Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

(ESV)

5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites.

For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others.

Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret.

And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.

8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

9 Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

hallowed be your name.

ILLUST - Did you ever notice that the way a person approaches you can oftentimes be a clue as to what they may want from you?

Honey, you look so handsome

Hey Friend, you remember that time when I ______ for you?

Dad, guess what?

I didn’t punch my brother!

2

In this passage, Jesus describes three ways by which people approach God in prayer:

Prideful religious

Religious pagan

Humble child

*The priority in prayer is to submit your heart to your Sovereign Father*

When we pray:

We come with a humble heart before God and for God.

(5-6)

(Before God)

5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites.

For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others.

Pharisees would pray not only at synagogues but also during festivals, etc., which would be in the streets and in the public square.

Pharisees were highly religious and seen as holy

(Why is it that the “holiest” one in the room is the one asked to pray?

Why does the pastor need to pray for everything by default?)

They would pray loud and proud so all could hear how godly they were from their prayers.

(ESV)

10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’

(ESV)

14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other.

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Startling fact: being more religious did not help the Pharisee’s prayer get answered - in fact, it might be said that the Pharisees self-serving devotion to the religious law and not the Lawgiver Himself may have been what made his prayer ineffective.

Could it be the

(for God)

Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret.

And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Jesus is not saying that God can only hear you from the bathroom.

(Though with six kids you may see how that could be a real possibility).

Jesus is not telling us to go into the secret place for God’s benefit but for ours.

Hypocrites reward = public applaud

Praying in secret reward = God (Father is in secret)

What we do in secret is secretly who we are.

*How often do you pray in secret?*

Not at the dinner table

Not before the big game

Not during Life Group when there is the awkward “Pray as you feel led”

But when no on is watching, when you aren’t told to, etc.

What we do in secret is secretly who we are.

The Priority in prayer is humility with God-centerdness

opposite: hypocrisy with self-centeredness

The Priority in prayer is humility with God-centerdness

* opposite: hypocrisy with self-centeredness

If we are less apt to give or pray in secret we have, perhaps, only revealed the true motivation of our heart.

* opposite: hypocrisy with self-centeredness

* If we are less apt to give or pray in secret we have, perhaps, only revealed the true motivation of our heart.

* If we are less apt to give or pray in secret we have, perhaps, only revealed the true motivation of our heart.

“The person who prays more in public than in private reveals that he is less interested in God’s approval than in human praise.

Not piety but a reputation for piety is his concern.

Far better to deal radically with this hypocrisy and pray in a private ‘room.’”

(D. A. Carson, /Matthew, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary/, p.199

* “The person who prays more in public than in private reveals that he is less interested in God’s approval than in human praise.

Not piety but a reputation for piety is his concern.

Far better to deal radically with this hypocrisy and pray in a private ‘room.’”

(D. A. Carson, /Matthew, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary/, p.199

My goal is not to guilt you into praying more.

My goal is

We trust in God’s heart and not our efforts.

(7-8)

(I almost used: We trust God’s heart and we don’t test His patience)

7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.

“Heap up empty words” in some translations is ‘babbling’

It’s the idea that if we pray loud enough, long enough, in the right place or the right way that God will

Most religions incorporate a process for prayer to manipulate the hand of god.

ILLUST - Kids nagging - when has that ever worked?

Yet every child gives it a go.

“Dad, can I have. .

, Dad, can we go. .

.”

As if there is some magic number that if they ask 47 times the answer will change to “Yes.”

The very fact that you keep asking predetermines I answer, “No”

Elijah and Prophets of Baal:

(ESV)

28 And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them.

29 And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice.

No one answered; no one paid attention.

Isn’t this how we approach God sometimes?

We feel as though we are not getting an answer, or not getting the answer fast enough, or not getting the answer we want and we begin to get frustrated God is not simply blessing the plans we made so we begin to attempt to manipulate God with our efforts.

Or we simply pray mindlessly — out of habit - this is just as bad because it is meaningless — it is offering something meaningless to God and hopes it will move Him.

A mindless request seeks a transaction not a relationship

**Think about your last prayer - last night before bed, this morning over coffee, before the sermon.

What did you say?

Do you remember?

How intense was it?