How Not to Pray

Mt. 6:5-13

Jesus’ first instruction in teaching us how to pray was telling us how NOT to pray. 

Sometimes in order to learn something we must unlearn some of the baggage we

are already carrying.  Everyone has their own habits in prayer, and we feel

comfortable with our own way.  But let’s be open to Jesus’ way.

"The proper way for man to pray," said Deacon Lemuel Keyes;

"The only proper attitude is down upon his knees."
"Nay, I should say the way to pray," said Reverend Doctor Wise,

"Is standing straight with outstretched arms with rapt and upturned eyes."
"Oh, no, no, no," said Elder Snow, "such posture is too proud."

A man should pray with eyes fast-closed and head contritely bowed."
"It seems to me his hands should be austerely clasped in front.

With both thumbs pointing to the ground," said Reverend Doctor Blunt.
"Last year I fell in Hodgkin's well headfirst," said Cyril Brown.

"With both my heels a-stickin' up, my head a-pointing' down;

And I done prayed right then and there; best prayer I ever said,

The prayin'est prayer I ever prayed, a-standin' on my head."

In Luke 11:1 the disciples ask Jesus to teach them how to pray…

but His answer first of all is how not to…

Don’t pray:

Hazy— v. 7…“vain repetitions”=unclear, vague, in general,

for things you don’t really even care about…

rather clear, specific, with a purpose.

“Now, dear heavenly Father, we ask your blessing, dear heavenly Father,

and dear heavenly Father, we invite you to be with us, dear

heavenly Father, for after all, your are…our dear heavenly Father!”

Eccles. 5:2

    Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to

utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou

upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

[not wordy, v. 8]

When thou prayest, rather let thy heart be without words than thy words without heart.

John Bunyon

Crazy—not for show like Pharisees…but in private/secret.

Ill—iceberg:  9/10^th’s below the surface.

v. 5  hypocrites think “why would I pray if no one hears me?”

Indeed!  But it’s God that we want to hear us, not others.

[impress a girl / be selected as a deacon]

“Closet”  How will anyone know you are a person of prayer if

it’s always hidden away?  I think they’ll know.  [shall reward

thee openly]

Be conversational, doesn’t have to be in Old English [whithersoever

From henceforward, nevertheless for a recompense]

Not disrespectful, w/ reverence, not talking to

someone present in the room, but to God!  Be real, not

“super-christian.” 

Thoughtful:

        Make sure it’s Biblical before you pray it.

“I pray I get that job/she loves me…”

Ask God how you should pray…

In “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich”…

He endures all the horrors of a Soviet prison camp.

One day he is praying with his eyes closed when a fellow

prisoner notices him and says with ridicule, "Prayers

won't help you get out of here any faster." Opening his

eyes, Ivan answers, "I do not pray to get out of prison

but to do the will of God."

If the request is wrong, God says, "No."
If the timing is wrong, God says, "Slow."
If you are wrong, God says, "Grow."
But if the request is right, the timing is right and you are right, God says, "Go!"

Bill Hybels

Selfish prayers:  James 4:2-3

Ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 Ye ask, and receive not,

 because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

When we pray, we should remember:

1. The love of God that wants the best for us.
2. The wisdom of God that knows what is best for us.
3. The power of God that can accomplish it.

Lazy—there’s discipline involved…it’s work

be alert, awake, talking to a real person, out loud,

not dozing, daydreaming, drifting, planning day,

you’re not at work yet, focus, prayer is work!

        If you can’t do it in the AM, do it on break, or at home

later, before bed…but do it w/ out ceasing all the time!

        Have a “closet”.

Be ready to put “feet” to your prayers…

Pray as if everything depends on God, then work

as if everything depends on you.

“I’d rather be able to pray than be a great

preacher…Jesus never taught his disciples

how to preach, only how to pray”  Moody

v. 8  If God already knows what we need, then why ask Him?

Dependence.

There’s only one way Satan is afraid of you:  that you’ll pray.