Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Matthew chapter 6. Matthew 6. You know, you can go to just
about any religious bookstore, buy you some how-to books on
a lot of religious subjects, And I would say probably prayer
is one of the most common books on how to pray and just books
and books and books. I heard Henry Mahan say one time,
he said, I read books on the subject of prayer till I was
just read out. And he said, you know, I didn't
know any more about praying when I was done reading all those
how-to books than when I started. Prayer is that which every believer
does. And in the words of Pastor Don
Fortner, Don told me one day, he said, Marvin, I don't know anything about prayer.
I don't know anything about it. And God's people pray. I want us to look, we've looked
at this passage before, of oh how safe it is for God's people
to look again at this precious subject of prayer. As there's
not a believer, in this room this morning that has not already
today prayed. What does the Lord have to say
about it? What does God have to say? And
again, I pray that the Lord will teach us something. If the Lord
doesn't teach us something about prayer, I'm going to tell you
what you're going to hear in the next, you know, few minutes.
Words. That's what you're going to hear.
You're going to hear words. But if this word comes, not in word
only, but in power and in the Holy Ghost, by the grace of God,
we may walk out of this building today and say, you know what?
I think the Lord taught me something. I pray so. Prayer is the evidence of grace. that has been shown from the
Lord to His people. Prayer. What is that? Well, I can tell you this. It's
just the outpouring of the heart of the believer to the Lord. A believer wants to talk to the
Lord. I want to pray. I want to. I
want to pray. I want to commune with the Lord.
I want to fellowship with the Lord. Now, I'd like for us just
to consider, listen, what does the Lord have to say? Verse 5,
Matthew 6, 5, And when thou prayest. And when thou prayest. Not if you pray, but when you
pray. Prayer is as natural to a regenerated
heart as breathing is. We just breathe. We don't even think about it.
We just breathe. Prayer is the drawing near to
the one who has eternally loved and cared for his own. There's many times I don't even
know what to say. Just a thought, a thought. A believer goes through the day
aware of the presence of God. A believer, everything about
a believer, everything in the life of a believer is geared
around fellowship with the Lord. And you don't, you say, what
do you say? A lot of times you don't even
say anything. It was Tom Harding that told me, he said, Marvin,
I think, he said, truly, he said, the most prayer that we do is
never realized. I said, you may be right, Tom.
When thou prayest. Here's what the Lord said. Thou shalt not be as the hypocrites
are, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the
corners of the streets that they may be seen of men. Verily I
say unto you, they have their reward." Now what did he say? Don't pray to be seen or heard
of men. I know we began just a few minutes
ago, Brother Mitch and some of you other men, you come up here
once a week You read the scriptures and then you lead in prayer.
And here we are praying, praying outwardly. Public prayer to me
is a very trying thing. How hard is it? How easy is it
for you to absolutely alienate the very thought that anyone
else is listening? You men that are called upon
to publicly pray. How easy is it for you to just
put it out of your mind? It's just me and the Lord. Nobody
else is listening. You can't do it. You cannot do
it. There's a struggle that goes
on. Because let me tell you what
the natural inclination is. Now I want to sound as consistent
as I can. I want to have a nice flow to
this. Am I telling you the truth? I
want everybody to hear this prayer. And I want them to say, that
was good. Well, you did a good job. Now, there's a struggle
that's going on. And the Lord said, and when thou
prayest... Now, the hypocrites, they love
to stand in synagogues and to be seen of men. And I'm telling
you, every believer knows what I'm talking about, that is called
upon to pray publicly. I mean, it's a struggle. Because
here's what the Lord says, they do it to be seen to men. He said,
Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. In another state, there's a huge
church that I know of. I mean, I know this for a fact.
There's a huge church and they brag on the fact that they've
had 24 hour a day Seven days a week, 365 days a
year, 24 hours, all the time, all the time, all the time. Uninterrupted
prayer at this church right here. Years and years and years. All you got to do is, here's
a sign-up sheet, and here's the times. You pick the time. You know, 24 hours a day. What
do you want? You want 3 in the morning? You
want 1, 1.30 to 2.30? You come over here and sign up
and write your name on here. I'm going to be here at this
certain time, here at this church, in that room on my knees, praying
to God. And everybody can come by and look
and see. Boy, they're going to be here from 2 to 3 in the morning.
You have your reward. All that is is pride and arrogance
and disobedience. Disobedience, that's what it
is. Bragging on how spiritual you are. And I'll tell you this,
the more early in the morning it is, obviously the more spiritual
you are. Because you pick that time, when
everybody else, you know, will be a sluggard and sleep. When thou prayest, don't be as
the hypocrites are. Verse 6, But thou, when thou
prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut the door,
pray to thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father which
seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. We're commanded
in the book of 1 Thessalonians 5.17 to pray without ceasing,
without intermission. That is, there is no time when
it's not appropriate to pray. That's what it's saying. You'd
be driving down the road, going to work, you can be at work,
you can be... I'd be right now, crying out
to the Lord, Lord help me right here, help me. I need, I need
Lord, I need Thee every hour. And you don't know anything about
it. And what I've done is entered into my closet, into a place
of seclusion, not necessarily walking into a certain building
or something. That's fine. I would encourage
you to get somewhere by yourself when you can and find a place
that's probably consistent every day. It would probably be the
best. You know, if you don't make a
time, it's very easy to not have time. But when you pray, enter
into that closet and speak to your Father in secret. Talk to Him. Tell Him what the
Lord has put on your heart. Even in public prayer, this is
the rule. May the Lord help us to guard
against the interruption of communion with Him. But, verse 7, when
you pray, use not vain repetitions as the heathen do, for they think
that they shall be heard for their much speaking. When you pray, don't use vain
repetitions. For me, I can tell you this. Pretty much most of the time
when I'm praying, I'm going to pray consistently the same things. As I've told you before, I want
to pray. I want to pray for every one
of you. And the only way I can do it
is I can go down the aisle in my mind, and I know where you're
sitting, and calling your name before the Lord. Lord, help me
not to make that a vain repetition, just going through the motions,
Lord, let me truly be praying for the people. And Lord, would
you put it upon their hearts to pray for me? But vain repetition. What is that? Just repeating
the same religious things over and over and over again, heartlessly. I know there's vain repetition,
just prayers, saying your prayers. You know exactly what I'm doing
here. Just counting how many beads. How many beads. That's vain repetition.
Over and over and over again. Heartlessly. Don't use vain repetition. Verse 8. Be not ye therefore
like unto them. For your father knoweth what
needs ye have need of before ye ask him. Mr. Spurgeon said this prayer is
not meant for the Lord's information. The question is not put to you
that you may instruct Him, but that He may instruct you. The
Lord knoweth. what things you have need of,
before you ask. And every believer wants to talk
to the Lord concerning those things that are burdening him.
But before you ever ask, he knows. Lord, help me to ask right. But then the Lord gives instruction. He's told us what not to do.
But then he's going to give us some instruction concerning the
way, the heart, the attitude, the pattern of prayer. In verse 9, he says this, After
this manner, therefore pray ye. Do you know that there's no record
that the disciples ever prayed exactly this prayer? It's recorded
again, but it's not recorded exactly this way. that this was
not a prayer that was given that was to be repeated over and over
and over again. He said this, after this manner,
in this spirit, in this spirit, therefore pray ye, our Father,
which art in heaven, true prayer, is made with the spirit of remembrance
of adoption, our Father. Whenever we pray unto our Father,
when we say our Father, now I'm going to just make sure everybody
understands, God Almighty is God of all men concerning creation. There's no doubt about that.
All souls are mine, saith the Lord. All souls are mine. Who made us? The Lord did. We're
His by creation, but not in adoption. We're not all sons and daughters
by adoption. Almighty God has set forth that
He has chosen a people. Look at Ephesians 1, just so
we can understand this. Ephesians chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1. Verse 3 to 5, "...Blessed be
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed
us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ,
according as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before
Him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children
by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will."
Now, whenever God's people pray, They pray in this manner, speaking
unto Him who is our Father, by adoption, predestinated us unto
the adoption of children. When God's people pray, they
pray unto Him who is their Father, and we are His child, heirs of
God, joint heirs with Christ. And we are, in Christ, sons of
God, our Father. When my kids call me, or I call
them, I'm going to tell you this, I'm talking to my children. I don't care how old they are,
they're still my kids. Carl, your kids are your kids,
they're your kids. I believe those are your kids.
And when you talk to them, you're talking to them out of love and
respect and desire for their good. There's a special interest
when the Lord's people call upon Him. Our Father, Lord, I am Yours. I'm Yours by creation, but I'm
Yours by adoption. Adopted in Christ Jesus. Chosen to be Your Son. First John 3, verse 1, Behold
what manner of love, behold what quality of love, what sort of
love, behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon
us that we should be called, that is, receive the name. My mama and daddy named me Marvin. That's what they called me. I
received a name. That's what that means. that
we should be called the sons of God. God's people, children,
in electing, predestinating, adopting grace, who continually
say in their heart, like that prodigal, I will arise and go
to my Father. If anybody will receive one such
as I, My father will. Yeah, but you don't know what
I've done. My dad will receive me. I'll cast myself upon his
mercy. And I'll say, Father, I've sinned
before heaven. I've done it in your sight. I'm not even worthy. And I know
what the Father said, and you do too. You pray in a manner
that is reverential to Him who is in heaven. Our Father which
art in heaven. Heaven that cannot contain Him.
Heaven. And here we are, earthy. He's
exalted and we're abased. He's high and lifted up and we're
dust. And when you pray, He said, pray asking the Holy Spirit. To bring back to our memory this
thought. You are holy. After this manner, pray our Father
which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. We adore you upon
the throne, praying that your name be hallowed. This is what
I would truly desire. I think I do. I think I desire
this. I want the name of the Lord to
be acknowledged in this place as holy. Holy. Holy on earth? Yes, as it is in heaven. We desire
that the holiness of God. You know when the seraphims in
Isaiah 6 stood above the throne and they cried one to another,
holy, holy, holy. You know what they were saying?
Sacred, sacred, sacred. Separated, separated, separated. The Lord is holy. The whole earth is full of His
glory. We preach the holiness of God. What does that mean? He's separated. There's none like Him. His ways
are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts.
How is He? As He says He is. That's how
He is. That's Him. He's holy. Our Lord instructed
His disciples. He said, you pray in a manner
this way. You approach the Father as your
Father in adopting grace. You come to Him as a child, as
His child, in His holiness. We admit our frailty. We speak
with a heart of adoration to the Lord. And He said, and when
you pray, that being instructed by the Lord, He said, let's pray
that desires God's will to be done in the calling out of His
sheep. Verse 10, it says this, Thy kingdom
come. Thy will be done in earth as
it is in heaven. You know how easy it is to start
praying for something because that's what we want. That's what
I want. But to be able to pray with a
heart that says, Lord, if my foolish desire is not your
will, this is what I want. I want your will to be done.
I want your will. I want God to save my kids. I
want God to save my grandkids. I want God to save my family. But you know what I want? I want
His will to be done, because that's what's going to be done. Thy kingdom come. The Lord has
a kingdom. God Almighty has a kingdom. Who are they? It's His elect. It's the church. It's the bride. It's His people. And when we
pray, here's what we're praying. You be praying in a manner that
is consistent with the will of God. Here's what the Lord said. You know, one of my favorite
verses, John 6, 37. All that the Father giveth me.
Who is that? That's all that the Father has
given Him. That's who it is. What's going
to happen to them? They shall come to me. That's
what the Lord said. They shall come to me. Possibility
of any of them being lost? No. Nope. They shall come to
me. And him that cometh to me, I
will in no wise cast out." How are they going to come? God's
going to get them under the sound of the gospel of God's free and
sovereign grace. That's what He's going to bless.
That's what the Spirit of God's going to bless. Is He going to bless
a message that doesn't honor God's sovereignty, God's electing,
redeeming, and regenerating grace? Is He going to honor a message
that gives man any honor, glory, or praise? Is He going to bless
that? No. How do you know? Go back and
read Galatians 1.8. If we are an angel from heaven
who preaches any other gospel besides the gospel that we preached
unto you, let him be accursed. Let God put him in hell. That's
what he said. He calls the people of his choosing
by the gospel. That's how he calls them. Lord,
I pray, Thy will be done. Thy kingdom come. I pray, Lord,
you save your people. I tell you this, that's going
to be a prayer that God's going to answer. Thy will be done. And then he says in verse 11,
as we pray as hungry beggars, standing at the door of God's
mercy, waiting on His gracious hand, here's what you pray. Give
us this day our daily bread. I need to eat today. Now I've
already eaten. But you know what? I'm going
to probably have to eat again. But do you know what I need the
Lord to do for me? I need for Him to feed me. But let me ask you this. Does
the Lord know that I have need of all these things? He said
He did. He said He knew that. But do
you know what we're commanded to do? You ask Him. You ask Him. But there's a need that is far
greater than my physical hunger. I need that which is evidenced
in regenerating grace. I need to eat of the bread of
life Himself. I need to eat of Christ. Do you
realize the glorious privilege, or grace, or blessing, whatever
we want to say, of just being able to sit under the sound of
the gospel and hear. And then for Almighty God to
give you a heart to want to be here, that you want to be here,
that you need to be here, I need to hear one more time. You tell
me one more time because I know just enough about myself to tell
you this. I know. I'm Peter. I'm Peter. Believe me. Believe
me when I tell you. I know just enough about myself
to tell you this. I'd be gone. That he would give
me a heart to want to eat by faith of the bread of heaven
Himself, and to, by the grace of God, enjoy the hearing of
the gospel again. Tell me how He's put away my
guilt. Tell me how He's not going to leave me. Tell me how, even
though I see myself all the time in my mind, things that you never
know, I thought, that He won't leave me. Lord, Give us this
day our daily bread. I need to eat today by faith. And then in verse 12 concerning
prayer. Pray in a manner that acknowledges
us to be sinners. Sinners that need forgiveness
and who desire to forgive others. Sinners dependent upon Him and
in treating Him for mercy. Pray as a sinner. that needs
forgiveness and a sinner that desires to forgive others and
forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Lord, forgive me and give me
a spirit of forgiveness. Lord, don't let me harbor anything. Lord, if you harbored anything
against me, what chance do I have? There's enough to harbor against
me. Lord, have mercy. And when you pray, pray as those
that long to persevere in the faith. Long to be kept by the
power of Almighty God. Listen, lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Lord, don't let me fall. The sinner who's truly been redeemed
by grace, regenerated by God's Spirit, forgiven for Christ's
sake, let me tell you, he's anxious not to offend God. I don't want
to. I don't want to. And I know,
I know, I know, just my attitude. I don't have to say it, I already
thought it. Lord, deliver me from the evil. And finally, he
who's been taught of God to pray, he prays with a desire for the
Lord's honor and glory and praise. That's, you know, for thine,
verse 10, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, verse,
13, latter part, for thine is the
kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Lord, you have all dominion.
Lord, you reign in creation. You reign in providence. You
reign in salvation. Unto you is all honor due. That's what he said. Thine is
the kingdom. Lord, they're your people. Thine
is the power. Lord, You're able. And Thine
is the glory. I don't deserve any of it. What
do I have to boast in? And then He taught them something
in this last word. I save that last word for right
now. Amen. You know, we We end a prayer,
and that's how we end it. We end a prayer with Amen. It's
just like you say, well that's just a closing. No. It's not
just a closing. Amen is actually the name of
the Lord. Amen. Revelation 3.14, unto the
angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, These things saith the
Amen. The faithful and true witness,
the beginning of the creation of God. He said, when you pray,
you pray in this manner, and when you conclude it, you remember
this, It's all by the grace of God for Christ's sake. The Amen
Himself. Let us say, as the disciples,
Lord, teach us to pray. Pray after this manner. Pray
seeking God's glory, and the Lord's honor, and our good. And Lord, keep us for Christ's
sake. You who are the Amen. Alright,
Gary.