How Should We Pray?
Prayer Why Should We Pray? How Should We Pray? What Should We Pray?
Why pray? God knows everything, right? • God has chosen to limit Himself and work through our prayers. (Matt 7:11) • It is our opportunity to be heard by the God of the universe! Our Father, Savior, and Helper! – He is the most powerful person in the universe: If the president walked into this room because he wanted to hear from you, would you drop everything to talk with him? – He is our Father, our Creator, our Savior, the most intimate relationship we have: My wife already knows I love her, so why should I ever tell her?
How Should We Pray and What Should We Pray For? • Jesus taught His disciples a prayer. (Matt 6:9ff) – It’s not a magical prayer that, if you pray these special words, good things will happen. – Prayer is not magical and God is not a force that you can command—There is no power in prayer! But there is all power in God who hears our prayers – It is a model Jesus gives us that very simply summarizes what we should be praying for and how we should pray
How Should We Pray and What Should We Pray For? 1. We pray for God to be worshiped and glorified in all the earth. (6:9) – This is the most important part of our prayers-God’s glory. – The purpose of our lives and our every prayer request should be for God’s glory to be known in all the earth Psa 100:1 “Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!” Psa 67 “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, (2) that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. (3) Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! (4) Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. (5) Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! ….God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear” him!”
How Should We Pray and What Should We Pray For? 2. We pray for God’s coming kingdom and eternal reign on the earth (6:10) – We pray with hope that God will put an end to evil when Jesus Christ returns – We pray for the time when… “the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." (Rev 21:3-4)
How Should We Pray and What Should We Pray For? 3. We pray for God’s will to be done. (Matt. 6:10) – Why?....“We are poor judges of what’s good for us, and we are poor judges of what’s good for others” (Alistair Begg; Rom 8:26) – Sometimes we pray or want to pray things like: • • • •
“Lord, please give me lots of money” “Lord, please give me superhuman joystick fingers” “Lord, please make Micheal/Michael like me” “Lord, please punish my sister/brother”
– We ask with wrong motives – We ask for the wrong things or good things. God will only allow what is best-His glory and your growth (Rom 8:28)
How Should We Pray and What Should We Pray For? • This is the difference between Santa Claus and Jesus – Santa gives you everything you want – Jesus gives you everything you need – “Few earthly things ultimately matter, and no earthly thing matters very much” (Alistair Begg) • What are you asking for this Christmas? • Who are you asking? • Is it what is best for you? God’s glory in all the earth and your growth? • Will you go beyond prayer for these things?
Why pray? God knows everything, right? • God has chosen to limit Himself and work through our prayers. (Matt 7:11) • It is our opportunity to be heard by the God of the universe! Our Father, Savior, and Helper! – He is the most powerful person in the universe: If the president walked into this room because he wanted to hear from you, would you drop everything to talk with him? – He is our Father, our Creator, our Savior, the most intimate relationship we have: My wife already knows I love her, so why should I ever tell her?
How Should We Pray and What Should We Pray For? • Jesus taught His disciples a prayer. (Matt 6:9ff) – It’s not a magical prayer that, if you pray these special words, good things will happen. – Prayer is not magical and God is not a force that you can command—There is no power in prayer! But there is all power in God who hears our prayers – It is a model Jesus gives us that very simply summarizes what we should be praying for and how we should pray
How Should We Pray and What Should We Pray For? 1. We pray for God to be worshiped and glorified in all the earth. (6:9) – This is the most important part of our prayers-God’s glory. – The purpose of our lives and our every prayer request should be for God’s glory to be known in all the earth Psa 100:1 “Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!” Psa 67 “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, (2) that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. (3) Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! (4) Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. (5) Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! ….God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear” him!”
How Should We Pray and What Should We Pray For? 2. We pray for God’s coming kingdom and eternal reign on the earth (6:10) – We pray with hope that God will put an end to evil when Jesus Christ returns – We pray for the time when… “the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." (Rev 21:3-4)
How Should We Pray and What Should We Pray For? 3. We pray for God’s will to be done. (Matt. 6:10) – Why?....“We are poor judges of what’s good for us, and we are poor judges of what’s good for others” (Alistair Begg; Rom 8:26) – Sometimes we pray or want to pray things like: • • • •
“Lord, please give me lots of money” “Lord, please give me superhuman joystick fingers” “Lord, please make Micheal/Michael like me” “Lord, please punish my sister/brother”
– We ask with wrong motives – We ask for the wrong things or good things. God will only allow what is best-His glory and your growth (Rom 8:28)
How Should We Pray and What Should We Pray For? • This is the difference between Santa Claus and Jesus – Santa gives you everything you want – Jesus gives you everything you need – “Few earthly things ultimately matter, and no earthly thing matters very much” (Alistair Begg) • What are you asking for this Christmas? • Who are you asking? • Is it what is best for you? God’s glory in all the earth and your growth? • Will you go beyond prayer for these things?
