Lord, Teach Us to Pray - Part 1
The Gospel of Matthew
Matthew 6:9-13
Sermon by: Rick Crandall
Grayson Baptist Church - September 10, 2017
(Revised March 4, 2021)
BACKGROUND:
*Anyone who studies the Bible will find that it contains many prayers. The Dake Annotated Reference Bible lists 222 different prayers in the Bible: 176 prayers in the Old Testament and 46 in the New. (1)
*God put a multitude of prayers in His Holy Word. Why did He do that? One reason why is to show us that God wants us to pray. He also wants to show us that prayer is essential for a healthy relationship with Him, and He wants to show us the miraculous power of prayer. But God also uses the prayers we see in the Bible to teach us how to pray, and tonight we will start looking at one of the best-known prayers of all. So, please open your Bibles to Matthew 6:9, as we begin to study the Lord's Prayer.
MESSAGE:
*Down through the centuries, the Lord's Prayer has touched millions of lives, and Todd Beamer was one of those people. You might remember that Todd was one of the heroes on United Airlines Flight 93 during the terrorist attacks of 9/11/2001. Flight 93 was one of the four planes hijacked on that terrible day. The Islamic terrorists on Todd's flight were headed for the White House or the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. But a group of brave passengers stormed the pilot compartment and foiled the terrorists' plan. Tragically, all lives were lost when the plane went down in the Pennsylvania countryside.
*After passengers were first herded to the back of the jet, Todd Beamer called the GTE Customer Center in Oakbrook, Illinois. He told supervisor Lisa Jefferson about the hijacking. Todd also told her that they were planning to jump the terrorists. And then he asked Lisa to pray with him.
*Todd said, "I don't think we're going to get out of this thing. I'm going to have to go out on faith." Todd began to pray, and another passenger named Jefferson joined him: "Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. . ." As they finished the Lord's Prayer, Todd added 3 words: "Jesus, help me." (2)
*The Lord's Prayer was a great source of help for Todd Beamer in the worst possible circumstances. Millions more could tell how this prayer has blessed their lives. And tonight, the Lord's Prayer can bless our lives too, because it is a model for us. In this prayer, Jesus helps us learn how to pray.
1. FIRST: JESUS REMINDS US TO MAKE SURE THAT HIS FATHER IS OUR FATHER.
*In vs. 9, Jesus said to pray this way: "Our Father in heaven." Not everybody can say that. Not everybody can say that God is their Father. Jesus made this truth clear in John 8:44.
*There the Lord was speaking to some people who had rejected Him, and Jesus told them: "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it." (3)
*The only way to become a child of the Heavenly Father is to receive His Son, Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. That's why in John 14:6, Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." And when we trust in Jesus, then His Heavenly Father becomes our Father too. Only then can we truly pray to God and say, "Our Father Who is in Heaven."
[1] AND IF GOD IS OUR FATHER, WE HAVE A FATHER WHO LOOKS OUT FOR US.
*Through Jesus Christ, we get a kind and loving Heavenly Father, Who provides for us, watches over us, corrects us, and protects us.
*Remember what Jesus said about fathers in Matthew 7:9-11. There, the Lord started with questions and said, "What man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!"
*Think about any decent dad you know. If his son asked for bread, would Dad give him a stone? If his son asked for a fish, would Dad give him a snake? No! Godly dads want the best for their children, and that is exactly what our Heavenly Father wants for us.
*Louisiana is well known for hurricanes, especially Katrina that devastated New Orleans in 2005. But in 2004, Hurricane Ivan was a monster storm headed straight for Baton Rouge.
*Louisiana dodged the bullet that time. But we didn't know until the last minute, so they evacuated Baton Rouge on a Wednesday. Our daughter Katie had to work late the night before, and we anxiously waited for her to come home.
*Like many college students, Katie was out of money, but she did have an Exxon card, and went to fill up there. Unfortunately, they were out of gas due to the evacuation, and so was she. That's why she was in a bit of a panic when she called me that Wednesday morning.
*I went straight to her bank and put some money in for her. And I thank God for the friend who took Katie to the bank, and then to find a gas station with some gas. BUT I WOULD HAVE CRAWLED TO THE BANK TO GET SOME MONEY TO KATIE! So would any decent dad. And if we "Joe Average Dads" would do that, how much more will our Heavenly Father do for His children? Infinitely more!
[2] IF GOD IS OUR FATHER, WE HAVE A FATHER WHO LOOKS OUT FOR US. -- WE ALSO HAVE A FATHER WHO LISTENS TO US.
*One of the things I admire the most about my dad is that he was always willing to patiently listen to his children. In that way, my dad was a picture of our Heavenly Father, because God the Father always listens to His children.
*Our Heavenly Father urges us to talk to Him many times. And He surely will listen to us, because of what Jesus did on the cross for us. Dying on the cross, Jesus tore open the barrier between God and man. That barrier was caused by our sins. But Jesus took all of the punishment for our sins when He died on the cross for us, and He gave us access to His Heavenly Father.
*That's why when Jesus died, God the Father miraculously tore open the curtain that walled off the Holy of Holies in the Temple. And in Ephesians 2:18, Paul tells Christians that through Jesus, we "have access by one Spirit to the Father."
*Christians: We have a Heavenly Father who listens to us, and He will answer our prayers in just the right way at just the right time, even in miraculous ways.
*My wife Mary used to work at Lakeshore School with a lady named Jan Ramsey. I think she was a member of First Baptist Church in Swartz. Jan gave this prayer testimony about her dad, James, and I think he was 81 at the time.
*One day James was on a 4-wheeler spraying grass around their catfish pond. Suddenly, the 4-wheeler flipped over and threw James into pond. That was a giant emergency because James couldn’t swim.
*He was over his head, and went down 4 or 5 times. James fought and thrashed around, but in his panic, he was only getting farther from the bank. That old man was completely worn out when he noticed a willow tree hanging low over the water. It was about 40 feet away, and James prayed this prayer, "Now God, either you’re going to have to take me home or let me get to that willow tree."
*James said he went down again but when he came up, he was under that willow tree! He grabbed it and started yelling for help. Their Labrador retriever jumped in first. Every time James’ head would go down, the dog pushed his chin up, and the dog stayed with him until James’ relatives pulled him to safety.
*God surely answered his prayer in an amazing way. After that James said that God had something else for him to do in this world. And let me tell you that as long as we are in this world, God has things for us to do too! And one of the most important things is pray. Pray, knowing that our Heavenly Father will answer according to His perfect will, and we can always trust in Him!
[3] IF GOD IS OUR HEAVENLY FATHER, THEN WE HAVE A FATHER WHO WILL LISTEN TO US. WE ALSO HAVE A FAMILY THAT LOVES US.
*Jesus said, "OUR Father in Heaven." Church: God is not just my Father. He is OUR Father. This reminds us that we are part of the Family of God. This is a family-oriented church. We are blessed to have 3 and 4 generations all going to church together, not to mention cousins, aunts, uncles, and in-laws.
*You've got to be careful who you talk about around here! But even if you didn't have a single blood relative in this church, you are still part of a family who will love you, care for you, pray for you, encourage you, and do all they can to help you. It's a family that stretches all the way around the world, wherever you find people who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ.
[4] IF GOD IS OUR FATHER, WE HAVE A FAMILY WHO LOVES US. AND WE HAVE A HOME TO LIVE IN FOREVER.
*God is "Our Father IN HEAVEN," and Heaven is our home too, if we have received Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
*But can you confidently say that the Heavenly Father is your Father? God wants us to be sure! And we can be sure because 1 John 5:10-13 says:
10. He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.
11. And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
12. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
13. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
*Here in the Lord's Prayer, Jesus reminds us to make sure that His Father is our Father. And we can be sure when we believe in Jesus Christ.
2. BUT JESUS ALSO TEACHES US TO POUR OUT OUR PRAISE TO GOD.
*This is the Lord's lesson for us in vs. 9 where Jesus said, "Our Father in heaven, HALLOWED be Your name." Albert Barnes said, "Hallowed be Your name" means: "Let Your name be celebrated, worshiped and esteemed as holy everywhere. Let Your name receive proper honor from all people." (4)
*The wonderful time is coming when the name of our God will be praised all over Heaven and earth! And God has given us variations of His name to help us understand why He is worthy of our praise. For example, there is "El Shaddai." This name occurs about 50 times in the Old Testament, and it is translated in ways like "God Almighty" and "the Lord Almighty." Our God is the Almighty God! Another Old Testament name of God is "Adonai." This name refers to God's ownership and lordship of everything. He is Lord of all!
*"Jehovah" is the most frequent name for God in the Bible. It is used more than 6,800 times! It's based on the word "to be," and it means "the existing One." In Exodus 3:14, in answer to Moses' question God said, "tell them I AM sent you." That is the essence of the name "Jehovah." God is self-existent past, present and future. He depends on no one, or no thing, outside of Himself.
*God often combined Jehovah with another name to further reveal Himself.
-For example, in Genesis 22:14, He is "Jehovah-Jireh," the Lord our Provider.
-In Exodus 15:26, He is "Jehovah-Rapha," the Lord our Healer.
-In Exodus 17:15, He is "Jehovah-Nissi," the Lord our banner. This means God is our identity and the rallying point for our lives.
-In Exodus 31:13, He is "Jehovah-M'Kaddesh," the Lord who makes us holy.
-In Judges 6:24, He is "Jehovah-Shalom," the Lord our Peace.
-And in Jeremiah 23:6, He is "Jehovah-Tsedek," the Lord our righteousness. (5)
*Then in the New Testament, Jesus proclaimed Himself to be the great "I AM" of the Old Testament. Jesus did this when He said: "I am the Bread of Life, I am the Light of the World, I am the Door, I am the Good Shepherd, I am the Resurrection and the Life, I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, and I am the Vine." Pick any one of these wonderful names, and you will find great reasons to pour out praise to the Lord our God.
*But there is more! The name of Jesus means "Jehovah is Salvation." And Jesus Christ is our salvation! God the Father sent His perfect Son to die on the cross for our sins. And Jesus rose again from the dead! He died to save us from sin and death, and He will save us when we put our trust in Him!
*God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is worthy of our praise! And here Jesus teaches us to pour out praise to God.
3. BUT HE ALSO TEACHES US TO SEEK GOD'S WILL IN OUR WORLD.
*This is the Lord's lesson for us in vs. 10, where Jesus said to make this request to our Heavenly Father: "Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
[1] "YOUR KINGDOM COME."
*James McCullen explained that this request "means for us to desire the Kingdom of God to come on this earth. It is an evangelistic prayer." And how we need God's Kingdom to rule in men's hearts today! We all know that in many ways, America has been getting farther and farther away from God, so we must pray, "Father, Your kingdom come." (3)
*Rodney Buchanan explained that "Jesus teaches us to pray for something bigger than ourselves before we bring our personal requests. We Christians are concerned not just for our own welfare. We are concerned about the Kingdom of God. We are to pray that spiritual renewal comes to the world, because it is so desperately needed all over the world, even here at home." (6)
[2] WE MUST SEEK GOD'S WILL IN OUR WORLD: "YOUR KINGDOM COME. YOUR WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN."
*"Your will be done." This is one of the most holy, Christlike prayers we can ever pray, because it is the prayer Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night before the cross.
*In Matthew 26:38-39 Jesus said this to Peter, James, and John, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.'' He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.''
*Then in vs. 42, "He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, 'O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.'" And in vs. 44, "He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words."
*"Father, Your will be done." God surely calls us to pray with this devoted, Christlike spirit. It's the same humble attitude that led millions of Christians to die for the cause of Christ, and millions more to live for the Lord.
*"Father, Your will be done." We can pray this prayer with total confidence because we can always trust God's will for our lives.
*Back in 2002, our daughter Katie was still in high school. We pulled into Walmart one day, and I saw the "Jews for Jesus" bus. You may know that they are a great group of Christian Jews who witness to other Jews all over the world. Their teams also sing and present how Jesus can be clearly seen in the Old Testament Passover Meal.
*That day, one of the teams had a concert at the Senior Citizens Center, in West Monroe, and they stopped at Walmart, on their way to Shreveport.
*I get their newsletter, so I pulled over to try to meet them. When I knocked on the bus door, Katie was embarrassed to death at first, but we had a great visit with a beautiful young lady originally from Israel. Her name was Rivka.
*I asked Rivka how she got saved. She told me it was through the prayers and witness of other Jewish Christians. Rivka finally realized that Jesus is the Messiah of the Jews, and she trusted in the Lord. She told me, "If you are praying for someone, don't give up! That man prayed for me for two years before I got saved."
*Rivka then told us about her plan to go back to Israel to start a Christian ministry with her fiancé. There were a lot of terrorist attacks going on at the time, so I asked her if she was nervous about it. Without missing a beat, Rivka replied, "The safest place that we can ever be is right smack in the center of God's will."
CONCLUSION:
*Church: We can surely trust in God's will for every season of our lives. But many times, we aren't sure about God's will for us. We may wonder or be nervous about what to do. In those times we need to keep trusting in the Lord and keep waiting on Him.
*But tonight, I can tell you for sure that it is God's will for you to know Him as your Heavenly Father. It is surely God's will for you to know Him by trusting in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Jesus loves you. He died on the cross for you. He rose again from the dead. And He will surely save you, if you put your trust in Him. So put your trust in the Lord!
(1) 222 Prayers of the Bible - The following list of Bible prayers is from the Dake Annotated Reference Bible, King James Version (Used by Permission – Dake Publishing). Dake found 176 prayers in the Old Testament and 46 in the New Testament. - Source: https://www.hopefaithprayer.com/prayernew/222-prayers-of-the-bible/
(2) September 10, 2012 – "A Final Prayer" by Jim Grassi - What are You Afraid Of? - "Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Savior." - Psalm 38:22
https://mensministrycatalyst.org/september-10-2012-a-final-prayer/
(3) Cross & Crown Sermons - "Looking at the Model Prayer - The Focus of the Prayer" by Dr. James McCullen - Matthew 6 9-13
(4) ALBERT BARNES' NOTES ON THE BIBLE by Albert Barnes - Published in 1847-85 - Matthew 6:9-13 - Downloaded to e-Sword by Rick Meyers - Copyright 2000-2019
(5) Sources:
-Adapted from "The Trinity" by Dave Hunt - "The Berean Call" - Publication Date: 10/1/1989
-Got Questions - Question: "What is the meaning of the word Elohim?" - Recommended Resource: The Names of God by Ken Hemphill - https://www.gotquestions.org/meaning-of-Elohim.html
-Got Questions - Question: "What is the meaning of Adonai?" - Recommended Resource: The Names of God by Ken Hemphill - https://www.gotquestions.org/meaning-of-Adonai.html
-Cross & Crown Sermons - "Looking at the Model Prayer - The Focus of the Prayer" by Dr. James McCullen - Matthew 6 9-13
(6) Rodney Buchanan online sermon "Jesus' Approach to Prayer" - Matthew 6:5-15 - 03/13/2005
