‘ “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. “This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. ’ For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. ‘ Matthew 6:5-15
One of the most critical disciplines in the Christian faith is prayer. Several questions are documented in the Gospels; the first is about prayer. In this part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addresses the subject of prayer.
Because of the number of posts in this series, I have them listed at the bottom of this writing. Let’s get into it!
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Jesus gets to it about what it looks like to be a hypocrite. In essence, a hypocrite is one whose heart does not align with what the person portrays by their outside image.
Our lives should be a real reflection of what is going on in our hearts. We may be able to show an outward portrait of something different, but when the pressure comes, it reveals what is truly in our hearts.
The repeated message that Jesus is getting at is that if what we do is for people’s admiration, that will be our only reward. And that can go away as quickly as it comes. We can easily go from “hero” to “zero” in people’s eyes.
‘Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. ‘ Galatians 1:10
Knowing myself, I am fickle at best. I’m up one minute about someone and down the next. My experience is that people are the same as me, up one minute and down the next.
I find that everybody wins when I live my life to glorify God. The people who may be disappointed are those who are not living their lives to glorify God. But what they get with me is not someone who wavers in their stand. They get a stable reaction. Sometimes, it may be reactionary, but I try and make that right. Being a Christian doesn’t mean I will be perfect.
To wrap this portion of scripture up, Jesus calls us to a proper motivation in our hearts and not to look for the accolades of others with regard to what we do for Him.
And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Jesus is looking for sincerity in our prayers. He wants them to mean something. Not just vain repetition. It is okay to pray about things we may want, but our prayers should be more for those around us. Sometimes, we may have stress or heartbreak that we don’t know what to say. Thankfully, God has that covered for us, “He knows what we need before we ask Him.” What grace!
‘In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. ‘ Romans 8:26-27
If our prayers become something that ends up on our checklist, this is the wrong position of our hearts. We are called to “pray without ceasing.”
‘Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ‘ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
It doesn’t give us time to be self-seeking when we are in prayer at all times. Our prayers should be that our lives are conformed to God’s Will for us.
“This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. ’
When I was a young child, my mother would come in every night before we went to bed; this was the prayer we prayed every night before we went to bed.
There were three documented questions that the disciples asked Jesus; one of them was “How do we pray?” This was His answer to them.
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” – First, we recognize God for who He is. The definition of “hallowed,” according to the Oxford Dictionary, is “made Holy, consecrated” and “greatly revered and honored.”
The first thing to acknowledge in our prayers is the Holy name of our Father in heaven. He is the creator of everything we see; every blessing that comes our way comes from Him.
“your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” – Second, we recognize that our will should be in line with His will. There will be things that He calls us to do that will be out of our “comfort zone.” When faced with the uncomfortable nature of His request, our desire for comfort should submit to His will.
‘Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” ‘ Matthew 26:36-39
There is not a struggle that we will ever face that will be equal to dying for the sins of the world. This is what Jesus was praying to be removed. He knew the physical pain that was going to be inflicted on Him. Far worse than that was the weight of our sin, the penalty God would impose on Him.
Our will should line up with our Father in heaven. “Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
Give us today our daily bread.
Give us today our daily bread. – The key word here is “daily.” Here’s the reality: we are not guaranteed even the next breath. This does not mean we should not plan for our future, but sometimes, that planning takes away from our focus on what is right in front of us, and that is the immediate needs of those around us.
This became clear during the first days of the Covid 19 lockdowns. I kept hearing about ensuring you had three months’ worth of food. So I went out and started stocking up. But God began to speak with me through His Word, and my daily reading brought me to the feeding of the four thousand and five thousand. These portions of scripture affected my heart, and I realized that God will provide what I need when needed. He promises that He will never leave us or forsake us.
I came to a spot where I was challenged by what I claim to believe. So the question was, “Do I believe that He will provide or not?”
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. – Notice the pattern here; we ask for forgiveness, and those sins will be forgiven to the degree that we forgive others. After this prayer, Jesus will cover this portion a little deeper.
When we are chosen, and God gives us the faith to accept the calling, our lives should reflect that of our Savior.
‘O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help. ‘ Psalms 86:5
The position of our hearts should be “ready to forgive.”
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. – God will never lead us to sin.
‘When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. ‘ James 1:13-15
The desires in our hearts that do not line up with God’s Will create that temptation to sin. These desires are self-serving, placing our will over God and the others we are called to serve.
But God always provides a way out for us. Do we give ourselves enough room between the temptation and our response to that temptation?
‘No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. ‘ 1 Corinthians 10:13
This verse is often confused with the thought that God will not give us too much that we can’t handle. God will provide us with things beyond our capability; this is the only way to grow. We will only grow if He gives us more than we can handle. What He does give us when faced with possibly sinning or not, He gives us the way out of sinning.
For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Not forgiving is a sin. When we put ourselves in a spot of not forgiving, we put ourselves in God’s place.
I often hear this from people, “I can never forgive them for doing…”
Whenever I feel this thinking comes to my mind, I look at these two examples:
Jesus hanging on the cross with people sneering and taunting Him says:
‘Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” ‘ Luke 23:34-37
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” When dealing with others, they are under the control of one of two spirits: The Holy Spirit or the spirit that rules this world, Satan.
The second example is Stephen when he was being stoned:
‘When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.’ Acts 7:54-60
Special note to consider here: In all of the references to Jesus being at the right hand of God, it will say “sitting.” In this portion of scripture, it is important to point out that Stephen says Jesus is “standing” at the right hand of God. It is as if Jesus is “standing” there to welcome Him to heaven.
Stephen responds to his persecution: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”
‘ “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. ‘ Matthew 5:43-45
Stephen was praying for those who were persecuting him.
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word. I pray, Lord, that You continue working through my heart daily.
I thank you for Your grace, mercy, and forgiveness.
I pray that You strengthen Your church. Let us be the light that You have called us to be.
I pray for the hearts of those who don’t know You. I pray that You soften their hearts and come to know You as their Lord and Savior.
I thank You for all You provide, and I pray that You give me the strength, ability and courage to be a good steward of all that You provide.
I pray that when my time comes, when I wake up in Your presence, I hear, “Well done. My good and faithful servant.”
In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen!!
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