B. We Are to Pray Sincerely

But, not only are we to pray secretly; we’re to pray sincerely. In verses 7 and 8, He says, “When you pray, don’t use vain repetition.” (Matthew 6:7) Now, there are a lot of people who just like to rattle off prayer. And, they repeat little words, little phrases, but they’re not sincere. They don’t even really think about what they’re talking about.

In Tibet, they pray with a prayer wheel. They have a little wheel on the end of a stick, and they just roll it round and round and round and round. And, every time the wheel goes around, that’s a prayer. I know some Baptists like that, but the difference is the wheels are in their head. And, they’re just going round and round and round, but they don’t really think about what they’re talking about. They’re just simply using vain repetition. Did you ever hear anybody say something like this: “Say a prayer for me”? Now, that kind of bothers me when I hear people ask a request like that: “Say a prayer for me.” We don’t say prayers; we pray prayers. What’s the difference?

•Well, suppose I came to visit you, and I sat down in your living room, and you looked at me and said, “Say a conversation.” It would be ridiculous. You see, I don’t say conversation; I talk. You don’t say prayers; you pray.•

We are talking with God, not just rattling off little things. Even this prayer that I’ve just read to you, I called it “the Model Prayer” because it’s a guide to pray. Jesus said in verse 9: “After this manner … pray ye.” (Matthew 6:9) He didn’t say to pray this prayer. We’re not all supposed to stand up and say, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.” (Matthew 6:9) That’s all right if you’re praying that prayer out of your heart, but just to repeat it, to use vain repetition … We’re not “heard for [our] much speaking.” (Matthew 6:7)

I. Our Heavenly Father

First of all, I want you to notice our Heavenly Father. Jesus, when He taught us to pray, taught us that we could come to God and address God as our Father.

I. Our Heavenly Father

First of all, I want you to notice our Heavenly Father. Jesus, when He taught us to pray, taught us that we could come to God and address God as our Father.

A. Who He Is

Now, people have always been talking about God, and who He is, and what He’s like. Aristotle, the philosopher, said that God is “the Unmoved Mover.” Huxley said God is “eternal energy.” Arnold said that God is “the absolute unknown.” In Star Wars, He’s “the Force,” and to some people, He’s “the Man upstairs.” Frankly, all that leaves me cold. I’m glad I don’t have to pray to eternal energy. I’m glad I don’t have to call upon the Force. I am glad that I don’t have to think about the Unmoved Mover. I am glad that Jesus taught me when I pray, I can come to Him and say, “Father.” Jesus taught us to pray to God as Father. Do you know, come to think of it, that may be one of the most important words in all of the Bible—Father, Father. “When ye pray, say, ‘Our Father.’ ” (Matthew 6:9) That’s who He is.

B. Where He Is

Now, let’s think about where He is. The Scripture says, “Our Father which art in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9) But literally, in the Greek language it is “in the heavens.” It’s plural. “Our Father which art in [the heavens].” (Matthew 6:9) The word heaven is used twice in this prayer—first of all, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name”—and later on—“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9–10) The first time it is plural. The second time it is singular. Now, that’s not by accident, dear friend; that is by divine design. And, not one jot nor one tittle is in the Scripture by mistake.

B. Where He Is

Now, let’s think about where He is. The Scripture says, “Our Father which art in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9) But literally, in the Greek language it is “in the heavens.” It’s plural. “Our Father which art in [the heavens].” (Matthew 6:9) The word heaven is used twice in this prayer—first of all, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name”—and later on—“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9–10) The first time it is plural. The second time it is singular. Now, that’s not by accident, dear friend; that is by divine design. And, not one jot nor one tittle is in the Scripture by mistake.

And so, why does the Bible say that we’re to pray to God, “Our Father which art in [the heavens]”? (Matthew 6:9) Well, there are three heavens. Do you remember the Apostle Paul said he was caught up into the third heaven, into paradise, and he saw there things not lawful for man to utter? (2 Corinthians 12:2–4) The first heaven is what? That’s the heaven of the atmosphere, the air that surrounds us. The very atmosphere that we live in is called, in the Bible, “the heavens.” You know, the Bible speaks of “the fowls of the air” and “the birds of the heavens.” (Genesis 6:7; Jeremiah 4:25) And so, the atmosphere where the birds fly, where the sparrows are, that’s the first heaven. And then, the second heaven is where the sun, the moon, and the stars are. The Bible says, “The heavens declare the glory of God.” (Psalms 19:1) The Bible speaks of the sun, the moon, and the stars as “the host of heaven.” (Deuteronomy 4:19) Now, the third heaven is where God dwells on high in that glorious place called “paradise,” the third heaven, where Paul was caught up to. Someone has well said, “We see the first heaven by day. We see the second heaven by night, and we see that third heaven by faith.” And, thank God for the three heavens.

Now, why are we taught to pray to our Father who is in the heavens? Well, what I believe Jesus is teaching us about is God is everywhere and there’s nowhere where God is not. Now, so many times, if we take this and don’t understand that He uses it in the plural, we might pray like this: “Our Father which art in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9) That is, He’s way out there—God—trying to reach Him. Oh, no, friend. He is way out there, but He’s right here—He’s right here. “Our Father which art in [the heavens].” (Matthew 6:9) He is as close to us as the air that surrounds us, as our breath. That’s what the theologians call “the transcendence and the immanence of God.” Do you know, I like the idea that God is up there because that means He rules over all and there’s nothing that He does not see, nothing that He’s not aware of. But, I like the idea that He’s here because now I can know Him and love Him and have fellowship with Him.

You know, I was really blessed by doing some study about that phrase that says “not a sparrow falls without your Heavenly Father.” (Matthew 10:29) Do you know how often we say that? We often sing it and talk about it. “Not a sparrow falls but what He knows about it.” Well, that is true, but that’s not what the Bible says. It literally says, “Not a sparrow falls without your Heavenly Father.” (Matthew 10:29) Now, what does that mean? It means that no sparrow ever died alone; not one of them died alone. Did you know that He’s there with a dying sparrow? I mean, when a sparrow dies, God is with him. “No sparrow falls without the Father.” (Matthew 10:29) That means not only did God attend the funeral, but God was there at the deathbed when a sparrow falls, when a little sparrow falls. “Not two sparrows sold for a farthing” (Matthew 10:29)—for a penny? That’s the kind of God we have—the God where the birds of the air fill the air. He’s the God of those heavens. And then, I want to tell you, He’s the God of the stellar heavens, and He’s the God of that heavenly home that we have there. What a wonderful, wonderful God! So, who is He? He’s our Father. Where is He? He’s in the first heaven. He’s in the second heaven. He’s in the third heaven. He rules over all, and He’s right here with us. Hallelujah! Now, what does that mean to us? What does that mean to us? He’s our Father.

. Our Heavenly Father

First of all, I want you to notice our Heavenly Father. Jesus, when He taught us to pray, taught us that we could come to God and address God as our Father.

A. Who He Is

Now, people have always been talking about God, and who He is, and what He’s like. Aristotle, the philosopher, said that God is “the Unmoved Mover.” Huxley said God is “eternal energy.” Arnold said that God is “the absolute unknown.” In Star Wars, He’s “the Force,” and to some people, He’s “the Man upstairs.” Frankly, all that leaves me cold. I’m glad I don’t have to pray to eternal energy. I’m glad I don’t have to call upon the Force. I am glad that I don’t have to think about the Unmoved Mover. I am glad that Jesus taught me when I pray, I can come to Him and say, “Father.” Jesus taught us to pray to God as Father. Do you know, come to think of it, that may be one of the most important words in all of the Bible—Father, Father. “When ye pray, say, ‘Our Father.’ ” (Matthew 6:9) That’s who He is.

B. Where He Is

Now, let’s think about where He is. The Scripture says, “Our Father which art in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9) But literally, in the Greek language it is “in the heavens.” It’s plural. “Our Father which art in [the heavens].” (Matthew 6:9) The word heaven is used twice in this prayer—first of all, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name”—and later on—“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9–10) The first time it is plural. The second time it is singular. Now, that’s not by accident, dear friend; that is by divine design. And, not one jot nor one tittle is in the Scripture by mistake.

And so, why does the Bible say that we’re to pray to God, “Our Father which art in [the heavens]”? (Matthew 6:9) Well, there are three heavens. Do you remember the Apostle Paul said he was caught up into the third heaven, into paradise, and he saw there things not lawful for man to utter? (2 Corinthians 12:2–4) The first heaven is what? That’s the heaven of the atmosphere, the air that surrounds us. The very atmosphere that we live in is called, in the Bible, “the heavens.” You know, the Bible speaks of “the fowls of the air” and “the birds of the heavens.” (Genesis 6:7; Jeremiah 4:25) And so, the atmosphere where the birds fly, where the sparrows are, that’s the first heaven. And then, the second heaven is where the sun, the moon, and the stars are. The Bible says, “The heavens declare the glory of God.” (Psalms 19:1) The Bible speaks of the sun, the moon, and the stars as “the host of heaven.” (Deuteronomy 4:19) Now, the third heaven is where God dwells on high in that glorious place called “paradise,” the third heaven, where Paul was caught up to. Someone has well said, “We see the first heaven by day. We see the second heaven by night, and we see that third heaven by faith.” And, thank God for the three heavens.

Now, why are we taught to pray to our Father who is in the heavens? Well, what I believe Jesus is teaching us about is God is everywhere and there’s nowhere where God is not. Now, so many times, if we take this and don’t understand that He uses it in the plural, we might pray like this: “Our Father which art in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9) That is, He’s way out there—God—trying to reach Him. Oh, no, friend. He is way out there, but He’s right here—He’s right here. “Our Father which art in [the heavens].” (Matthew 6:9) He is as close to us as the air that surrounds us, as our breath. That’s what the theologians call “the transcendence and the immanence of God.” Do you know, I like the idea that God is up there because that means He rules over all and there’s nothing that He does not see, nothing that He’s not aware of. But, I like the idea that He’s here because now I can know Him and love Him and have fellowship with Him.

You know, I was really blessed by doing some study about that phrase that says “not a sparrow falls without your Heavenly Father.” (Matthew 10:29) Do you know how often we say that? We often sing it and talk about it. “Not a sparrow falls but what He knows about it.” Well, that is true, but that’s not what the Bible says. It literally says, “Not a sparrow falls without your Heavenly Father.” (Matthew 10:29) Now, what does that mean? It means that no sparrow ever died alone; not one of them died alone. Did you know that He’s there with a dying sparrow? I mean, when a sparrow dies, God is with him. “No sparrow falls without the Father.” (Matthew 10:29) That means not only did God attend the funeral, but God was there at the deathbed when a sparrow falls, when a little sparrow falls. “Not two sparrows sold for a farthing” (Matthew 10:29)—for a penny? That’s the kind of God we have—the God where the birds of the air fill the air. He’s the God of those heavens. And then, I want to tell you, He’s the God of the stellar heavens, and He’s the God of that heavenly home that we have there. What a wonderful, wonderful God! So, who is He? He’s our Father. Where is He? He’s in the first heaven. He’s in the second heaven. He’s in the third heaven. He rules over all, and He’s right here with us. Hallelujah! Now, what does that mean to us? What does that mean to us? He’s our Father.