Prayer Teachings

Matthew 6:5-13

Hypocrites Pray to Impress Others

"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Don't Treat God Like a Divine Vending Machine

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

"This, then, is how you should pray:

Praise & Submission

Acknowledge His Position
    "‘Our Father in heaven,
Acknowledge His Holiness -
His contempt of the presense of sin
    hallowed be your name,

Acknowledge His Lordship (It's a kingdom, not a democracy)
        your kingdom come,
        your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Supplication

Ask for necessary provisions
    Give us today our daily bread.
Deal with Sin
    Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
    And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. ‘

Prepare Your Hearts to Pray

Develop Humility

Isaiah 66:2
This is the one I esteem:
        he who is humble
        and contrite (broken, teachable) in spirit,
        and trembles at my word

Repent

Isaiah 59:1-4 "Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters wicked things. No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case with integrity. They rely on empty arguments and speak lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil."

Isaiah 1:15-17 When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood; wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right!

Stop Cherishing Sin

Ps 66:18 "If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened"

Restrain Your Sinful Nature

Jer 14:10-12 This is what the LORD says about this people: "They greatly love to wander; they do not restrain their feet. So the LORD does not accept them; he will now remember their wickedness and punish them for their sins." Then the LORD said to me, "Do not pray for the well-being of this people. Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry; though they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Instead, I will destroy them with the sword, famine and plague."

Evaluate Your Motives in Praying

"When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." James 4:3

Pray in Faith

Mt 21:22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.

James 1:5-7 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord;

God Wants Us to Ask

Mt 7::7,8 Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Pray - Abiding in the Word

John 15:7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.

God Wants Us to Experience Joy at Answered Prayers

Joh 16:24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

The Berean Christian Bible Study Resources