How Did Jesus Teach Us to Pray? | Matthew 6:9-15

Series: All: All Authority, All Nations, All Allegiance

Scripture: Matthew 6:9-15 (Main); Matt 18:32-35

Title: How Did Jesus Teach Us To Pray? (Darien Gabriel)

(See below for bibliography)

Summary of passage: Jesus lays out the principles and rules of kingdom living.

Bottom Line: Jesus teaches us to pray resting on the Father as we forgive one another.

Group Video Outline:

I. What do I want you to know? How Jesus taught his disciples to pray.

Why? Because it’s essential to know God as Father.

II. What do I want you to do?

  1. Forgive where appropriate

  2. Pray this prayer daily

  3. Teach it to someone else

Discussion questions for group and personal study.

1. How would prayer change negatively if you were not able to call God Father?

2. Why does Jesus instruct you to pray for God's name to "be honored as holy" and "his kingdom come" before making requests for daily bread and forgiveness of sins?

3. Should Christians wait for God to make all things new or work now to shape the world to what it will be one day?

4. When God's kingdom does come, how will all of life (politics, art, education, science, economics, etc.) be different? Why should your

prayers be concerned with aligning these areas now to how God will change them in the future?

5. How does praying "your kingdom come" spur you toward action in social justice?

6. How does Jesus's resurrection demonstrate that you can pray confidently for God's will to be done in your life?

7. Do people in first-world countries need to pray for their daily needs less than people in third-world countries?

8. How can having easier access to food, water, and shelter hurt your dependence on God?

9. Why is your forgiveness from God dependent on you forgiving others?

10. Are you regularly aware of Satan's work against you to tempt you? How does knowing that temptation comes not only from your sin inside but from Satan outside help you pray and fight against sin?

If you have time…

11. What do you learn from the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant? How does this relate to Jesus’ words on forgiveness? Matt 18:21-35

Final Questions (optional or in place of above)

  • What is God saying to you right now?

  • What are you going to do about it?

Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcast

Intro

Have you ever been in a situation where you just didn’t know what to do?

I remember the day 9/11 occurred. We watched the TV in stunned silence in the church office. I was a youth pastor and staff in North Carolina. Didn’t know what to do. Eventually we went to the conference room and we went to the one who knew what to do. We prayed to God the father.

Who do you go to when you don’t know what to do?

Well, here’s a great verse, principle and life-lesson to consider:

“We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” -2 Chronicles 20:12 NIV

Today’s message is how Jesus taught his disciples to pray. He taught them this because Luke tells us they asked. This is the only thing scripture records the disciples asked him to teach them.

  • I hope today that you will become more familiar with the model prayer Jesus taught his disciples to pray.

  • I hope today that you will choose to pray it daily letting Jesus teach you it’s depths every day.

  • I hope that you will learn it, pray it and share it for the rest of your life.

Outline

Review from last week: (optional)

  1. Don’t pray for show. Why? Because

    1. You rob God of his glory (for which you were created to give)

    2. You rob yourself of heavenly rewards. (5-6)

  2. Don’t babble on like pagans (7)

  3. Don’t forget that God knows…but ask still (8)

  4. Lord’s Prayer (this week)

  5. Forgiveness (this week)

    1. Summarize parable in Matt 18:32-35

    2. God is king. But he’s a merciful king. He’s a merciful father too.

This week: How did Jesus teach us to pray?

Q1. What do I you to know?

A1. How to pray like Jesus taught his disciples.

  1. He used what we call the Lord’s Prayer

    1. It’s a model prayer or pattern for prayer.

    2. It’s a prayer to be prayed. (See v. 7-8 for warning though)

  2. It’s all about Father!

    1. Father—Kid jumps from refrigerator: “When I was a young father and my children were small, my younger son hid on top of the refrigerator one day. As I walked by, with no warning, he suddenly dove off the refrigerator onto my back. I did not see him, I did not feel him coming, but he just tackled me and held on. Carey felt that if he jumped in the direction of his father, he would certainly be safe. It never occurred to him that I would not catch him. And that is the way it is with our Abba, our heavenly Father. He gives us a great sense of security and confidence--and we know he will not disappoint us.” Kent Hughes, p. 161-2

    2. Abba, dear daddy or dear father…immanent vs. transcendent.

    3. This is partly what we’re going for when we ask fathers to come up and pray for their children. In a couple of weeks, we’ll do this with grandparents. 9/10 is grandparents day weekend.

  3. Mike Breen’s breakdown centers our Father in heaven…(these are all elements of salvation):

    1. The Father’s character

    2. The Father’s kingdom

    3. The Father’s provision

    4. The Father’s forgiveness (Jesus expands on this in vs. 14-15)

      1. The forgiveness you give others is evidence that you have truly received his forgiveness.

      2. This is not you forgive to get forgiven transaction.

    5. The Father’s guidance

    6. The Father’s deliverance/rescue

      1. “Lead us not into temptation” - what does this mean?

        1. Temptation = trials (similar, but not exactly)

        2. Temptation of Christ (Matt 4, Luke 4) - the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness “to be tempted by the devil” (4:1)

        3. RSV translation: “And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one.”

        4. “For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he temp anyone.” James 1:13

        5. So, God tests and allows trials and temptations to come our way. Just ask Job. But we can ask for his mercy and help in this, apparently.

        6. Hughes says 3 possible solutions:

          1. Jeremias: 2 shades of meaning from Aramaic language:

            1. Causative = “Don’t cause us to go into temptation (i.e. don’t lead us into) which he can and does.

            2. Permissive = “Don’t allow us to go into temptation/trials

              1. He allows trials

              2. We give in to temptation “Oh,Lord, hold us back and do not let us take that path”

          2. Bailey: Every desert traveler needs a reliable guide. “The phrase in the Lord’s Prayer expresses confidence of an earthly pilgrim traveling with a divine guide. The journey requires the pilgrims to affirm daily, ‘Lord, we trust you to guide us, because you alone know the way that we must go.’ This affirmation of the trusting traveler reflects the confidence of the community that prays this prayer.”

          3. Father Mattah al-Miskin of Egypt: Reflects on the story of Job…a righteous man severely tested by Satan with God’s permission.

            1. “When we pray, argues FAther Matta, we are protected by Jesus and his cross from Satan and his attacks.”

            2. Deliver us from the evil one” could mean keep us out of Satan’s court room of accusation. Satan = accuser

      2. “But deliver us from the evil one”

  4. Kent Hughes breakdown shows 6 petitions we pray in this prayer: (optional)

    1. Upward

      1. Your name

      2. Your kingdom

      3. Your will

    2. Us-ward

      1. Give us

      2. Forgive us

      3. Lead us not…but deliver us

Q2. Why do I want you to know this?

  1. Because if Jesus taught the disciples that this is how you pray, you need to know this!

  2. Because of these benefits (optional):

    1. It’s your lifeline to God. Jesus teaches us how to commune with God.

    2. It’s life-giving. It is how we receive the life-giving, spiritual sap of Jesus to flow in and through us to the world.

    3. It’s defining. Are you his son/daughter or not?

    4. It’s equipping.

      1. It gives us structure on which to hang our beliefs.

      2. It empowers us to live out our faith well.

    5. It’s essential theology.

Q3. What do I want you to do?

A3. I want you to:

  1. Forgive any and everyone you need to forgive.

    1. Whether they asked for it or not

    2. Cut the strings that you are tempted to use to remind people of how they’ve hurt you or others.

  2. Pray this prayer daily

  3. Memorize it

  4. Teach it to someone else

    1. Kids

    2. Grandkids

    3. Friend

    4. Family

    5. Stranger

Conclusion — Summary questions:

  1. What do I want them to know? The summary principle and warning: Don’t practice your righteous deeds (shine your light)

  2. Why? Because to not heed the warning is to

    1. Rob God of his glory.

    2. Rob yourself of his rewards.

  3. What do I want them to do? Live out your Christian life (Shine) with a heart bent towards pleasing God over yourself. This helps you minimize or avoid hypocrisy.

  4. Why?

    1. You fulfill your chief created purpose fro existing—glorify God.

    2. You reap a superior reward—from God.

References/Bibliography:

“Preaching the Word” Commentary, Douglas Sean O’Donnell, Edited by Kent Hughes

“Matthew” by RC Sproul

“Sermon on the Mount” by Charles Quayle’s

“The Sermon on the Mount: Kingdom Life in a Fallen World” by Sinclair Ferguson 

Bible.org https://bible.org/seriespage/12-maintaining-peaceful-relationships-matthew-521-26

“CSB Christ Chronological,” Holman

“Jesus Manifesto” sermon series, by Darien Gabriel: https://youtu.be/x65i2tqFrXk

“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)

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

“Exalting Jesus in Matthew” by David Platt (CCE)

“Exalting Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount” by Daniel Akin (CCE)

Outline Bible, D Willmington

NIV Study Bible (NIVSB)

ESV Study Bible

ESV Gospel Transformation Bible (GTB)

"Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes" by Kenneth E. Baile

Darien GabrielGrace Christian FellowshipDarien Gabriel, non-denominational church, Bible-believing, church, Ladson, SC, Matthew 6, how to pray, Lord's Prayer