10-03-2021 – “God-Honoring Prayer”

Bible Text: Matthew 6:5-13 | Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale |
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10-03-2021
“God-Honoring Prayer”
 
Matthew 6:5-13

 

Read Matthew 6:5-8…

 

This prayer focuses on who God is and how God wants  His children to pray to Him, not in order to impress men or to try and convince God, like pagans who babble on with many words, reciting and repeating themselves thoughtlessly; for nowhere in the NT is a prayer ever repeated or used in a repetitious or ritualistic manner, as if we need to bring something to God’s attention concerning a need we have.  God knows what we need, even before we ask Him!

 
See Matthew 6:9, “Pray, then, in this way:”  
 

     This prayer is a guide, telling us to Whom, for What, and How we are to pray.

 
See Matthew 6:9b, “Our Father who is in heaven,”
 

God is the Creator of all but the Father only of those who come into the Family of God, through Jesus Christ.

John 1:12-13,

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Galatians 3:26,

“For you are all [children] of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”

 
See Matthew 6:9c, “Hallowed [Holy, consecrated, revered] be Your name:”
 

God’s name is Holy and we are to honor and glorify Him, by acknowledging Him in every detail of our thoughts, our words, and our actions, i.e., our life.

Mark 12:30,

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.”

Colossians 3:17,

“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”

1Corinthians 10:31,

“Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

 
See Matthew 6:10, “Your kingdom come,
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
 

     God’s sovereign rule in heaven is not being exemplified on earth.  Men sin, men die, and men go to hell; although this is not what God wants.

God commands us to pray for His will to be done on earth, that everyone would repent of sin, believe in Christ, and be saved.

1Timothy 2:3-4,

“This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

2Peter 3:9,

“The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”

God wants His children (believers and followers of Christ) to know and willfully obey His Word in all we do

 

(Romans 12:1-2),

“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

We are to live out God’s word in our lives, so that others might see Christ in us and come to Him for salvation, even if we have to suffer for it.

1Peter 3:14-15,

“But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled,  but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.”

God is allowing for sin to run its course and for Satan to reign over all those who oppose God, for a time; but sin and Satan will end just as God has determined, and all who reject Jesus Christ will go to Hell.

2Peter 3:3-7,

“Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.’ For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.”

2Peter 3:11-13,

“Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.”

 

 
See Matthew 6:11, “Give us this day our daily bread.”
 

Bread is symbolic of the food we require for our physical needs; in Israel, if you didn’t have bread you would be hungry.  But this is speaking of both our physical and spiritual needs, of which, God provides everything we need, in Christ.

John 4:14,

“Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

John 6:33-35,

“‘For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.’ Then they said to Him, ‘Lord, always give us this bread.’

Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.’”

2Peter 1:2-3,

“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.” 

     Jesus is the Bread of Life who came down from the Father in heaven; He is also the Living Water who spiritually hydrates us; in fact, everything we need for life on earth and life in heaven, has come through Christ.

The Provider is the Father, the Provision is the Son.  And so, we come to God for all our needs through Jesus Christ daily, not weekly, monthly, or yearly, but daily; and at times, moment by moment.

 
See Matthew 6:12, “And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
 

This is not talking about financial or any other form of physical human debt, it is talking about sin, our spiritual debt to God which was paid in full by Christ.

Sin separates us from God and is our greatest enemy; therefore, our greatest need is forgiveness, that is what God the Father provides to those who believe in His Son

 

(Romans 3:23; 6:23, 5:8; 8:1; 10:9-10, 13; pp Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21)..

 

1John 1:8-10,

“If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.”

Having received God’s forgiveness we forgive others; in fact, an unforgiving heart is unbecoming of anyone who has received God’s forgiveness.

In Matthew 18:21-22, Peter asks,

“Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”

Because the Father is forgiving, His children are also to be forgiving.

Ephesians 4:32,

“Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

Ephesians 5:1-2,

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”

 
See Matthew 6:13a… “And do not lead us into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.”
 

     This has to do with temptations, trials and testing, through which we are enticed to sin by seeking to please our flesh instead of honoring God.  God tempts no one, but He does allow us to be tested

(James 1:13-15),

“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”

We appeal to God to place a guard over and around our heart, mind, eyes, ears, mouth, feet, and hands — so that, whatever we do, where ever we are, we will not give in to sin

(1Corinthians 10:13),

“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”

We are all weak at times, and we need God’s help to avoid the traps and snares of the devil, the world, and the flesh; God has provided all we need to succeed

(2Timothy 3:16-17),

“All Scripture is [God-breathed] and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man [woman and child] of God may be [complete], [thoroughly] equipped for every good work.”

Ephesians 2:10,

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

We live in a cursed world and evil is all around us.  Our flesh is weak and we are not equipped in our human resources to combat sin.  Therefore, we confess our need for the protection and deliverance that only God can give.

 

 
See Matthew 6:13b [For Yours is the kingdom
and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]
 

*This addition to verse 13 is not found in the earliest manuscripts, but it is in total harmony with what is Scriptures teach.

 

1Chronicles 29:11-13,

“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone. Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name.”

Revelation 5:13,

“And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying,

‘To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.’”

 

Our prayers should magnify and praise God’s Name, God’s Kingdom, and God’s Will; at the same time, our prayers should clearly express thanksgiving toward God for His unconditional love, forgiveness, and eternal life, but also for His daily provision of peace, protection, guidance, comfort, strength, nourishment, and care.

God is good, all the time; all the time, God is good; and for that reason, we, as God’s children, should be thankful and hopeful, now and forever, in Christ.

 

 

 
Pastor Mike
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