Praying As God's People

                                                                     Sunday School Lesson
                                                                        November 20,2011

Lesson Focus:
Sincere Prayer reveals your heart
Lesson scripture:
Matthew 6:5-15

Introduction:
A fresh look at prayer, Jesus emphasized prayer as a communion between th eperson praying and the Father.In Jewish life, prayers were usually done at a designated time in a public place.This public prayer became more about appearance than the actual prayer.Jesus also spoke against robotic,mechanical,repetitious prayers.Prayers can be repeated, but His admonishment was to be sure the heart was fully engaged in the prayer,not merely the lips.Prayer is not about changing God's mind and action,prayer changes the person praying,making him or her ready to yield to God's will.As with many aspects of worship during Jesus' earthly ministry, prayer had degraded in many cases to either pompous public piety or pagan incantations.Sadly this describes many of the religious leaders,whom Jesus called hypocrites.

How Not to Pray
Matthew 6:5-8KJV
 ⁵And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
   ⁶But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
   ⁷But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
   ⁸Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
Footnotes:

Here in Jesus teaching on prayer,Jesus addressed two specific problems with people's praying, praying like hypocrites,and praying like the pagans.Praying like the hypocrites reveals a flawed view of the reason for prayer;praying like the pagans reveals a flawed view of the recipient of prayer,God.See the hypocrites didn't pray to communicate with God, but rather to elevate themselves in the eyes of others.This practice glorified the wrong person.Praying in Jesus name is much more than just tacking that phrase at the end of the prayer.It should indicate that what and how we pray is in accord with that Holy name.So when the hypocrite prays he will receive his due reward, the praises of men.The second problem Jesus addressed is praying like the pagan,which exposes a wrong view of God.Pagans pray incessantly and repetitvely because they are not heard, there is no one to hear them.Jesus points out that our Father knows what we have need of before we ask Him,and the pagan drone on in hope of one day being heard.Now know there is a difference in vain babbling and repetitions and that of a biblical concept of persistant prayer.Jesus dosn't encourage persistant prayer because God needs to be reminded,but so that the one praying won't lose heart while awaiting God's answer.(read Luke 18:1-7)

Principles of Godly Prayer

Matthew6:9-15KJV

 ⁹After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

   ¹⁰Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
   ¹¹Give us this day our daily bread.
   ¹²And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
   ¹³And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
   ¹⁴For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
   ¹⁵But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Footnotes:

Comentators have called this passage the Lords Prayer, the Disciples' prayer, and the model prayer.However, as part of God's eternal Word, this prayer has been a model to believers down through the centuries.Therefore, we will approach this passage as a model for bringing our praises, supplications,and intecessions to our heavenly Father.The Prayer begins by reminding us to whom we are to pray to,and it closes with the related topics of forgiveness and temptations.When believers truly understand just how much they have been forgiven in Christ,they will find it a small thing in comparison to forgive others.On the other hand, failure to acknowledge God's forgiveness by harboring grudges opens the door to all manner of temptations.However, those who acknowledge and confess they need God's forgiveness will receive cleansing and forgive the wrongs of others. Jesus ended the model prayer with praise,knowing that God will indeed answer our prayers.For the answers to prayers are not based on the seriousness of the words coming from a person's lips,but the petition is before the almight God who knows all things and will bring all His desires to pass.