Why Pray?
Introduction
Why pray?
Many people think of prayer as something of the past
Is prayer redundant?
Surveys show that all people in the UK pray at some point in their life
Example of prayer
Why?
Jesus focuses on prayer in the Sermon on the Mount
He re-draws the reality of prayer
He overturns the predominant view of the day (and even in our day)
Three quick points
There is more to prayer than just doing business
There is more to prayer than just praying
There is more to prayer than just doing business
First of all he explains what the Gentiles and Jews do – they approached God as ‘business’
They were coming because they wanted something
For the gentiles – fine clothes/words, for the pagan – many words
Jesus dismisses both of these
There is more prayer that just doing business – whether through fine words or many words
There is more to prayer than just set words
There is a believe we need to use precise or proper words for God to hear our prayers and respond
The Lord’s Prayer
Not to pray ‘these words’ but like these words
He is almost giving us bullet points for prayer
He wants to teach us how to pray effectively?
There is more to prayer than just praying
Example
There is more to prayer than just praying
Jesus is calling us to engage with His heavenly Father to learn how to live eternity now
Jesus is teaching us how to live in the reality as a beloved child of the God of glory
Our Father in heaven – v9
Prayer set in terms of an intimate family
His approach was radical – no-one in Jewish society thought this proper
A real family
He departs from excepted Jewish practice:
Father – they would not learn to use this word for around a 1000 years
Father – Jesus quoted this in all prayers except when on the cross
Father – Jesus teaches His disciples to pray ‘Our Father’
Why would Jesus do such a radical thing?
On the Sermon on the Mount – He is talking about those who have come into the family of God
If we have repented of our sin and put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, we have entered into the same type of relationship He has with His Father – ‘our Father’
Personal example
John 20:7
God is both creator and Father
As creator – all mankind is accountable to God
He is not the Father of all mankind – this title is unique to His own people, who have been saved by grace [i.e. Christians]
We are all created in the image of God – thus we show grace and kindness to everyone
There are two fatherhoods in this world:
The fatherhood of Adam
The fatherhood of God
Rom 5:17
Differences between these two families – Eph 2:1-4
An Intimate Family
This intimacy was scandalous to the Jews
In Hebrew the word ‘father’ is very intimate
Mark 14:33 – combined with "Abba"
Like "daddy"
In the Old Testament – Father used only 14 times (and honourific)
In the New Testament – Jesus uses the word father (intimate relation) over 170 times
Jesus is teaching that people can approach God with the same relationship
Quote from J.I. Packer
What does that mean to me?
We live in a day of expressive individualism
People try to find their identity in themselves
I will look for who I am in myself
However, this is not working
We have more anxiety and chaos than any past age
Where do you find your identity?
For the Christian – our identity is found in the Fatherhood of God
Our earthly fathers may let us down (or worse)
God never lets us down
He is our true Father
This is when the reality of forgiveness sets in
This is what we need to be healed
God will discipline us if we continue in sin (as a loving Father)
In Heaven
He is the great God of glory
Outrageous prayer – John 14:13-14, 15:7
This is not to be abused in thinking of the ‘health, wealth and prosperity gospel’
Personal example
We can be outrageous in our requests because of our trust in our Father
We should ask outrageous prayers
God will filter our requests according to His purpose
He is the God of the universe who can do as He wants
We should not be timid in our requests
We should live in reality now