Deeper Prayer Life A Sermon Series on Prayer. Praying Through The Sermon on the Mount: Your Motive...

Deeper Deeper Prayer Prayer

LifeLife

A Sermon Series on A Sermon Series on PrayerPrayer

Praying ThroughPraying ThroughThe Sermon on the Mount:The Sermon on the Mount:

Your Motive Your Motive Must BeMust Be

PurePure

Matthew 6:1-18Matthew 6:1-18

Doing something that God Doing something that God approves of does not automatically approves of does not automatically guarantee pleasing Him. A guarantee pleasing Him. A righteous deed done to obtain righteous deed done to obtain human applause is nowhere near human applause is nowhere near honoring God. The quality of a honoring God. The quality of a righteous deed lies on its motive. righteous deed lies on its motive.

Jesus points this out using three Jesus points this out using three most important Jewish religious most important Jewish religious pieties. He expects his disciples to pieties. He expects his disciples to continue to practice these continue to practice these righteous acts, but in the right righteous acts, but in the right manner and with the right motives. manner and with the right motives.

““Be careful not to do your ‘acts of Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, righteousness’ before men, TO BE TO BE SEEN BY THEMSEEN BY THEM. If you do, you will . If you do, you will have no reward from your Father have no reward from your Father

in heaven.”in heaven.”

(Matthew 6:1)(Matthew 6:1)

Basic PrincipleBasic Principle

• a matter between a person a matter between a person and Godand God

RighteousnessRighteousness

• in harmony with the will of in harmony with the will of GodGod

• pleases the Lordpleases the Lord

ALMSGIVINGALMSGIVING: : Give in all Sincerity. Give in all Sincerity.

(vv. 2-4)(vv. 2-4)

1.1. Almsgiving: Give in all sincerity Almsgiving: Give in all sincerity (vv. 2-4).(vv. 2-4).

““So when you give to the needy, So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, do not announce it with trumpets,

as the hypocrites do in the as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the be honored by men. I tell you the

truth, they have received their truth, they have received their reward in full.”reward in full.”

• The hypocrites were not really The hypocrites were not really givinggiving. They were . They were buyingbuying the the praise of men by drawing praise of men by drawing attention to themselves.attention to themselves.


• Almsgiving is one of the ways to Almsgiving is one of the ways to help the needy and at the same help the needy and at the same time remind the rest that God is time remind the rest that God is the source of all good gifts. This the source of all good gifts. This practice of generosity prevents practice of generosity prevents greed in our hearts.greed in our hearts.



““But when you give to the needy, But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in so that your giving may be in

secret. Then your Father, who secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will sees what is done in secret, will

reward you.”reward you.”

• Good Example: Good Example: Barnabas (Acts 4:34-37)Barnabas (Acts 4:34-37)


• Bad Example: Bad Example: Ananias & Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11)Ananias & Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11)

PRAYERPRAYER: : Pray in all Honesty. Pray in all Honesty.

(vv. 5-15)(vv. 5-15)

1.1. Prayer: Pray in all honesty Prayer: Pray in all honesty (vv. 5-15).(vv. 5-15).

““And when you pray, do not be And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love like the hypocrites, for they love

to pray standing in the to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street synagogues and on the street

corners to be seen by men. I tell corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received you the truth, they have received

their reward in full.”their reward in full.”

• The hypocrites were not really The hypocrites were not really prayingpraying to God. They were to God. They were performing performing self-worshipself-worship by by putting up a show of their piety.putting up a show of their piety.



““But when you pray, go into your But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who is unseen. Then

your Father, who sees what is your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”done in secret, will reward you.”

• Jesus is not forbidding public Jesus is not forbidding public prayer. But if we pray more in prayer. But if we pray more in public than in private, it most public than in private, it most likely indicates a sinful desire to likely indicates a sinful desire to obtain the praise of men.obtain the praise of men.



““It is wrong to pray in public if we It is wrong to pray in public if we are not in the habit of praying in are not in the habit of praying in

private. Observers may think that private. Observers may think that we are practicing prayer when we we are practicing prayer when we

are not, and this is hypocrisy.”are not, and this is hypocrisy.”

(Warren Wiersbe)(Warren Wiersbe)(“The Bible Exposition Commentary”)(“The Bible Exposition Commentary”)


““And when you pray, do not keep And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because think they will be heard because

of their many words. of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need Father knows what you need

before you ask him.”before you ask him.”

• While length and repetition are While length and repetition are not wrong per se not wrong per se (Luke 6:12; 18:1; (Luke 6:12; 18:1; Matthew 26:44)Matthew 26:44), they do not make , they do not make efficacious prayers.efficacious prayers.



““All of us have one routine prayer All of us have one routine prayer in our system; and once we get in our system; and once we get rid of it, then we can really start rid of it, then we can really start

to pray!”to pray!”

(Dr. Robert A. Cook)(Dr. Robert A. Cook)

• Ritualized prayersRitualized prayers


• Prescribed prayersPrescribed prayers• Long prayersLong prayers• Meaningless repetitionsMeaningless repetitions• To be seen and heard by menTo be seen and heard by men

Perversion of PrayerPerversion of Prayer


““The motive of sinful self-glory is The motive of sinful self-glory is the ultimate perversion of prayer. the ultimate perversion of prayer.

It robs prayer of its primary It robs prayer of its primary purpose—to glorify God purpose—to glorify God (John 14:13)(John 14:13).”.”

(John MacArthur)(John MacArthur)(“Alone with God”)(“Alone with God”)

• ““Father”Father”


• ““Our”Our”• ““Why do we still pray?”Why do we still pray?”

Notes on PrayerNotes on Prayer

• ““Give us today”Give us today”• ““Forgiving others”Forgiving others”


““The important thing about prayer The important thing about prayer is not simply getting an answer, is not simply getting an answer,

but being the kind of person whom but being the kind of person whom God can trust with an answer.”God can trust with an answer.”

(Warren Wiersbe)(Warren Wiersbe)(“The Bible Exposition Commentary”)(“The Bible Exposition Commentary”)

FASTINGFASTING: : Fast in all Humility. Fast in all Humility.

(vv. 16-18)(vv. 16-18)

1.1. Fasting: Fast in all humility Fasting: Fast in all humility (vv. 16-18).(vv. 16-18).

““When you fast, do not look When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show they disfigure their faces to show

men they are fasting. I tell you men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received the truth, they have received

their reward in full.”their reward in full.”

• The hypocrites fasted to The hypocrites fasted to glorifyglorify their flesh instead of their flesh instead of denyingdenying it it by making sure people knew by making sure people knew they were fasting.they were fasting.



““But when you fast, put oil on But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to so that it will not be obvious to

men that you are fasting, but only men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; to your Father, who is unseen;

and your Father, who sees what is and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”done in secret, will reward you.”

• Fasting intends to force us to Fasting intends to force us to focus on God and not on focus on God and not on ourselves. This is why it is ourselves. This is why it is almost always accompanied by almost always accompanied by cries of repentance.cries of repentance.


““The most important part of a The most important part of a Christian’s life is the part that only Christian’s life is the part that only

God sees.”God sees.”

(Anonymous)(Anonymous)


““Prayer's greatest achievement is Prayer's greatest achievement is not receiving our requests but not receiving our requests but

releasing our wills. God's power is releasing our wills. God's power is manifested when our wills are manifested when our wills are totally surrendered to Him.”totally surrendered to Him.”


Deeper Prayer Life A Sermon Series on Prayer. Praying Through The Sermon on the Mount: Your Motive...

Documents

Transcript of Deeper Prayer Life A Sermon Series on Prayer. Praying Through The Sermon on the Mount: Your Motive...