Positioning to Pray
Mathew 6:9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
We are living in a time when prayer is so needed
Steve has expressed his surprise that the Nation hasn’t been formally called to prayer.
I have to admit a sense of a call to corporate Prayer this time last year. We held what was to be the first of many prayer meetings but because of Covid done no more.
Simon is again calling us to pray using this Series on the Lord’s Prayer. And that is the first thing to fix in our minds.
This is not a nice little series, abstractly or even fondly looking at the Lord’s Prayer. It is a call to Pray. And to pray like you’ve never prayed before.
This is a good prayer to focus on because it is ‘Our Prayer’ – Yours and mine!
Lord’s Prayer should really be John 17
This is the disciples prayer, They asked the Lord ‘Teach us to pray’ and this is the prayer that he taught his disciples. It’s a model prayer for us to use. We are his disciples. It is our prayer!
If it is our prayer, why are we so bad at it?
Sorry maybe it’s just me!
I am attracted to it but intimidated by it.
I get excited and afraid.
I remember one occasion I was 15; it was an all night prayer meeting and it was about 4am and I was praying, I can’t for the life of me remember what I was praying but I do remember being interrupted by John James and he corrected my prayer. I was not being led by the Spirit at that point. I’ve since learnt that all night prayer meetings are not a time for me to be on my knees rather I pace up and down the room.
When a doctoral student at Princeton asked, ‘What is there left in the world for original dissertation research?’ Albert Einstein replied, ‘Find out about prayer. Somebody must find out about prayer.’
It’s never made absolute sense to me that I have to tell God in prayer exactly what He knows already! I can’t imagine that when I pray for Mrs Jones in hospital that God is up there in heaven saying, “Whoa, Mrs Jones is in hospital, I didn’t know that! Which hospital is she in? The God of the bible knows what we need before we even ask (Mt 6:8).
But it is true; I spend time telling God what God already knows. I do it because the Bible tells me to do it (Phil 4:6 but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.),
But also because I am driven to it, especially in times of desperation. I pray because somehow when I am desperate and agitated prayer stabilises me. I do it because when I am hurt it comforts me, it encourages me when I am about to go off the boil it keeps me alive when I think I’m going to die.
But when things are OK, and in truth for the most part they are, I don’t do it. And neither do I suspect do you. Not the way Jesus wants us to. Hence this series.
In the early 90’s Ronald Dunn wrote a book – ‘Don’t just stand there Pray Something’. This is his Introduction:
The scene is a little Spanish mission in the desert. Standing in front of it is a monk with a one of those ‘cool hair cuts’, wearing a course brown robe with a length of rope tied around his waist (it looks hot, you can feel it itching).
His hands are clasped prayerfully in front of him; he appears meek and fragile, unworldly, unsophisticated, and undernourished (probably from long fasting). He stands there gazing up at the Lone Ranger and Tonto, their trusty steeds straining the reins with flared nostrils snorting and legs dancing amid exploding clouds of dust. The Lone Ranger and Tonto (pure in heart and hence unafraid) have drawn their guns, and their faces are fixed with grim determination.
The monk says something about going with them.
“You are a brave man, Father,” the masked man replies “but it may be dangerous. You’d better stay here where it’s safe.”
“But I want to help,” the monk says.
The strong yet kind eyes of the masked man fasten on the man of God. “You can Pray.”
Suddenly the great white horse rears up on its hind legs, and with a wave of his hat and a hearty “Heigh Ho Silver – Awa a a ay!” the Lone Ranger and his faithful companion gallop off to the danger that awaits them.
The camera never follows the priest into the mission to watch him pray. It chases after the Lone Ranger and Tonto. That’s where the action is.
Let’s face it Prayer suffers from a poor image.
Prayer is seen as a weak alternative to practical action, an alibi for doing nothing, A good way to excuse yourself from an awkward situation; “I’ll pray for you”
Is this really all prayer is?
Lord, teach us to pray (Luke 11:1)
In the KJV there are less than 60 words.
It can be said relatively slowly in less than 30 seconds and yet ….
’there is inherent in this prayer all the strength and compassion of our Father in heaven. There moves through it a beauty and serenity which no mortal man can fully explain. It reassures our hearts, strengthens our resolve, and leads us into personal contact with God our Father.’ (Philip Keller – A Layman looks at the Lord’s Prayer.)
So we had better start looking at it –
9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Our Father
Jesus tells us to begin with a simple word that embodies an important relational concept: Father. Jesus uses the Aramaic word Abba, an informal name we often translate as Daddy. It’s an intimate name for our intimate God.
None of us will dispute that Jesus could legitimately start a conversation with the Almighty with such a familiar term. Yet how often do we fail to remember that in this prayer Jesus is teaching that all believers have the same right of relationship he enjoys?
Fatherhood means access. In other words, I’m invited. It also means acceptance – I’m welcomed. Furthermore, it means attention – I’m heard. Do you see how praying in the context of the child–Father relationship puts the whole thing on a different footing?
I like to use my feet – remember how I said I have a tendency to fall asleep in prayer. I like to go walking in the hills with just the Lord’s prayer, thing time, phrase by phrase throughout the day.
You could easily take a day on this one phrase – Our Father.
Let’s go for a walk then ….
Recognise who he is, give him honour, worship him
Pray through the Alphabet with words to describe him
Go through the Psalms underlining words about his character
God in the old Testament is Yahweh the name which dare not be spoken for fear of offence. On a few occasions he is referred to as a father but indirectly and rather remotely. Yet in the first four gospels, Jesus speaks of God as father more than 70 times. It is a radical, new, and very exciting disclosure God is our father. Suddenly it puts a man’s relationship to him into an entirely new light. He moves from behind the bar of justice to come knocking on the door for human hearts. He enters our lives to become a father to the fatherless.
To those who had a bad experience of a human father this could be difficult to really get a hold of one of the holy spirit can bring the healing necessary to discover the real father heart of God.
This is an invitation to see God as Jesus saw Him
Abba. This opens up to us a relationship of deep delight.
If we never gain an understanding of what God is really like we will never fully discover a relationship with Him and a strong confidence in Him.
You may come to this prayer and get stuck even with the first two words. That’s OK. It doesn’t mean you can’t pray the rest of the prayer. But it does mean you need to find out What God is like.
God is Love – demonstrated in sending His Son
Jesus told a story to tell us what His Father’s love is like
(prodigal son – Luke 15:11-31)
The common Father and Son relationship in that day was not what God wanted. Let me tell you a little about Father and Son relationships at this time. If a son embarrassed a Father like this the Father could have the Son killed. And a second son wasn’t that important anyway. By the way when this son asked for his share of the inheritance you know what he should have got don’t you? – Nothing!
But he gives this son the inheritance he didn’t deserve. The Son goes off to ‘squander his wealth in wild living’
And from the day the Son leaves home the Father looks out, every day, longing for him to return.
Jesus helps us feel the force of what it means to have the Father rejoice over us with all his heart, that’s why he repeats “there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who need no repentance.” As Jesus tells this story you can feel the energy of love building as he shows how the father rejoices “with all his heart” over the son’s arrival. While the son is still a long way off the Father sees him and heart warms with compassion (v20). He doesn’t hold back and watch to see what the boy looks like; he bursts out the front door and starts running down the road. Now don’t miss the force of this scene. As John Piper says, ‘Well-to-do, dignified, aristocratic, ageing men don’t run, they walk.’ They keep their composure. They show that they are on top of their emotions. But not in Jesus’ story about God’s joy over his people.
The Father runs, maybe the boy was too stunned to run. Perhaps he couldn’t believe his eyes. Maybe the smell of pigs was still on him. Maybe the thought flashed through his mind to turn and escape this utterly unexpected demonstration of affection. But he doesn’t turn. Jesus says the father embraced him and kissed him, pig smell ‘n all.
But Jesus is not finished with the story. The father cuts off the boy’s speech before he can get to the part of coming back as a slave. None of that! Instead, the father orders the best robe to replace the rags; he calls for a beautiful family ring; he fits him with new shoes, even though the old ones were used to run away; and, to top it all off, the father gives a great banquet with the best food and a band of minstrels to fill the air with happy music.
This is the message Jesus has for any that will turn home to the Father and seek their joy in the wonders of his love. It’s a Celebration!
I believe that heaven’s getting ready to party right now, because some of you are sensing the way home. You just have to thank God that he is longing for you to come home more than that He has been looking for you. Just let him know you are sorry for nibbling your way from God. You’ll find you’ll barely get your words out before you feel His embrace.
Daddy …..
He’s in Heaven, I’m on earth
who is in heaven
Maybe this is why we are attracted by high places to go and pray. It’s a desire to somehow be nearer.
‘which art’ – to me now to the modern ear is too impersonal and this is the most personal of prayers
‘Daddy which art’ doesn’t fit
‘God Almighty which art’ does, Yahweh does
But the purpose of this prayer that Jesus taught was to get us intimate with His Father so we can get to know Him as our Father
That bing said, He is in heaven!
My guess there are all manner of questions forming in your mind
What will it be like in heaven? What will our heavenly bodies look like? Will we be able to fly? Will we be sexless? Will we be able to see the Garden of Eden? Will we recognise family and friends? What sort of friendships will we have? What will we do? Will there be Bible studies? Are the dustbins made of Gold?’
I could say that’s for another sermon but the truth is I can answer all your questions right now quickly with three words
I don’t know!!!!
All I can say, for the purpose of this message is that Heaven is where God is enthroned, where His perfect will is carried out perfectly.
Which is why next week we focus on His perfect will being done on earth as it is already being done in Heaven.
For today we know that as we come to Prayer we come to a God who has the power to answer our prayers because He is in Heaven. We remind ourselves of his position – in heaven – Therefore all glorious all knowing all powerful.
There are limits to what our earthly fathers can do
There is no limit on what our heavenly father can do
James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first-fruits of all he created.
The fact that he is in heaven means that we can enjoy earth
made all things – wonder
sustains all things – safety
will complete all things – security
At this point in the prayer and on my walk I just try to listen to Him
Holy is your name
This is the centre of the Prayer
As we pray ‘hallowed be your name’ we may wonder which name in particular, as God is given many different names in the Bible, each with its own significance. Well, you could take any biblical name for God and pray around that and it would be very profitable. However, I want to pass on to you the list of names that aids my prayer enormously.
That list starts with the name that God used to refer to himself when talking with Moses, in Exodus 3:14: ‘I AM’. It is the promised name of God. This name of God, because (by Jewish tradition) it was too holy to voice, is actually spelt YHWH without vowels. It is derived from the Hebrew word Hayah, which means ‘to be’. This name is better known to us as Jehovah. So when we use the name Jehovah we are saying that God is who he is all the time – he never changes. That is surely one of the foundational truths of our faith.
In the Bible there are many names for God that begin with Jehovah, followed by one of his characteristics. Therefore, if we use those names, we know that the Father we’re praying to is and will be that to us. For instance, if we take what is perhaps the best known, Jehovah Jireh – which means ‘the Lord will provide’, we are saying that we trust him to provide for us. It’s like a blank cheque, signed by Father God, where we can fill in the amount – in this case not money, but the promise inherent in one or more of the Jehovah names that follow – and in faith claim that promise for ourselves and/or others. So it’s as if the Father is giving me a blank cheque. He has promised to honour it – I AM – and is saying, in effect, ‘What do you need me to be for you today?’ To complete the illustration, it is as if I fill in the amount. Then, as I pray, I’ll take one or more of the Hebrew names of God and use them as requests for me, my family, friends, situations, etc.
We are not merely saying, ‘your name is hallowed (or holy)’, but asking that his name be hallowed or made holy here on earth, as it is in heaven. That immediately shows us how to pray this particular part of this prayer. Of course, we can worship him because his name is holy, but we are asking that his name is made holy, set apart, here on earth, in just the same way as it is in heaven. So what does that mean for our praying?
Confidence
We come to God in prayer not out of duty but out of love
Consecration – cleansing, confession
Re-commitment
Wash my mind, Guard my eyes, ears, mouth
Go through every part of your body
Confess – little things unconfessed become big things!
Give thanks for the blood of Jesus
ask for forgiveness for everything that the Lord reveals to you.
Courage
David and Goliath
1 Sam 17:45f
‘You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
Hallowed be your name. God is very close and yet he is very different. We offer respect to our Father and our God for he is holy, with no darkness or sin. We pause to acknowledge that he is what we long to be. Our spirits yearn for this God-likeness to be a reality in us so that God’s glory is revealed to others here on earth.
The Lord’s Prayer is one simple model that can help us have that consistency. This prayer model is easy to follow at any time of the day – while you are driving to work or going for a walk – yet it is rich in substance, taking you ever deeper into God’s heart.
Questions and Action
1. Honestly assess your prayer life. How can it improve? How you want to be able to describe your prayer life? What’s currently preventing this? What are you going to do next?
2. Look at the story of the Prodigal Son Luke 15:11-31. What do you learn about the Father Son relationship. How can this impact on your prayer-life.
3. A child believes their father can fix anything and do anything! What about our heavenly Father? How confident are you in Him to be at work in the here and now?
Why not stick with this first line of the prayer this week. Pray it every day. Maybe use the following to help:
Our Father
Open yourself up to the Fathers love for you
Tell Him how much you love Him
Pray through the Alphabet with words to describe Him
Go through the Psalms underlining words about His character
in heaven
Recognise who He is, give Him honour, worship Him
Recall His Actions
Remind yourself of His promises
Then listen to him
Holy is your name
cleansing, consecration, recommitment, confession
Wash my mind, Guard my eyes, ears, mouth
Go through every part of your body
Confess – little things unconfessed become big things!
Give thanks for the blood of Jesus
ask for forgiveness for everything that the Lord reveals to you.
Godly people must lead transparent lives
No hiding sin. If you hide sin the Holy Spirit is grieved.
Go back to Question 1.
Anything to add?