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Prayer is one of the most wonderful things we have been given to us.
Many have misunderstood it, been intimidated by it and to not enjoy the time with the Father.
This term Father is one that we need to understand it uniqueness especially in context of who Jesus is talking to.
Over and over again Jesus is saying to these folks that they are to talk with their Father.
This is not a term that was associated in the same way in the Old Testament.
Yes, God was the Father to Israel and Israel was His children, but the relationship was very different.
Prayer is one of the most misunderstood things we have contained within the word of God.
Prayer is a gift for you and I to have, it builds our relationship with the Lord.
Often because of our misunderstanding of prayer we miss out on the blessing that it offers.
I also want to remind you that as we enter this text we are continuing the theme of living out our righteousness.
We have moved to a place of living a life of worship.
As we looked at last week giving, that is worshiping the Lord.
It is laying everything at His feet trusting that His will be done.
I love the topic of prayer.
This is an aspect of my Christian life that has grown over the years, especially as I am learning I have no control over anything.
Life happens, good and bad, no matter how hard I try there is nothing I can do to fix it, change it, or stop it from happening.
But God can do all those things.
He is also able to carry me through every situation impossible as they may seem.
Prayer is often not something many are intimidated by because they for get it is just a conversation with the Lord.
It is just that, talking with God as you would your Father.
With that let me read to you again verse 5:
(NKJV)
5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites.
For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men.
Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
Jesus says to the crowd, “…when you pray...” I want us to see this first as we get started.
This is an assumed activity just as we read last week:
(NKJV)
2 Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men.
Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
When you do this thing, there is not an if you pray or if you give, it is when you give, when you pray.
Prayer should be a natural part of our walk with God:
(NKJV)
17 pray without ceasing,
It is that simple, pray without ceasing.
Prayer should not just happen it should be happening without ceasing.
I want to stop here and change directions for just a moment.
Before we go any further on how we are to pray I want to spend some time on what Jesus explains as how not to pray.
Jesus says again do not be like the hypocrites.
To remind you the hypocrite or the actor was seen as the person who lived double or fake lives.
the actor themselves was just known to be a fake person.
They lived one live and at work or on the stage they were a different person.
This word is very important for us to understand.
As we clarify this We need to understand what we mean when we say, “…that person is a hypocrite...”
Here Jesus has just referred to God as Father in these last few chapters as many times as we find as a whole in the Old Testament.
I cannot imagine how they reacted to this as Jesus is making all this very personal and about the relationship and not about the action.
As we now approach prayer, I want to remind us of how marvelous it is and how special it is.
Yet in all that how precious it is for s to be a part of as we draw closer to the Lord.
Prayer is often not something many are intimidated by because they forget it is just a conversation with the Lord.
It is just that, talking with God as you would your Father.
With that let me read to you again verse 5:
Prayer is a gift for you and I to have, it builds our relationship with the Lord.
Often because of our misunderstanding of prayer we miss out on the blessing that it offers.
So often we are so afraid to come to the Lord, we fear to even ask God for help of His blessing yet we see in scripture that these saints wanted nothing less than all God had for them.
James says this to us:
(NKJV)
Jesus also warned about the danger of hypocrisy (, , ), the sin of using religion to cover up sin.
A hypocrite is not a person who falls short of his high ideals, or who occasionally sins, because all of us experience these failures.
A hypocrite deliberately uses religion to cover up his sins and promote his own gains.
[Wiersbe, W. W. (1996).
The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 25).
Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.]
(NKJV)
5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites.
For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men.
Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
2 You lust and do not have.
You murder and covet and cannot obtain.
You fight and war.
Yet you do not have because you do not ask.
Jesus says to the crowd, “…when you pray...” I want us to see this first as we get started.
This is an assumed activity just as we read last week:
We often thing of a hypocrite as one who just does wrong when they have standers set in place for their lives.
This does not make them a hypocrite it makes them human.
It is not until they try and act as if it is ok for them do work or go against their standards but no one else can.
This is why so many people look to Christians as hypocrites, they do not fully understand what it means to be a hypocrite.
Of course we as Christians are going to make mistakes.
We all are imperfect, Christian and non-Christian.
It is foolish to think you are going to walk into a perfect church, they will not exist until Jesus returns.
So what jesus is saying to us, do not live a life that is saying be humble, be righteous and not fake.
Then in the next breath do actions that are not humble, or righteous but are fake.
This was the life of those Jesus is talking about.
We have not because we do not ask.
Are you seeking God for all things or are we in fear that if we ask we will seem selfish.
I think of the book of Acts and they often came to the Lord in prayer seeing a refreshing a new filling of the Lord.
We need to come to the Lord, this is our conection to Him, we have not because we do not sit with Him.
It is when we are with Him that our entire midset is changed.
As He shows us at times things we may not understood or moves us to places we would not expect.
Yet all this happens as we approach Him as our Father.
(NKJV)
2 Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men.
Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
I love the topic of prayer I especially love that the disciples did as well:
I image this was a common occurrence as it still is today for people today.
I remember being in the Tel-Aviv Airport a few years ago.
As Erin and I were in a cafe, we looked and saw an Orthodox Jew standing on the second or third floor at the railing for all to see.
He was praying His normal daily prayers, but for all to see.
I could not help but to think of this verse as Jesus says they have received their reward.
Let me help us as we try to think this trough for today.
Prayer is so often used to show off all we know.
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