LONGING TO BE SEEN
Matthew 6:5-6
#Matt6Prayer
INTRODUCTION
We are going to begin a short series on prayer this week. There will be 3 messages on prayer all focusing on Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount which we find in Matthew 5-7. We will be in Matthew 6. Prayer is significant for the believer in Jesus Christ. Why? Why is prayer significant? Before we even get into the Bible passage for today… What is the big deal about prayer?
QUOTES FROM “The Ministry of Intercession A Plea for More Prayer” by Andrew Murray
I am going to read a few quotes this morning from Andrew Murray’s book “The Ministry of Intercession: A Plea for More Prayer” which I believe I got free on my Kindle years ago. Free does not necessarily mean cheap or worthless. Andrew Murray was a writer and pastor who lived 1828-1917. Old does not necessarily mean out of touch. I want to read them and then give you a moment to think on each quote.
“Prayer is meant to be as simple and natural as breathing or working to a healthy man. The reluctance we feel, and the failure we confess, are God’s own voice calling us to acknowledge our disease, and to come to Him for the healing He has promised.”
[pause]
“Prayer is one of the most heavenly and spiritual of the functions of the Spirit-life.”
[pause]
“Nothing but intense believing prayer can meet the intense spirit of worldliness.”
[pause]
“Where there is much prayer there will be much of the Spirit; where there is much of the Spirit there will be ever-increasing prayer.”
[pause]
“Here is the life that can pray. A branch entirely given up to the Vine and its aims, with all responsibility for its cleansing cast on the Vinedresser; a branch abiding in Christ, trusting and yielding to God for His cleansing, can bear much fruit. In the power of such a life we shall love prayer, we shall know how to pray, we shall pray, and receive whatsoever we ask.”
[pause]
I love how the author reflects that not only is prayer to be simple and natural for us who are believers in Jesus, but prayer is an important part of our spiritual lives. A Christian person who is filled with the Holy Spirit will be someone who prays. Prayer is communication with God in Jesus’ Name by the power of the Holy Spirit.
READ MATTHEW 6:5-6
And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 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.
As I read over and prayed over and meditated on these two verses from Matthew 6, I noticed many truths presented. I would like to focus on three truths this morning.
TRUTH ONE: “WHEN” NOT “IF” (VERSE 5)
I noticed, and I want to point it out to you, that Jesus begins with a very particular simple word. Jesus says “WHEN you pray” … not “IF you pray.” I personally believe that prayer is a natural and normal part of human life because all of us desire to be connected to our Heavenly Father. Even atheists know there is a big hole in their life… they just refuse to believe that the hole is God.
Why does Jesus present prayer in that way… “when” not “if?” Because it is true. It has been God’s way to communicate with His creation from the very beginning. It has been natural for people to pray to God from the very beginning.
READ GENESIS 1:28
And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
The phrase “And God said to them” happens right after God created men and women in His image. God did not create human beings and then just let us be… He communicated with us right away about His will and desires and His way of life for us. Even sin did not stop the communication between God and people and people and God.
READ GENESIS 4:25-26
And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.” 26 To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the LORD.
The phrase “call upon the name of the Lord” means prayer and worship and communication and a relationship with the God of the universe. So you see it has been God’s way to communicate with His creation from the very beginning. It has been natural for people to pray to God from the very beginning.
Jesus knows this and models this for us. In fact, we can have no better teacher about prayer than Jesus Christ. Jesus speaks to God as His Father. We are to speak to God as our Father. It is assumed that we pray.
APPLICATION
Do we find that prayer to God the Father is part of our lives?
Do we find that prayer to God the Father is a significant part of our lives?
How often do we pray in the course of a day?
How much time do spend in prayer listening to God about His will for our lives?
These questions are not to be a guilt trip. These questions are not to be written down and compared with someone else. Comparing our prayer lives to that of another is not something we ever need to do.
Honestly, the answer to those questions are between you and God and also honestly, how we answer those questions also reveal much about the depth of our relationship with God. Some would say our frequency or depth in prayer is a direct measure of our attitude toward God in the deepest parts of ourselves.
It makes sense. You and I claim to be believers in God and claim to place trust in Jesus Christ and claim to walk in the Holy Spirit, if we find that we can go through the day without talking to the Father, what does that say about our hearts? Or if we find that speaking to God and listening to Him really doesn't make that much of a difference in the way you and I live, what does that say about our submission to Him?
If we trust in Him, we pray.
If we believe in Him, we pray.
ILLUSTRATION… Prayer and Elijah in 1 Kings 18-19
When I think about prayer and this truth of WHEN not IF, I think about the prophet Elijah in 1 Kings 18-19. Elijah in 1 Kings 18, had just literally had a mountain top experience with God where fire came down from Heaven because of Elijah’s prayers and then rain came to relieve drought in response to his prayers. His life is in danger and he runs. An angel comes to Elijah and tells him to “go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” He does so and God passes by him. There is rock tearing wind and an earthquake and then a searing fire. Then a whisper comes. It is when Elijah ears the whisper that he covers his face and knows it is the Lord. I have to tell you; I would have expected God in the wind or earthquake or fire. And yet, Elijah knew God because he continually prayed and had a deep relationship with God and he recognized God’s whisper.
WHEN not IF.
TRUTH TWO: WE WANT TO BE SEEN (VERSES 5-6)
The second truth that I notice in these verses happens in both verses. In verse 5, the hypocrites pray in public and loud so that they will be “seen by others.” In verse 6, we pray so that our “Father who sees in secret” hears our prayers. The people Jesus was speaking to wanted to be seen. They wanted to be seen as godly good Jews who followed the Law and would earn the stamp of approval from God. They wanted to be seen as putting forth effort in their religion. They wanted to be seen and validated as loyal to God by everyone who laid eyes on them. Being seen as religious and admired as religious was a virtue among Jesus’ countrymen.
I do not think we are so different from them. We want to be seen. We want to be noticed. We want to be validated by people around us. It’s why every parent who has ever lived hears 6,000 times a day, “Dad look at me” “Mom look at me” “Watch me” “Look what I can do” “See what I did.” That is why the “thumbs up” exists on Facebook and the “heart” on Twitter and why anyone shares anything on Social Media. We want to be seen. We want to be validated. It used to be that we wanted to be seen and validated by those closest to us, but now we will take validation wherever we can get it.
I would like to give you a gem of truth about being seen and being validated because the “need to be seen” can become a sickness. There can be great pressure to be noticed and validated by others around us and when we are not, it causes anxiety, loss of self-worth, and many times we redefine who we are based on the lack of validation.
We fear being insignificant and we feel unimportant.
We fear being unnoticed and we feel like we are alone.
We fear not measuring up to others when we compare and we feel “less than.”
Verse 6 promises us that God sees us. There is not a place we can go, a conversation we can have, a difficulty we encounter, or a joy we can experience when God is not there. He sees us. God sees you. There's no need to do something very religious or holy impressive to get God the Father to pay attention. His love is so deep and His eyes are so keen that He always sees us and pays attention.
* May I suggest that you seek the value that God places on you and not anyone else.
* May I suggest that God’s definition of significance is all that should matter to us.
* May I suggest that none of us are insignificant to the One Who Runs the World.
* May I suggest that you use God’s measures to measure yourself and not others.
APPLICATION
Do we find that prayer seeking God the Father is part of our lives?
Do we find that prayer seeking God’s approval is a significant part of our lives?
How often do we check our motives with God in prayer in the course of a day?
How much time do spend in prayer listening to God about His will for our lives?
God sees us when we pray. God sees the secret desires of our hearts and still listens. God sees us for who we really are and He loves us deeply.
You and I have to come to a place in our lives when it does not matter what anyone says about us, affirms in us, or defines us or sees in us; the only opinion that matters about who we are is God. That is not an easy place to get to. Now, you might think that God is love and grace and mercy and goodness… which is true… but our Heavenly Father is also holy, just, and wrathful towards sin and will not abide disobedience and doing what we want when we want and giving a rubber stamp of approval. We should seek His approval.
Let’s be honest, if you and I are not praying, we will not hear or experience God’s approval. If we are not praying, we cannot be validated by our Heavenly Father who is ready to guide us and help us and answer prayer. If we are not praying, the voices of the world and those around us who are mean and often ignore us, will have a louder voice than God Almighty.
Jesus Christ tells us that prayer is about us connected with God the Father who is already paying attention to us. Prayer is conforming ourselves in the deepest parts of who we are to God and receiving his approval. Praying in secret means God sees our bear hearts and knows we don’t match Him and He then works a miracle in us to be more Christ-like.
ILLUSTRATION… Prayer and Elijah in 1 Kings 18-19
When I think about prayer and this truth about wanting to be seen, I again think about the prophet Elijah in 1 Kings 18-19. Elijah faced off against the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel in 1 Kings 18. Queen Jezebel is furious and at the beginning of chapter 19 promises to kill Elijah. He is full of fear. He runs in fear. Somehow after having a great victory with God, Elijah runs in fear because the king and queen hate him for winning against the idol worshipping priests and he asks God to kill him. He is very down on himself and goes off alone. Later as Elijah complains to God in prayer, Elijah says that in all of Israel he is the only worshipper of God left. He just wants to die.
God answers Elijah in prayer and sees him. He validates Elijah as his prophet and gives him the job of anointing the next kings who would come on the scene. He affirms the job Elijah has done as his prophet by commanding him to anoint the next prophet, Elisha, who will personally learn from him. Not only that, God encourages Elijah’s heart by naming that there are thousands who never have bowed to idols and who remain 100% loyal to God. All this happened while Elijah was praying by himself with God… in secret. No one else was there.
We want to be seen and God sees us.
TRUTH THREE: REWARD IN PRAYER (VERSES 5-6)
The third truth that I notice in these verses is one that I hope is not misunderstood. Jesus, in teaching about prayer, does indicate that there are rewards for praying. In verse 5, if a person stands on street corners to pray to be seen as holy and for the applause of others, the applause they get is their reward. In verse 6, if a person prays in earnest privately and seeks the face of God with all their heart, there is a reward from God.
We do not pray so we can get stuff from God.
We do not pray as through God is a vending machine.
We do not pray for the reward.
And yet, prayer brings with it rewards.
READ HEBREWS 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.
A relationship with the Almighty God has benefits and reward and fruit as a result. What is the reward? I happen to think there is one primary reward and then a whole bunch of little rewards. One of the little rewards is answered prayers. One of the little rewards is joining together with other believers and feeling supported. What is the primary reward? What is the one thing that prayer brings to us? Peace.
READ PHILIPPIANS 4:6-8
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Notice that the Apostle Paul, in context, is talking about anxiety, asking in prayer, and having requests before God. Prayer is the context. What is the reward he outlines? Peace of God that surpasses all understanding guarding our heart.
In Matthew 6:6, Jesus promises His disciples that God our Father will hear them and see them and answer them and reward them when they pray in secret. When it is just them pouring their heart out to God, He does those things. It is the same for us. We have the same promises.
Jesus wants us to draw near to God in prayer and to earnestly seek Him. This pleases God and because we are connecting our spirit with the Spirit of God we have the Peace of God that surpasses all understanding guarding our heart. We have peace.
APPLICATION
Do we find that prayer to God the Father is part of our lives?
Do we find that prayer to God the Father is a significant part of our lives?
How often do we draw near to God for peace in the course of a day?
How much time do spend in prayer reframing our minds and hearts with God?
* We can definitely move through our days full of anxiety about our circumstances, or we can choose to stop, draw near to God in prayer, and then be filled with His peace.
* We can suffer with worry about everything that is out of our control, or we can draw near to God by ourselves or with others in prayer and allow Him to minister to our hearts with His presence which brings peace.
* We can make decisions in our lives by ourselves and regret it, or we can pause and consult the Creator of the Universe and follow His will and have peace about our decision.
* We can go through each day relying on ourselves and the way we think life should go and how relationships should be managed, or we can pray and be filled with His peace and face those things with God in front of us, behind us, and guarding every side.
ILLUSTRATION… Prayer and Elijah in 1 Kings 18-19
When I think about prayer and this truth about reward in prayer, I further still think about the prophet Elijah in 1 Kings 18-19. The prophet Elijah faced off himself alone against 450 prophets of Baal and yet he was not really alone… was he? He had assurance and peace that God was with him. The people who worshipped an idol cut themselves with knives and carried on and yet the Bible tells us “there was no voice, and no one answered.” Elijah prayed to God and asked that God would do a mighty deed and God sent fire from heaven and burned up the sacrifice Elijah had made. Everyone standing there understood that God is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He had peace from God about ridding the land of false teachers.
Even as Elijah was afraid and running for his life, his prayer life sustained him and God sent an angel to literally tend to his needs by giving him food, and drink, and sleeping in safety. God provided exactly what Elijah needed to face his fears. God even answered and gave him peace later about feeling that he was the only worshipper of God left. God gave Elijah peace that he was not alone, but among thousands and thousands of loyal worshippers.
Elijah’s heart and mind were reframed by God and he left that time alone strengthened, again zealous for God, and fully obedient knowing exactly what he had to do. Later in chapter 21, Elijah was able to face the king and queen and point out the murder they committed for land without fear and with the peace of God at his back.
SUMMARY
READ MATTHEW 6:5-6
And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 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.
We need to take note of Jesus’ teachings on prayer because prayer is extremely important for those of us who identify as believers. It is not an “if” we pray, but “when” we pray that we pray to God who sees us and wants to connect with us. It is not an “if” we pray, but “when” we pray to God that we are filled with His peace to face any and every situation. The source of peace for us is God. A way to access that peace that passes all understanding is prayer.
ACTION ITEM
As we think about such things, make the decision today to deepen your relationship with God through prayer.
PRESENTATION OF THE GOSPEL
I read a verse a few minutes ago that I would like to re-highlight in case there is someone here today who does not believe in Jesus.
RE-READ HEBREWS 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.
That verse tells us that when we place faith in God through Christ, that we seek and find God, and that He draws near to us. He rewards us, because of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, with a clean slate between us and Him. Grace comes. Release from guilt comes. Mercy comes. All because of Jesus Christ. Place faith in Jesus and what He has done for us!
INVITATION
PRAYER
