Matthew
Why Pray?
Knowing that God is good and that nothing is impossible for Him to do
We can go about our life with a deep sense of confidence and security
Even in times of distress, we will not despair
Knowing that in some way (best known to God) whatever happens to us
Is for our good, a blessing in disguise
We do not like to suffer, so we pray to God to help us out of our distress
Grant us the good that is hidden or disguised, the good that is obviously good
Help our fleshy eyes and limited understanding to see what is obviously good
We gain strength, courage and hope in our trust in God
Our daily prayers strengthen our trust in God
In God We Trust has been the Jewish motto since they first became a people
Its adoption by the American people when it became a "nation under God"
Commendable though it is, of course, not original
This should be the motto of every Child of God
Highlighting Jesus’ teaching us to pray
“Thy Kingdom Come”
Why Pray?
Chapters 3-7…
The Kingdom of Heaven is announced.
Jesus, after being led by the Spirit into the wilderness
where He is tempted by the Devil
began to preach the Kingdom.
From that time on Jesus began to preach,
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
Matthew 4:17
Why Pray?
Jesus said…
…for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
Matthew 6:8
Then He says…
"This, then, is how you should pray
Matthew 6:9
So, why pray if our Father already knows what you need?
Jesus wants us to see that our prayers
are not just requests addressed to God.
Prayer not only includes such request
but involves much more.
Prayer is a commandment of God
both in the Old Testament and New…
If my people,
who are called by my name,
will humble themselves and pray
and seek my face
and turn from their wicked ways,
then will I hear from heaven
and will forgive their sin
and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14
Pray continually
1 Thessalonians 5:17
We are commanded to pray to Him and Him alone.
In times of distress…
We turn to God for help.
In times of comfort…
We must express our gratitude to God.
When all goes well with us…
We must still pray to God daily that He will continue
to show us His mercy and grant us our daily needs.
Jesus tells us to address Him as our Father in Heaven.
To do this…
We must regard ourselves as His children.
So why do we pray to our Father
in heaven for our daily needs?
You have heard the saying from the radio show
that began in 1949 and then became a TV show
in 1954 called, “Father Knows Best”.
Doesn’t our Father in Heaven know
what is best for His children?
Why should children pray to loving parents
to feed them, clothe, and protect them?
Why should we pray to our
Heavenly Father for the same things?
The Jewish people don’t find this a hard question
when they reflect on these things.
The great Jewish Sages would amply explain…
We are told to offer up prayers to G‑d,
in order to establish firmly the true principle that G‑d takes notice of our ways, that He can make them successful if we serve Him, or disastrous if we disobey Him; that success and failure are not the result of chance or accident.
Like all other commands of God,
they are not for His sake, but for ours.
God’s command for us to pray is for our sake.
God does not need our prayers.
He can do without our prayers…
But we cannot do without prayers.
It is good for us to acknowledge our dependence on God…
As His children, to understand our dependence on Him
for our very life, our health, our daily bread,
and our general welfare.
You have to ask yourself the question…
What is wrong with a child who doesn’t
acknowledge the loving merciful provisions
from loving parents?
When a child turns to his or her own ways
and rejects their loving parents,
we call that rebellion.
It is good for God’s children to recognize
and acknowledge their Heavenly Father’s provision…
His gifts which were given at the time of creation,
all the natural things produced out of the earth
every day for us.
His willingness to be our Father
and give us mercy to help us when we fail at life.
Scripture says…
His divine power has given us everything
we need for life and godliness
through our knowledge of him who called us
by his own glory and goodness.
2 Peter 1:3
Our dependence on Him is because…
His divine power has given us everything
we need for life and godliness.
Even the person who does not acknowledge God
enjoys God’s provision of life every day.
Imagine if you went to the pet store and
bought a fish or a turtle, or any other animal and put it
in an aquarium without the necessities for its life…
It would suffer and die very quickly.
But God, when He created us,
filled the earth with more than enough
to not only supply life for Adam and Eve,
but their children, (that includes you).
God’s provisions for life
are so plentiful and available…
You don’t have to ask
you can go out and take it.
Whether God is your Father or not…
God gave you everything you need for life.
You may have to go out and get it,
but it is there.
To sit in a high chair as an able adult
and cry to be spoon feed is stupidity.
So is not recognizing our Father in Heaven
with prayers of gratitude daily.
If this life was all there was
and the grave was the end of life…
We should be grateful to God for
being a Creator so loving and merciful.
Think about it…
Out of all the trees God created
and God said you could eat of,
which one or ones did you eat from today?
And which ones would you like to put
in your refrigerator for tomorrow.
Did you not sleep in a bed, in a house,
that was made from something God created?
God is so good…
He lets you eat more than you should
and things so good they should be called sinful.
If you can’t say Our Father in Heaven meets
all your needs, you are not thinking.
Did you take some medicine today?
Where did those minerals and things
in that medicine come from?
And who gave us a brain to discover
these treasures He planted in the earth?
I think sometimes when we pray,
we ask God for something like a miracle
(which He does do) instead of saying…
“Father, I know you provided for me
what I need because you have seen my need
before I needed it,
but would you help me to find which cupboard it is in?”
If we truly believe and know Our Father has provided…
We will express our gratitude and respect to Him.
Should we not also be merciful and loving
to our fellow man and grant favors freely?
Shouldn’t we not only express
our gratitude to God
merely in words, but in deeds.
Obeying His commands and living our daily lives
in the ways God wants us to…
Ought to be our joy,
especially as it is for our own good.
Knowing that God is good
and that nothing is impossible for Him to do…
We can go about our life with a deep sense
of confidence and security.
Even in times of distress
we will not despair.
Knowing that in some way (best known to God)
whatever happens to us is for our good…
A blessing in disguise.
We do not like to suffer…
So we pray to God to help us out of our distress.
Grant us the good that is hidden or disguised,
the good that is obviously good.
Help our fleshy eyes and limited understanding
to see what is obviously good.
We gain strength, courage and hope
in our trust in God.
Our daily prayers strengthen our trust in God.
In God We Trust
has been the Jewish motto
since they first became a people.
Its adoption by the American people
when it became a "nation under God,"
commendable though it is, of course, not original.
This should be the motto of every Child of God…
Highlighting Jesus’ teaching us to pray…
“Thy Kingdom Come”
Matthew 6:9-13 NIV
9 "This, then, is how you should pray:
"'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.'
