Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 6:5-15
Matthew 6:5-15, Ephesians 6:18
How many of you have sat down in a circle to pray and felt overwhelmed and insecure about what you should say? I know I have. Praying can be intimidating. We are taking time to meet with God, to make ourselves known to Him and ask for help when we need it (which seems to be more often than not, am I right?) But it doesn’t have to be scary and it doesn’t have to be an elaborate poem.
As stated in the Hexagon Huddle shape, “When Jesus gave us an example of how to pray, it wasn’t wordy, extensive, or technique-filled. It certainly wasn’t a set form of words to use every time. It was simple, profound, multi-dimensional and rich; a framework that guides us beyond our habitual prayers into prayers of adoration, confession, intercession, petition, guidance and warfare, all declaring our dependence on God and seeing him as Lord.”
As we pray through the Lord’s prayer today, would we take time to pause and pray through each one of these points:
The Father’s Character - Jesus shows us that we can interact with God in an intimate manner. He is our Father. But there is an element of respect as well. He is in heaven and deserves to be hallowed, (honored as holy, respected, we are in awe of him). He is both our Father and our King.
The Father’s Kingdom - When you surrender to God as Savior of your life, you recognize that He is Lord and you want His Kingdom to advance on earth. How can you be a part of the advance of His Kingdom on earth?
The Father’s Provision - Jesus shows us that we can admit our need to God and request His provision. We have physical, spiritual, and emotional needs. We can trust that He will provide for our needs.
The Father’s Forgiveness - When we trespass (sin) against God, we’re basically telling God that He and what He has provided for us is not enough to satisfy us. We must confess our sins against God and others, as well as follow God’s example by forgiving others.
The Father’s Guidance - God wants us to go into the world to share His kingdom. But we should not be of the world and succumb to its temptations. We should pray for God to guide us in our interactions with the world as we seek to join in His mission.
The Father’s Protection - We are in a spiritual battle, and the enemy wants to lead us astray from what God wants us to do. We can pray that God would protect us from temptation and spiritual warfare as we are doing His mission here on earth.
