THE MODEL PRAYER Part 3 - Matthew 6:11
by Cooper P Abrams III - *All rights reserved
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INTRODUCTION:
3. There are two activities the Child of God is to be a part of every believer's life.
In the Bible God speaks to us......
In prayer we speak to the Lord.....
5. "After this manner" in Greek literally means: "Thus or therefore" It does not mean "use the exact words. "Along these lines pray" Jesus was saying "along the lines or this is the outline for prayer" The model prayer is a skeletal outline for all prayer.
C. People take two sides to the issue of asking petitions of God.
They conclude that God only does that which brings glory to himself. The intent of this thinking is to recognize that God is sovereign, and God is not to be manipulated by man. Clearly this is a misguided view of God's sovereignty. It is a response to the "health and wealth" preachers who teach a false concept of prayer and seeking God's help.
No we cannot manipulate God, but asking in faith is not manipulating God. God is not at our beckon and call to do our bidding. He has not promised us health and wealth, but salvation, forgiveness of sin, heaven and His continuing presence in everything in our lives. The "health and wealth" false preachers say you can manipulate God. By the way...the way to get God to bless you is to send them money! I cannot understand how people can be so gullible as to be conned by these false teachers.
2. Another side: Biblically we are to ask God for what we need, want or desire. He is a loving God and will answer our prayers to our best interest. Psalm 37:4-5 says,
James 4:2 says the believer has not because he does not ask.
Matthew 21:22 "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."
3. I believe both are valid:
We also must recognize that if we are disobedient to God He cannot bless us and He will not answer our prayers.
James 4:3 "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts."
1 John 3:22 "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight."
More will be said about hindrances to prayer in a later message.
B. Understanding that this is a model prayer we know that "Bread" is a general reference to our needs. The specifics of our needs are addressed in our personal prayer which is patterned after this prayer outline.
2. We continue by acknowledging our dependence on God. Knowing He sustains us.
The Child of God says, "For in him we live, and move, and have our being; . . . For we are also his offspring". (Acts 17:28)
The Child of God knows all things come from God, and in prayer show his recognition of that fact.
The principle is that nothing is evil within itself. There is nothing evil in eating meat if it eaten with thanksgiving. But think about this? Is it sinful not to be thankful for what God gives us? Not being thankful to the Lord is a sin.
B. Do you pray at meals? Does the family have prayer when you sit down to eat?
It translates into our lives as well. I can be thankful for a new car, but not for my old one. For a nice brick home and not a mobile home. I can be thankful for good times, but when things are not so good I cannot be thankful.
"Wherefore David blessed the Lord before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, Lord God of Israel our father, for ever and ever. Thine, O Lord is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine}; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee." (1 Chronicles 29:10-14)
"But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth. . ." (Deuteronomy 8:18)
2. The lost person refuses to acknowledge God as his Lord. Rejecting salvation it the highest form of being ungrateful.
3. There are thankful Christians and unthankful ones.
4. Private and public prayer for meals is but one indication of inward condition of one's heart. It is awkward at times to pray in a restaurant or when lost friends or relatives come to eat with us.
Yet, it is a great mistake to discontinue prayer because someone is present who does not know the Lord. Folks, they need to see you pray. They think you a hypocrite when you don't. Most people, if you ask them, would it be alright if you gave thanks to God for the meal will agree and will bow their heads while you pray.
ILLUS: Carolyn worked as a controller in the seventh largest chemical company in the USA. She flew in their corporate jet to meeting in other cities where the company did business. Often she had expensive, elaborate meals with the executives of the company. They of course did not pray at their meals. She would simply bow and thank the Lord for her meal. They noticed and after a while they asked her to pray before they ate. Folks in that she honored the Lord. It was a little awkward....YES, but honoring the Lord always will present a good testimony of our faith in Jesus Christ. The people she worked with respected her for that.
You may ask if those present would like your to offer thanks for the meal, and other times you might just bow you head and pray by yourself. You do not need to make a scene, be piteous, or draw attention to yourself, but simply bow and pray a short silent prayer to the Lord. Also if you pray aloud, do not pray a preachy prayer...recognize that what you are about to eat came from the Lord and thank Him....and make it short.
Praying at meals is a very important part of raising children and building a God honoring home and family.
"Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." (Mark 11:24)
"Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." (Psalms 37:4)
I will later preach two message on what the Bible teaches about giving. However, simply stated....no one can truly worship the Lord if they do not come to the Lord being thankful and God has provided that our giving to Him tests and proves whether our thankfulness is real or not. God does not need our money....but we need to give our offerings in thanksgiving to Him...He then takes the money and uses it preach the gospel and teach believers in the congregation and we receive the blessings of God.
2. We should not except God to bless us and the Holy Spirit to fill us if us do not show gratitude and obey the Lord. God has provided that giving is a way we test our hearts and express our gratitude to Him.
Many say they have faith, yet are not faithful to their local church. Again, everything we do must be by faith and God only answers the prayer of faith. The worship of God is a matter of expressing our thanksgiving to Him who sustains us.
ILLUS: Often over the years I have known people who had a spiritual needs in their life. The word of God deals with their need and their preacher faithfully addresses it in his messages. Yet, they missed that Sunday having other things to do. They pray for the Lord to help them, and He had His preacher give the instruction......yet they were not there to hear it. Do you think that prayer is answered. God has many ways to answer our prayers and it is always through His word.
"For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." (1 Corinthians 1:21)
Paul writing to Titus said, "But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour" (Titus 1:3) Think about this....a person has a financial need. Yet, they are not thankful for what the do have and do not give the Lord any thanksgiving offering. Can God answer their prayer when they are not obeying Him? Can He reward their disobedience?
2. Do we glorify God in recognizing where our substance comes from? Do we ignore that God provided all that we have? Home, health, material procession? All this came from God.
3. How do you handle what God has given you?
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: (Matthew 5:6)
It is not saying do not work to provide for yourself it is addressing our attitude about what we have.
If what I have came from God, then I am willing to let God use it, and that I am a channel for blessing that God can use.
If I truly worship the Lord and love Him I will be willing to use all my procession for the work of the Lord. I won't hoard them, or be tight fisted. I will give and be happy to be a part.
1-10-08
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