H. Michael Brewer
Crescent Springs Presbyterian
July 18, 2004
JESUS’ GREATEST HITS: Pray Like This
Matthew 6:9-13
Of all the words of Jesus that we cherish in the Gospels, the words of the Lord’s Prayer are
certainly the most often memorized and the most frequently repeated. We read Matthew’s version of
that prayer this morning, but it is in the Gospel of Luke that we discover the context for this beloved
prayer. After Jesus returned from his prayers, one of the disciples said to him, “Teach us how to
pray. Other rabbis, like John the Baptist, teach prayers to their disciples. Do that for us. Teach us
how you want us to pray,” (Luke 11:1).
And then Jesus offered them the words we have enshrined as the Lord’s Prayer. Although there is
great value in praying this prayer as it has come down to us, I think it unlikely that Jesus intended us
to memorize those particular words and repeat them over and over. Jesus was offering a model
prayer, a prayer that could serve as a guideline for those who wanted to pray in a way pleasing to
God.
So today let’s treat the Lord’s Prayer as a guideline. Rather than sifting though it word by word,
let me lift up some of the lessons we learn from this prayer, lessons we can apply to our own prayers.
Lesson #1: When we pray as Jesus taught us, our prayers will give glory to God. “Our Father who
art in heaven, hallowed be thy name!” That’s where Jesus begins his prayer, with words that exalt and
magnify God. Those words are so familiar to us that we may miss their meaning. Let me tell you how
some contemporary translations render those words:
Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored. (NLT)
Your name is holy. (NLV)
Let your name be treated with reverence. (ESV)
Help us to honor your name. (CEV)
The holiness (or “set apartness”) of God, the reverence that is God’s due, the honor we owe our
Maker… This is the first emphasis in the Lord’s Prayer. To acknowledge that God dwells in heaven
is to confess that God is above all and rules over all.
There will certainly be occasions when we are too frightened or grief-stricken or desperate to
glorify God as we should, but as a general rule and a spiritual habit, praising God and confessing
God’s majesty and magnificence is an essential part of prayer. Why? Because our praise pleases
God. Ever wonder what you can give to the God who has everything? Our praise is the gift that
pleases God. The psalmist says, “I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify (God) with
thanksgiving. This will please the Lord more than an ox or a bull…” (Psalm 69:30-31 NRSV).
Sing a hymn. Read a psalm out loud or memorize some psalms to recite by heart in the car. Keep
a journal for thanksgiving and for answered prayers. Meditate on the power and mercy of God.
Intentionally look for God in the wonders of creation and the kindness of other people. As you pass
through your day, compliment God on the things that bring you pleasure and joy. Resolve that at
bedtime you will not close your eyes until you said thank you for some blessing received.
I’ll tell you a secret you may already know. Praising our Creator and Savior not only pleases God,
but it also brings pleasure and joy to us. Exalting God is what we were created for and nothing else
fulfills us in the same way.
Lesson #2: When we pray as Jesus taught us, our prayers will lead us to obedience. Prayer
without obedience is lifeless and hollow. “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done,” those are the
familiar words. One modern translation puts it in plain language: “Come and set up your kingdom, so
that everyone on earth will obey you, as you are obeyed in heaven,” (CEV).
To pray for the coming of God’s reign on earth is to put ourselves on the line, because if we really
want God’s will to be done in our world, at the very least we will make sure God’s will is being done
in our lives. To pray for God to accomplish what we are not willing to work for is simply hypocritical.
When the Israelites stood on the shore of the Red Sea with the Egyptian army closing in on them,
the people were crying out to God to save them. These prayers got more frantic and desperate as the
Egyptians got closer, until finally God said to Moses, “Why do you cry out to me? Tell the Israelites
to go forward,” (Exodus 14:15 NRSV). In other words, “Enough talking. Start walking!”
Praying for God to step in is a wonderful thing, but sometimes God waits to see if we’re willing to
step in.
Lesson #3: When we pray as Jesus taught us, our prayers will take this world seriously. Some
people think the goal of prayer is to escape from life, but Jesus taught that the purpose of prayer is to
invite God into everyday life so that we may live fully and abundantly.
When the Jewish spies met Rahab in the city of Jericho, Rahab confessed that her people had
heard about what God did to Pharaoh and how God had brought Israel across the divided sea. She
is accustomed to gods who lounge around in heaven and rarely intervene in earthly events. Rahab
agrees to help the Israelites because she is so impressed by this God who gets involved in human
affairs. In wonder, Rahab confesses, “The Lord your God is indeed God in heaven above and on
earth below,” (Joshua 2:11 NRSV).
Not just God up there, but God down here, too. Jesus knew that, so he encouraged his
followers to pray over the most ordinary matters. “Give us this day our daily bread.” In other words,
“What’s for supper, God?”
In Romans 12:1, Paul gives this advice to Christians: “Take your everyday, ordinary life—your
sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering,”
(The Message).
This world matters, this day is important. We are blessed by a God who wants to be at our side in
the nitty-gritty routine. How unfortunate that in our praying and in our living we so often act like we
are on our own down here, as if God is either indifferent or powerless. Nothing could be further from
the truth. Christian prayer doesn’t yank us out of the world; it looks for God in the world.
Lesson #4: When we pray as Jesus taught us, our hearts will turn toward our neighbors. There’s a
bit of doggerel that makes the point well enough.
We cannot pray the Lord's Prayer and even once say I.
We cannot pray the Lord's Prayer and even once say My.
Nor can we pray the Lord's Prayer and not pray for one another,
And when we ask for daily bread, we include both sister and brother.
For others are included in each and every plea,
From the beginning to the end of it, it does not once say Me.
Jesus taught us to include others in our prayers—our family, our fellow Christians, our friends, our
neighbors, our enemies. The notion of Jesus and me alone in the corner is not the prayer Jesus taught
nor the religion Jesus brought.
Lesson #5: When we pray as Jesus taught us, our prayers will teach us to trust God. The Lord’s
Prayer confesses God to be the one who feeds us, forgives us, and delivers us from evil. Prayer is
always an act of trust. We trust that God is listening. We trust that having heard our prayers, God will
act. Prayer expresses our trust that God cares about us and that God is in control.
If I have to rely entirely upon myself, then I won’t have time for prayer. Instead, I’ll make time for
a little more work, one more chore, one last errand, one extra phone call. Prayer requires a
willingness to leave something else undone because we believe God is more important. Christian
prayer stands on the conviction that ultimately our happiness, our security, our well-being, and our
destiny lie in God’s hands.
Lesson #6: One last lesson in this prayer is easily overlooked. When we pray as Jesus taught us,
we will pray every day. Jesus assumes that we will be as serious about daily prayer as we are about
daily eating.
Early African converts to Christianity were remarkably earnest in prayer. Each person had a
private prayer place in the brush. Over time the paths to these prayer spots became well worn. As a
result, if one of these believers began to neglect prayer, it was soon apparent to the others. They
would kindly remind the forgetful one, "Friend, the grass is growing on your path."
If you take away nothing else today, take this: A clear path to your prayer place means a clear
path between you and God. The only way to weed that path is on your knees, but it’s well worth the
effort!
Soli Deo Gloria!