THE DISCIPLES' PRAYER

Text: Matthew 6:9-15

Blessings Church!

Going into this New Year, I’m convinced more than ever that 2021 will be the “Year of Prayer” for many of us – as a church and as individuals. Certainly, what has taken place in 2020 ought to drive us to our knees, but also the lack of clarity concerning 2021 will be an equally motivating factor for a disciplined life of prayer for each of us.

With this in mind, I’ve been studying what has traditionally been called the “Lord’s Prayer,” as seen through the gospel accounts of Matthew and Luke – the only books which record for us what Jesus told His disciples concerning how they should pray. Luke’s version is a shorter version of the prayer, while Matthew’s account in the Sermon on the Mount recorded the longer version. I’m not a fan of calling these verses of instruction on prayer the Lord’s Prayer because Jesus was teaching His disciples how to pray, so really these passages would better be labeled the “Disciples' Prayer.”

I want to challenge you as your Pastor to re-evaluate your prayer life as we enter 2021. I believe there are many more uncertain days ahead which will require a focused prayer life. Use these instructions from Jesus concerning prayer as a guide in how you pray – I certainly am!

As we come to Matthew 6:9 (the actual prayer guide), Jesus gives us an important principle concerning prayer. In verse 6, He says,

“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

Don’t miss this! Too many people pass over these words and go directly to verses 9-13. Jesus tells us here to spend our prayer time in our secret place, a place with no distractions and no one else listening in – Just God and you. The Pharisees (Israel’s religious leaders) loved to show how spiritual they were by standing up in the streets and synagogues, praying for all to see how devoted they were. Jesus says in verse 8, “Do not be like them,” and then tells His disciples and us that we should “Pray then like this.”

Over the next several weeks, we are going to look at each phrase of this prayer and apply it to our own prayer life. I know you will enjoy this practical study. Let’s get started!

This instruction on prayer opens with the words, “Our Father in heaven.” This is so amazing! When I go to prayer, I step into the presence of my Father. God the Father is my Father and your Father. He’s not some distant unknown force, no, He’s MY FATHER! Think about this. This is how we are to address Him. I love what Martin Lloyd Jones said about prayer. He stated,

“Man is at his greatest and highest when upon his knees he comes face to face to God.”

This is so true. But what makes it amazing is that when we come face to face with God in prayer, we come face to face with “Our Father.” Our Father is a God of love and mercy, and grace. Oh, how He loves us – no matter what we’ve done, or how careless we have been in our Christian life, He loves us and desires to meet us face to face and hear us call Him “Our Father.” The Greek text uses the word “Pater,” but Jesus we believe used the Aramaic word “Abba,” which could be translated in our time as “Daddy.” This Aramaic word conveys the intimacy of the relationship between a father and a child.

I have spoken to many a folk in counseling concerning this very matter. Many did not have a loving and caring Father, so when they think of God as their “Father,” they have a real issue with thinking of Him as that intimate loving Father. My own father had passed away when I really needed him in my life, leaving a void. When I came to Christ, an older wise man encouraged me to let God be my Father, filling the void of emptiness. I have encouraged others to do the same who had a Father who beat and abused them and was anything but loving. Many reported back what a blessing it was to finally have a loving Father, and they enjoyed the intimacy of this new relationship.

The next words of this first phrase say, “In Heaven” (ESV). I’m so glad that “My Father” lives in “Heaven.” He’s not bound to this earth and all of its problems. He’s not involved in the chaos we see here on earth. NO, He rules in Heaven, sitting on His throne – in control of everything, including my life. Think about this, friends. The Creator God of the universe. The God who sent His “only Son” to redeem me, allows me to have an audience with Him, face to face, one on one, and when I approach Him, I call Him “Father.” He’s not distracted by COVID, earthly wars, political corruption, He is focused on me!

Too many times when I have gone to prayer in the past, I mechanically bowed my head and closed my eyes and started talking – without really preparing myself to who it was I was going to talk to. I was about to enter the presence of the Lord God Almighty, and I missed the holy moment of bowing before my King, my God, my Father!

So, how does this first phrase of the disciple’s prayer affect my prayer life? Please allow me to make a few suggestions.

1. I will slow down and prepare myself to meet the Lord God Almighty, who loves me and desires for me to call Him “Father.”

I will strive to make prayer more intentional, with more mental preparation before I bow my head to him. I need to slow down and make sure that my words to my Father are filled with love for Him.

1. I will not miss the intimacy of the moment.

He’s my Dad, and He loves me, and I have the opportunity to meet with Him one on one. Wow! It’s an amazing thought. He’s interested in all that I have to say to Him. He cares about all the details of my life – even though He already knows all the details, He longs for me to bring them to Him. I’m starting to slow down as I speak to Him, allowing Him to respond back to me through the Holy Spirit.

1. I love my Secret place!

For me, my home office works the best. Lynette knows that when my door is shut, she should not enter in and distract the moment. Prayer is not for others to see how spiritual (or not spiritual) I am. It’s for an intimate, quiet time with my Father – with no distractions. The King, my King, deserves such a meeting, and what a privilege it is for me to give Him this time together, uninterrupted, with no one else listening in, or judging me for what is being said.

1. This year is a year to commit to prayer.

As all of you have noticed, the world around us is spinning out of control. There is just no making sense of what is happening or when it will end. I encourage all of you to spend more time in prayer with your Father. I hope and pray that this study on prayer will motivate each of you to find your secret place and meet with your Father, the King.

Let’s all pray for each other as well as for Cornerstone Bible Church. The leadership is excited about when we are going to be able to meet again, but are encouraged about what we see taking place during this time.

On a personal note, I’d like to ask each of you to pray for my daughter (Jeremy’s wife), Megan, who is facing a battle with cancer. She’s already been through chemotherapy and radiation, which has not been effective, and now faces an operation as the last option. She is trusting the Lord and staying on her knees before Him, and in good spirits concerning this battle. Please pray for Megan and Jeremy that the Lord’s will would be accomplished – no matter what that means. Thank you again church, for joining the Seuss family in prayer for this young family who we all love so much.

Blessings Cornerstone Bible Church!

In His Grip,

Pastor Doc