Date: April 19, 2020

Preacher: Erik Meyers

Series: Prayer

Text: Matthew 6:7-8

Introduction

Are you praying? Are you approaching God and speaking to Him? Are you remembering that, because of Jesus, you have access to God? And then are you doing your best to find a quiet place, a quiet time, and a quiet heart to talk to Him? Enabled by Jesus, and helped by the Holy Spirit, are you pouring out your heart to God? Your sadness, your worry, your gratitude, your guilt, your joy?

We have the privilege to take a Master Class on Prayer from Jesus himself as we study his words in Matthew 6:5-13 where he taught His disciples (and now us) how to pray.

For the purpose of preaching through this section I’ve identified three parts: In vv5-8 we have prerequisites of prayer. In verse 9 we have a preface to prayer. And then in vv10-13 we have petitions in prayer.

So that’s three parts:

Prerequisites (Mat. 6:5-8),

Preface (Mat. 6:9),

and Petition (Mat 6:10-13).

Last time we were here we looked into vv5-6 and understood the first prerequisite to prayer and not here we are with the second prerequisite in vv7-8.

Let’s not forget that this is God’s Word we’re studying, and in God’s Word alone we learn who we are, who God is, and most importantly, what God has done to bring us together. And let’s pray that God would help us now to hear, to understand, and to apply His Word. Let’s pray.

If you haven’t already, open your Bibles to Matthew 6:7-8.

This is the Word of God: “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.

Jesus assumes that we are approaching and speaking to God in prayer, and when we do we should not do this: “When you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do.” This is the second prerequisite to prayer Jesus gives. The first was don’t be like the hypocrites (Mat. vv5-6) who were insincere. And the second is don’t be like the Gentiles who heaped up empty phrases.

Do not heap up empty phrases

Depending on the translation you’re reading, you’ll see there are a few other ways to describe this prayer-problem. The KJV calls it “vain repetitions,” the NASB calls it “meaningless repetition,” and the NIV describes it simply (and I think most accurately) as “babbling.”

And Jesus says it is the Gentiles who were guilty of this; That is shorthand for pagans (NIV), heathens (KJV), or the word we would use is unbelievers or non-Christians. 2000 years ago, just like today, people who did not know God were trying to pray to Him.

They did not know who He was and they did not know Him personally, and yet they felt He was out there and they strived to reach Him; to approach Him and speak to Him, especially when circumstances left them physically, emotionally, or spiritually desperate.

To believers, Jesus says: “Do not do this.” Do not “heap up empty phrases.” Then Jesus further describes this kind of praying at the end of verse 7 as “…many words.” So these prayers are empty and they are long. In Mark 12:40 some wicked scribes are described by Jesus as those “who devour widows houses and for a pretense make long prayers.”

Now, here’s a side note: not every long prayer is bad. That’s not what Jesus is saying. We’re told in Luke 6:12 that Jesus, on at least one occasion, stayed up all night and prayed. And He tells us in Luke 18:1 that we “ought always to pray and not lose heart.” There will be times when you will be long in prayer, and there’s nothing necessarily wrong with that.

But back to the text, believers are being warned against this kind of prayer from unbelievers that consists of “empty phrases” and “many words.”

Empty phrases and many words

Let’s make sure we understand what this is. I mentioned earlier – the NIV accurately calls it “babbling,” which is the same way William Perkins described it in the late 1500’s. Wordy, empty, babbling.

I’m sure it violates Ecclesiastes 5:2 which says: “Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore, let your words be few.”

Have you ever had a conversation with someone who is “rash with their mouth?” Have you ever sat across from someone and listened to wordy, empty, babbling? God doesn’t enjoy it any more than you do. It’s not a conversation is it? It’s one-sided; there’s no listening, considering, no thoughtful response…. Just babbling. And Jesus is saying: “Don’t do that.”

Why?

Well, why did these Gentiles do that? Why did they babble out these empty and long-winded prayers? Jesus tells us the reason at the end of verse 7: when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for [here’s the reason] they think that they will be heard for their many words.

Archibald Robertson correctly interprets this: “The Pagans [and he’s not referring to Kevin and Jocelyn; but rather unbelievers] thought that by endless repetitions and many words they would inform their gods as to their needs and weary them into granting their requests.

They think perhaps God is slow to understand and so he needs to be brought up to speed. They also may think he is indifferent or even cold and so flowery phrases and poetic repetition and impressive speech will move him into action. But they are wrong.

So, to be clear, Jesus is not condemning all long prayers, but rather Jesus is warning against wordy prayers from people who think He’s impressed by it!

And so he returns to His instruction again in verse 8: “Do not be like them.”

This is his second prerequisite to prayer. The first was “Don’t be like the hypocrites who are insincere” and the second is “Don’t be like the Gentiles who heap up empty phrases.”

Now, I want to pause and make sure we understand the real problem here; the problem beneath the problem…

The Gentiles offered wordy and empty prayers, and that was a problem, but there was something deeper.

The Gentiles offered wordy and empty prayers because they thought God would be impressed by it, and that’s a deeper problem. But there was something deeper.

These men and women thought that God would be impressed by flowery phrases and poetic repetition and well-crafted speech because they were Gentiles who did not know God.

Which is why Jesus now says something stronger than what he said in v7: “Don’t do what they do.” He now says is verse 8 “Do not be like them.”

Christian, there’s a way to pray that is as if you don’t know God personally or even know who He is. When Christians think that God will hear them because of their many words they are praying like unbelievers.

Christian, you know better. God does not hear people based on how they pray; God hears people based on who they are. And that is what Jesus reminds us of in verse 8.

Children of an all-knowing God

Let’s read it together: Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

There are two truths here.

First, God knows what you need before you ask him. This confirms that a lot of the wordiness in prayers was (and is) intended to inform God; but that is just silly.

God knows what is going on. Not only that, he knows what you need. And that’s comforting because, so often, I don’t know what I need. I almost always know what I want, but not nearly as often what I need.

While Jesus is obviously encouraging us to pray here, some take this truth and question why it’s even necessary to pray if God already knows everything. John Chrysostom anticipated that objection and wrote: But if he already knows what we need, why do we pray? Not to inform God or instruct him but to beseech him closely, to be made intimate with him, by continuance in supplication; to be humbled; to be reminded of our sins.

Now the second truth here is even more profound. This God who knows everything; This God who knows what you need before you even ask Him… He is your Father.

This is the difference between a believer and an unbeliever. A believer is a child of God.

Christian, you know God as your heavenly Father and he knows everything you need. You will be heard, not because of how you pray, but because of who you are.

Matthew 7:11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Isaiah 65:24 Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear.

Psalms 145:19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.

Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

You will not be heard because your prayers are long; You will be heard because God is your Father, and he loves you.

And so we do not pray to beg or persuade or convince God.

We pray sincerely and simply and directly to God our Father.

And that kind of praying (not wordy and empty phrases) reflects our faith in Him and our belief that we are His children and He knows exactly what we need.

Conclusion

In conclusion, do you know God as your heavenly Father? Next Sunday, God willing, we’ll think more about what it means to have, and to pray to, God as our Father. But right now, can you say about God that He is your heavenly Father?

He becomes to you a Father through adoption. And adoption happens after you are justified by God based on your faith in Jesus Christ.

If you have not believed the gospel – that Jesus came, lived, suffered, and died in your place so that you could be reconciled to God, to love Him and worship Him forever – believe it now and trust Jesus for salvation and life.

For those of you who are Christians and know God as your Father, I hope you’ve been reminded of this sweet truth that God is your Father and he knows what you need before you even ask Him and He hears and answers your prayer.

Maybe He doesn’t answer when you want Him to, or even the way you want Him to, but that’s because, unlike you, He knows exactly what you need.