Praying Properly

February 2, 2025 Background Scripture: Matthew 6:5 - 15 Lesson Passage: Matthew 6:5 - 15 The Gospel of Matthew records an occasion of Jesus teaching what has become known as the "Sermon on the Mount". The entire narrative comprises three chapters. Jesus discussed many different topics on that occasion. This occurred early in His ministry before He called the last eight disciples to follow Him. His popularity was growing rapidly throughout Galilee and Judea. As He taught and healed in those regions, multitudes began to follow Him. The scripture for today's lesson was taken from the Sermon on the Mount. In our lesson, Jesus addressed personal prayer. What He taught about prayer is commonly referred to as the Model Prayer. This is not a prayer to be prayed but rather the model to use when one prays. The Model Prayer does not emphasize specific words to use, as Jesus later demonstrated. The emphasis of the Model Prayer is how prayer should be offered and not what should be said. Sadly, even today some believe there are "magic" words to speak to get God to act on one's behalf. If that were the case, that would make us gods and He would be our humble servant. Submission to God is the posture we take while praying and not making demands of Him to satisfy our desires. Understanding this difference is the reason we need a Model Prayer. Jesus taught that we should approach God as His children seeking His guidance. He shared the proper way we should do this. He taught that words should be used that emphasize proper reverence and worship of God. God is our heavenly Father and He is holy. In addition to reverence and worship of God, the words in our prayers should be specific and concise. Prayer should not be our attempt to convince God to respond the way we desire. Prayer does not disclose new information to God; God is omniscient. He already knows everything, which includes our needs. The best examples for us can be found in the prayers that Jesus prayed that are recorded in the gospels. On the night He was betrayed, Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane as well as on His way to the garden. The latter we call an intercessory prayer; He was interceding for others in that prayer. Note that neither prayer uses the exact words of the Model Prayer. However, both prayers follow the pattern of the Model Prayer in their reverence for God and specific requests that were made. Jesus didn't just teach about prayer. The gospel accounts record that Jesus lived His earthly life as a person of prayer. He demonstrated it in the presence of His disciples. Jesus prayed at His baptism, before choosing His disciples, before He was transfigured, when He was happy, before He raised Lazarus from the dead, before He ate, before He suffered crucifixion, at the point of death during His crucifixion, and even now as our great High Priest at God's side. The disciples witnessed most of these during Jesus' earthly minist1Y and left the written record of it for our admonishment. None of Jesus' recorded prayers use the words of this Model Prayer; that's why I say the Model prayer does not emphasize the words to use. Sometimes Jesus prayed publicly but it is recorded that oftentimes He separated Himself from others and prayed alone. When Jesus prayed publicly, He showed reverence and worship of God as His heavenly Father. He talked with God as an obedient Son who was submissive to the will of His Father. Jesus was very specific in the requests He made to God. He prayed while expecting God to answer Him. Although He was specific in His requests, He submissively prayed that God's will would be done despite His own requests. Because of Jesus' teaching and examples, today we understand how to properly pray. Robert C. Hudson January 22, 2025