"The Disciples' Prayer"

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. 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. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 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. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Focus Verse

Matthew 6:9 KJV 1900

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Culture Connection

Jesus taught us to pray . Paul admonished us to pray . Our pastors remind us to pray . But some days we are busy, forgetful, lazy, or carnal . Some days we just do not pray . We want to pray, we know we need to pray, but we do not always pray . But when someone tells us their woes, we remember the power of prayer . “I’ll pray for you .” We say it, we mean it, but we do not always do it . Why? Most of the time, it is because we forget . Enter Echo Prayer, an app for iPhone and Android designed to help people keep track of those who need prayer . It is designed to keep our prayer list for us and even remind us to pray . You can set a reminder to pray at a certain time of the day or for a certain prayer request . And when God answers your prayer, click “answered,” dance a dance of joy, and keep praying for the rest of the people on your list . Given the sincerity of prayer, let us hope we can mature beyond needing a phone alarm to call us to prayer, but in some way we must discipline ourselves to keep our promise to pray for people who ask for our prayers . And God will keep His promise when He tells us He is listening to us . Our prayers plus God’s power will produce answered prayers .

CONTEMPLATING THE TOPIC

When the doctor diagnosed her with leukemia, Nona Freeman soon learned this would be the end of her work on the mission field . She fumed about having only been there three years and already being too ill to do anything more . She was too embarrassed to ask friends to pray . However, her husband got word to one prayer warrior without Nona knowing . For two weeks Nona struggled in such pain and weakness that she could not pray for herself . One night she had given up hope of living, but the Lord gave her a dream . She saw a man kneeling to pray, drew nearer to hear him, and recognized her praying friend . In her dream she heard him rebuke that disease, and instantly she felt something like an electric shock shoot through her body . Immediately she was awake with clarity and comfort—no more pain . She could not help but tell many of what the Lord did for her . She said, “I now know how Hezekiah the king must have felt when the sentence of death was given him by the prophet, followed by God’s graciously adding years to his life when he prayed” (Nona Freeman, Bug and Nona on the Go) .

» Do you view prayer as an event or lifestyle? Why?

Not Vain Repetition

Sadly, too many people get into a rut of prayer that does nothing . The religious institution values such rituals and memorized prayer because it is measurable . However, prayer is a conversation . Conversations have no perfect formula or measurable data like a lecture or recitation . Conversations are as fluid and flexible as the persons involved . Repeating words over and over does not make a conversation . A quality conversation connects hearts . When one or both speakers are moved, that is effective conversation . In keeping with what the Lord Jesus taught about prayer, His earthly brother helped us understand more when he wrote, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16) . Effective prayer does something . Prayer is not a destination, but a journey .

» What great things have you seen occur from your prayers?

A child of God is strategically placed to expand the kingdom of light . By prayer we fight the forces of Hell and drive back the dark plot on earth’s inhabitants . In the home, street, neighborhood, city, region, and country, the disciple prays God’s kingdom into existence until it becomes the mountain that fills the whole earth . Human strength cannot build this empire—only the King and His forces can expand God’s kingdom . Believers know the strengths of the kingdom of darkness in their area: abuse, alcoholism, doctrines of demons, and so on . Pray specifically to oust those evil elements of this present world and pray the solution that the kingdom of God will bring: gentleness, clear minds, apostles’ doctrine, and so on .

» What features of the kingdoms of this world should you pray against in your area?

ALWAYS TO PRAY AND NOT TO FAINT

Prayer is not an activity for weak or weary people . It takes guts and determination to pray . However, we need not be physically powerful . Jesus explained that even a little elderly woman could get what she wanted by petitioning continually . Her prayers were not in hope that the judge loved her or cared about her situation; her petitions persisted because she knew the law was in her favor . We come to the Lord as those who have nothing of any value to offer Him, but we can come boldly because we know He cares about us . At times it becomes easy to complain more than we pray . We talk troubles rather than declare triumph . Effective prayer persists because of what the Lord has promised . Some promises and prophecies are not received because someone did not endure in prayer until the answer came .

Luke 18:1–8 KJV 1900

And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Luke 11:5–10 AMP

And He said to them, Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and will say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves [of bread], For a friend of mine who is on a journey has just come, and I have nothing to put before him; And he from within will answer, Do not disturb me; the door is now closed, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and supply you [with anything]? I tell you, although he will not get up and supply him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his shameless persistence and insistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives; and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened.

» What does it mean to “always pray and not faint”?

INTERNALIZING THE MESSAGE

This model prayer of Jesus is not our only New Testament example of how to pray . Prayers of Paul in his letters show the same elements (Ephesians 1:15–23; 3:14–21; Philippians 1:3–11; Colossians 1:3–22) . Like the Lord’s “Our Father which art in heaven,” Paul began his prayers with thanks to the Father, acknowledging His role in their lives . The apostle prayed that the eyes of their understanding would be opened to God’s plan . The most remarkable aspect of each of these prayers is how praying for others would lead the beloved apostle to end by elevating Jesus in such a fashion that much of our formative doctrine is based on his prayer endings .

Related Media

Related Sermons