The Discipline of Prayer

Prayer is one of those paradoxical items in the spiritual life, in that it is amazingly simple yet mysteriously complex.  From the time we are little children we are taught how to pray and we often pray for those things that concern us.  But to pray God’s thoughts after Him, to persevere when we cannot see His answer, to know how to pray in any given situation and to pray expectantly, with faith, believing we have already received His answer (Mark 11:24) is another matter entirely.  To pray believing that God is able to work in any situation, no matter how desperate, is the kind of prayer that God desires yet is often so foreign to our experience.  Truly, no matter where we are in our walk with Jesus we need to learn to pray!

In Matthew 6:5-15 Jesus makes the following points.

 

1. Jesus warns us to not practice our piety before men as religious folks are often tempted to do. The fact that we pray, the length of our prayers, the words we choose and the objects of our prayers are to be our heart felt desires directed at God alone. Praying to impress others is hypocrisy and is soundly condemned. (Verses 5-6)

2. We are to avoid the temptation to ramble and keep our prayers short and to the point. The use of many words does not impress God, nor does it make our prayers more effective. (Verses 7-8)

3. When in doubt how, or what to pray, we can meditate upon the various petitions within the Lord’s Prayer and allow God’s Holy Spirit to direct our prayers. (Verses 9-13; and Romans 8:26)

 

From the other texts we learn:

 

• We go without because we fail to ask God
• We are to be persistent in prayer (praying for the same concerns)
• We are to pray without ceasing (always)
• We are to offer our prayers with thanksgiving
• We are to pray in faith, without any doubting
• We are to pray in accordance with God’s will
• Prayer is the answer for an anxious heart
• Prayer brings the peace of God, that surpasses human understanding, and will guard our hearts

“Of all the Spiritual Disciplines prayer is the most central because it ushers us into perpetual communion with Father.  Meditation introduces us to the inner life, fasting is an accompanying means, study transforms our minds, but it is the Discipline of prayer that brings us into the deepest and highest work of the human spirit…To pray is to change.  Prayer is the central avenue God uses to transform us.  If we are unwilling to change, we will abandon prayer as a noticeable characteristic of our lives…In prayer, real prayer, we begin to think God’s thoughts after him: to desire the things he desires, to love the things he loves, to will the things he wills” (Foster, Celebration of Discipline p. 33).

 

In his book, Celebration of Discipline, Foster also highlights the following:

 

1. Prayer is the deepest and highest work of the human spirit. There is nothing more important in life than to pray.

2. No matter where we are in our walk with God, we need to learn how to pray.

3. We need to pray with expectation, believing that God will answer.

4. Listening is as much, or more, a part of praying than talking.

5. Effective prayer focuses on the needs of others, and becomes even more effective when connected to a compassionate heart.

6. The imagination is a powerful tool in the work of prayer.

Our primary text for reflection comes from the Sermon on the Mount and it is Jesus teaching His disciples to pray.  The prayer that He gives them we know as the Lord’s prayer, or the Our Father.   It is likely many of us could recite it from memory but have we ever really studied this prayer of Jesus, let alone the meaning of each petition and its value as a model for a life of prayer.  In the next few paragraphs I want to break it down just a little bit and offer a few suggestions for your reflection.

 

As a reminder these instructions on how to pray are given in the context of a more extended teaching on what it means to be Christian and what one’s life should look like if they are living within the kingdom of God.  In the preceding verses Jesus has taught on love, forgiveness, sins of the heart and the high standards of life within the kingdom of God. 

 

In verse 1 of chapter 6 Jesus warns of practicing our righteousness before men and then in verse 5 of praying as the hypocrites do, standing on the street corners praying in order that they might be seen by men.  The example of the Gentiles is also to be avoided in that they thought they would be heard for their many words and meaningless repetitions.

 

The prayer begins with an invocation, “Our Father who art in heaven” and then has 3 petitions that are God focused, “Hallowed by Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as in heaven.”  These petitions are then followed by 3 (or 4) more petitions that focus on our needs, “Give us this day our daily bread”, “forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors”, “and lead us not into temptation,” “but deliver us from evil.”

 

 The benediction is not included in the most reliable manuscripts and may not have been a part of the original text.   The prayer directs our attention first to the holiness of God, the establishment of His kingdom and the fulfillment of His will and then moves to ask for meeting of our needs as His creatures.  The order is important because it takes our eyes off of ourselves and our situation and puts them back where they belong; on God, His purposes and His abilities.

 

Beginning in verse 9 Jesus says, “Pray, then in this way:”

 

Our Father, who art in heaven

 

We begin by recognizing God as our heavenly Father, a prayer of relationship that comes to us by virtue of our faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  We do not pray to an abstract or impersonal God but the Creator of the heavens and the earth who is also our Father.  As such He cares about our every need, is personally interested in every aspect of our lives and will always act in a way that is consistent with our best interests.  And His residence is in heaven, a place of majesty, authority and power.  It is recognition of our belonging but it rightfully goes only to those who have personal faith in Jesus.

 

Hallowed by Thy name

 

The word hallowed is one that may be confusing for us in that it is not a commonly used word today but it comes from the Greek word “hagios” which is to make holy.  Therefore when you pray “hallowed by Thy name” you are setting God apart in your thinking and feeling and treating Him with all the respect that is due His character.  It is a positive restatement of the second commandment that says that you shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.  The person that hallows God’s name lives in such a way that the essence of God’s nature is on display in how we act and talk and respond to life.

 

Thy kingdom come

 

In praying for the Lord’s kingdom to come we are praying first of all that God would reign in our lives as individuals.  That God would come and rule over us, and all creation.  We are asking that the rule of God would be over all the earth and that His plans and purposes would be fulfilled among us.  It is also to pray for Jesus return to earth and establish His rule and unhindered authority for all time and eternity.  We look forward to His coming again and establishing a new heaven and a new earth.

 

Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven

 

In this petition we are asking that God’s will would be done in our lives, that His revealed will in the Word of God would become our will and that His plan for our lives would be realized whatever the cost.  When we were saved by God’s gracious activity in our lives, we were also given gifts, talents and abilities that would enable us to accomplish the plans and purposes that God has for us.  Elmer Towns in his book, Praying the Lord’s Prayer for Spiritual Breakthrough suggests that we are praying at least four things when we pray this petition.

 

1. Help me find Thy plan
2. Help me understand Thy plan
3. Help me submit to Thy plan
4. Help me to accomplish Thy plan

It is at its heart a prayer of surrender to the will of God, it is a request that God’s will be done in your life.

 

Give us this day our daily bread

 

Virtually all the commentators that I looked at believe that the expression daily bread is symbolic for all our physical needs.  So when we pray for daily bread we are praying for food and clothing, shelter and all that is required to sustain our physical life.  I believe that we are also praying for physical health and all the resources necessary to fulfill God’s plan for our lives.  When we are living our God’s plan we can fully expect that He will provide all that is required to carry it out.

 

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors

 

In this petition we have one of the more troubling verses in all of Scripture in that we ask God to forgive us as we have forgiven others. These are comforting words if our heart is right toward others in our life but terrifying words if we harbor un-forgiveness, resentment or bitterness toward others.  The unwillingness, or inability, to forgive grieves the Holy Spirit and creates for us a prison of bitterness that will slowly but surely destroy us.  The key is to become willing to forgive immediately, completely any and all who have wronged us.  

 

And do not lead us into temptation

 

With this petition we are asking God to help us avoid temptation, to so enlighten our minds and strengthen our wills that we will make life choices that not only strengthen us in a time of temptation but will enable us to avoid those situations where we are tempted.  I believe that the Holy Spirit seeks to warn us long before we find ourselves in a situation where we do not have the strength to stand.  If we are tempted to sit in front of the TV and watch hours of worthless or questionable programming, the Holy Spirit may say get rid of cable or maybe the TV all together.

 

If the internet is a problem for you he Holy Spirit may say don’t use it unless your spouse or somebody else is nearby to keep you honest.  If debt is a problem and you tend to spend too much money on impulse purchases or needless trinkets, the Holy Spirit may say cut up your credit cards and develop a budget that will allow you to give to others and help meet the needs of the poor.

 

But deliver us from evil

 

Here we are confessing that we understand that we are locked in a spiritual battle with our old nature, the world system and the devil and his demons (angels).  We also recognize that we are not able to stand in our own abilities or power but it is God who enables us to stand in the face of supernatural enemies.  The enemy has a plan to destroy you that is tailor made for your life experience, strengths and weaknesses.  And rarely does he come in a full frontal attack but rather it is with half-truths, misapplied truths and deceptions of the mind that appeal to the flesh and seem right to the mind.  (Job 1:6-12; Luke 22:31-32; 1 Peter 5:8)

 

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

 

In this the benediction to the Lord’s Prayer, we acknowledge God as the King of kings and the Lord of lords, the one who not only hears our prayers but is able to do something about them.  We acknowledge that we want God to be king in our lives, that He is sovereign over all creation and that all praise and glory belong to Him forever and ever.  Amen.

 

Learning to Pray

 

1. Begin by reading through Matthew 6:1-15 and take note of any verses, words or expressions that jump out at you regarding your current experience of prayer.

2. Ask Jesus to teach you to pray and then slowly pray the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. Take note of what the Lord shows you and record for future reference and use.    

3. Meditate upon each of the petitions and ask the Lord for insight on how to apply them to your own life. Do you really desire to make God’s name holy in your life and sphere of influence? Have you fully surrendered to God’s will as revealed in the Bible? Are you harboring any un-forgiveness toward anyone? Are you obeying all of God’s directives in order to avoid temptation?

4. The Lord’s Prayer can serve as a model for our own prayer life as we gain more familiarity with each of the petitions and their meanings. If you haven’t already commit this prayer to memory in a translation of your choice then practice praying with each of the petitions as your guide.

 

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