We’re back again to listen to Jesus’
teaching about prayer. In teaching about this He obviously thought that there
were things about prayer that His disciples didn’t know and needed to know. I
think that it’s fair to say that we are in the same boat. There are things
about prayer that we don’t know and need to know. So, let me encourage you to
ponder Jesus’ words about prayer so that your own prayer lives will continue to
develop. Much good comes from those who have a good grasp on what they are
doing when it comes to discussing life with the Father.
As the title of the sermon makes
clear, what we are going to look at this morning are some words from Jesus
about how not to pray. Remember,
there is a right way to pray and a wrong way. It is as we understand what to
avoid that we will have a better idea about what to pursue.
Listen to Jesus.
And
when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think
that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your
Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Where shall we start? How about taking
a look at what Jesus means by ‘empty phrases’? This isn’t very difficult. Jesus
is talking about saying words but not actually meaning anything.
Did you notice that Jesus isn’t making
any comparison with Jewish hypocrites as He did in the comments that we looked
at last week? Here, He’s taking a look at what Gentile pagans do. Evidently,
they thought that they could pester their gods into action by their repetition,
sort of like a spoiled toddler who won’t stop screaming until he gets what he
wants. While Jesus identifies this as a Gentile problem, He evidently thought
that His very Jewish disciples needed to be warned about that danger. This is
something for them to avoid.
Is this something that we need to be
warned about? Can we fall into the habit of offering up prayers that don’t
really mean much? It might help if we use different words to describe the kind
of prayers that Jesus is warning about. What if we describe this as praying
thoughtlessly, saying words but not being very clear about what we mean. When
it’s described in this way I do think that it is something that we would do
well to be aware of so that we can avoid it.
Let’s get more concrete and consider a
hypothetical prayer. ‘Dear God, please
bless George. He is having such a hard time with life. He’s been so sick and he’s
lost his job. Please care for him. In Jesus’ name, Amen.’ Let’s examine this
prayer.
First, there’s this. I think that a
Christian has all sorts of ways that he can address God. So, starting with ‘Dear
God’ in this prayer is fine - as long as those words match the feelings that he
has for God - that is, as long as this Christian is thinking of God as very
dear to him.
Consider how the psalmists address God
at the beginning of some of their prayers.
O
Yahweh, God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, shine forth! Psalms 94:1
O
Yahweh, God of my salvation; I cry out day and night before you. Psalms 88:1
Give
ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock. Psalms 80:1
The psalmists address God with a
little detail. And if I were to read the rest of those Psalms you’d see that
the way that they address God is related to what they are praying about.
I’m not saying that you have to get
fancier in your prayers. No, but it is important to think about how you address
Him. Avoid empty phrases.
Now, let’s consider the body of that
prayer for George. He is having a hard time since he is sick and unemployed.
But notice the words that were used: bless and care for. I think that these
qualify as an empty phrase. I say that because it really isn’t clear what the
person praying this prayer wants God to do. What particular blessing should God
give to George? How exactly should He care for George?
Earlier this week, I was talking with
my daughter, Adiel. She mentioned that she would be taking Zoe, her youngest,
to an orthodontist to have some gizmo put into her mouth for the next six
months. Zoe, who is nine, was feeling a little scared. So, I told Adiel to tell
Zoe that I would be praying for her. Now, what did I pray? I didn’t ask God to
bless and care for Zoe. First, I asked God to act so that she wouldn’t be overwhelmed
by her fear. But I also prayed that she would see God at work in this
experience and that she might come to understand that sometimes Christians
learn important things through painful experiences.
So, let’s go back to George. What
might we ask God to do for him? Well, what are his needs? His needs go deeper
than sickness and unemployment. So, along with praying for healing and a job,
we can pray that he would not lose hope. Isn’t that a temptation for any of us
when life gets hard? We can also ask God to help him understand that Christians
sometimes learn important things through painful experiences and that he would,
in fact, learn some important things about following Jesus because of what he
is suffering.
Now, all those things might be covered
by ‘bless and care for’. But I think that we would do well to spell them out.
We need to be clear about what it is that we actually want God to do. This will
help us to avoid falling into using empty phrases.
One more example of an empty phrase.
How did that prayer for George end? ‘In Jesus’ name’. Now, that can’t be bad,
can it? Well, actually it depends. Jesus did teach that we are to pray in His
name. But what did He mean? Is Jesus saying that if we end our prayers with
those three words that it’s all good, that our prayers will be granted? Doesn’t
that sound like magic?
What does it mean to do something in
someone’s name? Listen to what King Ahasuerus said to Esther and Mordecai.
But
you may write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king,
and seal it with the king’s ring, for an edict written in the name of the king
and sealed with the king’s ring cannot be revoked.” Esther 8.8
The king is talking about his
authority. He is giving Esther and Mordecai permission to assert his authority
when they write decrees about what is to happen to the Jews.
Similarly, Jesus was talking about His
authority when He teaches us to pray in His name. Jesus has authority with the
Father. We are to address the Father through Jesus, our High Priest before the
Father. In this we are appealing to the authority that Jesus has. This
guarantees that the Father will hear our prayers.
So, you can say those three words at
the end of your prayers if you want. That’s fine. But be sure that you know
what you’re saying. Don’t let them become an empty phrase.
Now, personally when I end my prayers
with a closing phrase, I tend to say something like, ‘Through Christ, my Lord’.
In doing this, I’m expressing my faith in the part of the Gospel that teaches
that it’s only because of what Jesus does on my behalf that my prayers are even
heard by the Father. It is also a reminder to me of this fact.
So, here’s the main point of what
Jesus is teaching. Don’t use empty phrases. Instead, pray thoughtfully. Those
who pray using empty phrases are actually just going through the motions
without really thinking about what they are doing. Don’t become like them. Don’t
make prayer some empty religious ritual. Think about what you’re going to say
to God, and then tell Him. One benefit of this is that you have a greater sense
of actually talking to someone, saying some things that you think are important
for God to hear. Your prayers become more real. Your God becomes more real.
Now, Jesus gives a reason why we
shouldn’t pray like the pagans.
Do
not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Matthew 6:8
Now, I’m guessing that for many of you
that prompts a question. ‘If God already knows what I need, why do I need to
pray and ask Him for it?’
I think that that is a good question.
And it gives opportunity to exercise some thinking.
Jesus is quite clear here that we don’t
pray for God’s benefit. He already knows our needs before we ask. So, if it isn’t
for His benefit, for whose benefit are we to pray and mention our needs? And I
think that the only other option is obvious. We mention our needs to God for
our benefit. What else could it be? It’s just a matter of looking at the words
and asking questions and then working at getting some answers.
Let’s take that apart. What happens
when you avoid empty phrases and, instead, pray thoughtful prayers about your
needs? One thing that happens is that you see your needs more clearly, more
deeply. You see how weak you are when it comes to these needs. You see that the
only way that those needs can be met is if your very kind and caring Father
deals with them. Now, remember, this is if you avoid the pitfall of empty
phrases, and you have thought about what exactly it is that you want your God
to do. When you pray in this way you are no longer just doing some religious
thing. You are discussing life with your Father. Remember that the point of
prayer is for us to get more of God. Enjoying Him as a real Father is getting
more of Him. And presenting our needs to Him, in a meaningful way, will have
that result.
Thinking about how to pray about your
needs can also help you to see them differently. As you look at them in the
context of God’s big plan to restore all things, you can view them, and the
rest of your life, in a different light. You get to ask yourself, ‘Why do I
want God to meet this need in this way?’ It’s a sad fact that many prayers that
are offered up are simply appeals for an easier life, a more comfortable life.
Something bad looms on the horizon. And what do so many pray? ‘Don’t let that
happen to me!’ But isn’t God’s plan to save the world advanced by bad things
happening to His people? Didn’t Jesus suffer and die on a cross?
Being thoughtful about how God can
meet your needs can also be a challenge to your faith.
I’m reading through 1 Kings. One day
this week, I read about how the son of Elijah’s hostess died. And, as you can
imagine, she was distraught. Her son is dead. She is hopeless.
What did Elijah do? He took the boy
and prayed over him. He asked God to raise him up. God heard and the boy was revived.
This is what struck me as I thought
about that. It’s too easy for me to be like the mother. Something bad has
happened. End of story. But Elijah had the faith to pray to change what
happened. He made a very large request of God. And God granted it. That
challenged me. Are there needs that I have, needs that you have, that I could
pray about more boldly and with greater expectations of God? I think so. All
that is needed is a faith that believes His promises. That’s the sort of thing
that happens when you think about your prayers.
Now, in light of all of this, what are
you to do? Here are a couple of suggestions. First, evaluate your prayers. How
are you doing at avoiding empty phrases? Do you pray thoughtfully? It may sound
odd, but this is something to pray about. Ask the Father to give you the
ability to see accurately how you are doing.
Here is something that I do so that my
prayers are thoughtful. I offer it as something for you to consider. I include
written prayers in my daily prayer time. Some of these are prayers that come
from Scripture, some were written by other people and some are written by me. I
know that some react to the idea of praying written prayers. They are concerned
that these prayers can also become empty phrases, and, of course, they can.
However, here are some things to bear in mind. The Lord’s Prayer is a written
prayer. It can become a bunch of empty phrases. But it can also become a very
powerful prayer. Some of the Psalms are written prayers. I use something from a
Psalm as a prayer to God. I also use a prayer of praise, a doxology, from the
book of Revelation.
The written prayers that I use work
for me because they are thoughtful prayers. They say things that I want to
pray, and they say those things really well. On top of that, they cause me to
regularly pray about certain areas that I want to be sure to include in my
prayers.
Can these become empty phrases? Sure.
But so can unwritten prayers. The issue isn’t whether a prayer is written or
not. It’s about whether you mean what you are praying.
Last thought. The main idea of today’s
sermon matches a theme in another area that I have been stressing lately. I
have urged you to read the Bible thoughtfully. Look at the words. Ask
questions. Work to find some answers. Meditation. I would also like to urge you
to pray thoughtfully. What exactly do you want to say to God, and why do you
want to say it? We are all influenced by a culture that is too busy and too
much in a rush to be thoughtful about much. And that results in superficial
lives. But we can be different. We can lead lives that really make a dent in
our world. But to do that we need to be thoughtful Christians. It is my great
desire that we all would make much progress toward that goal.
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