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they
will be heard because of their many words. ??????????????????????????????"
Do not use empty and repetitious words. The gentiles think that by
using such repetitious words they would gain God's listening ears;
their requests will be granted. It's like saying if I repeat certain
prayers everyday, then God will listen to me. Prayer becomes a daily
mantra. It becomes a bunch of words with no meaning. It is like children
whining after their parents for money or a toy; thinking if they nag
long enough, their parent would give in. Sometimes we bring such an
attitude into prayer, as if we can manipulate God into giving what
we want. So, what is the basis of our requests and petitions? From
this passage, we learn it is based on the truth that God knows us.
How so?
1. He knows our needs.
Vs.8, "Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before
you ask him. ????????????????????????????????????" He knows our needs
before we ask him. Sometime we pray as if we are telling him something
he is not aware of. "Lord, this morning, on his way to church, john
had an accident and is now in the Hospital…." Can you imagine, having
heard our prayers, God said, "My, I didn't know about this. I am so
glad you tell me. Next time I will keep a closer look at your situation."
No, what is said here? He knows what we need before we ask him. He
is aware of all our needs even before we ask him. Isn't this a great
comfort and encouragement when we come to our Father in heaven? He
already knows us and our needs. Not only this,
2. He gives the best to us.
He not only knows what we need before we ask him, but he will also
give us the best. In vs.25-33 we read about his care for us, providing
us with what we need. 7:11, "If you, then, though you are evil, know
how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father
in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! ??????????????????????????????????????????"
We learn that as our Father in heaven, he will give us the good and
the best. In Eph 3:20, "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably
more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at
work within us………….????????????????????????????????."
What kind of a picture do we see here? That he does not necessarily
give us what we ask for, but he will give us what he thinks is best
for us, way beyond our expectation and imagination.
It's like you asking your parents to give you a game boy advance
for Christmas. On Christmas day they gave you the X-Box. Far better
than what you ask for. It's also like a relationship. You have wanted
that relationship so badly. You pray very hard that God would give
you that person as your life long companion. The relationship ended
and you were broken hearted. Several years later, looking at the guy/girl
again, you said, "Boy, am I glad He didn't give me that Jerk!" C.S.
Lewis wrote, "I must often be glad that certain past prayers of my
own were not granted." On the contrary, what he has given is far better
than what I asked for. Why is it sometimes a child would whine unceasingly,
wanting this and that? Why do adult sometimes nag at their spouses?
Because we are not certain if our parents or spouse will give us what
we want. We have no confidence in that relationship. If we know for
sure that our parents and our spouse will give us what is good and
needed, the whining and nagging will stop, right?
Prayer is similar to this. We pray with the assurance that he not
only listens but will also give us what he considers as the best.
Our prayer is built upon an intimate and loving relationship with
our Father in heaven. Now, if he knows what we need before we ask,
and if he wants to give us the best, then why pray?
3. We pray because we are dependent upon him.
Whenever I come before the heavenly Father and tell him about my
needs and situations, it is an expression of my dependence upon him.
Like that hymn which says, "I Need You every hour". I am dependent
upon his timing, his wisdom and his power. If this is true, then I
would not dare demand anything from him. I would not dare say because
I've prayed, therefore I claim that this is mine. When I am dependent
upon him, how dare I say that he will give me for sure.
When Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane, he prayed and asked 3
times that God would remove a certain cup from him. He did not say
that because I prayed, because I have faith, therefore I claim that
this cup will be removed. Having asked 3 times, he said, "but not
according to my will, but your will." In the end, this cup was not
removed from him and he was crucified on the cross. This is dependence
upon the Father who knows us and knows what our needs are. Again,
using C.S. Lewis's words, "For most of us the prayer in Gethsemane
is the only model. Removing mountains can wait."
Conclusion:
What about the reward? The hypocrites got their reward when they
prayed in public and people saw and applauded them. How about those
who prayed in secret to the Father? The Greek word, "room" into which
we are to pray, was used for the storeroom where treasures might be
kept. Therefore, it could imply that there are many treasures already
waiting for us when we pray.
When we address God as our Father, the Holy Spirit witnesses with
our spirit that we are indeed his children, we are granted a strong
assurance of his fatherhood and love. He refreshes our soul, satisfies
our hunger, and quenches our thirst. We know we are no longer orphans
for the father has adopted us; no longer wanderers for we have been
forgiven; no longer alienated, for we have come home. The secret place
is where we meet him face to face. This is our reward.
