PRAYER

G4336

προσεύχομαι

proseuchomai

pros-yoo'-khom-ahee

From G4314 and G2172; to pray to God, that is, supplicate, worship: - pray (X earnestly, for), make prayer.

INTRO: WE`VE BEEN PRAYING MORE THAN EVER BEFORE, TO GOD FOR HELP! AND YES

WE NEED HELP. WE ARE A NEEDY PEOPLE ARE WE NOT?

OUR SCRIPTURE READING TODAY IS: Matthew 6:5-34

Mat 6:5  And when thou prayest, 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. 

Mat 6:6  But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 

Mat 6:7  But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 

Mat 6:8  Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. 

Mat 6:9  After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 

Mat 6:10  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 

Mat 6:11  Give us this day our daily bread. 

Mat 6:12  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 

Mat 6:13  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. 

Mat 6:14  For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 

Mat 6:15  But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. 

Fasting

Mat 6:16  Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 

Mat 6:17  But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 

Mat 6:18  That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. 

Lay Up Treasures in Heaven

Mat 6:19  Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 

Mat 6:20  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 

Mat 6:21  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 

Mat 6:22  The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 

Mat 6:23  But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! 

Mat 6:24  No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 

Do Not Be Anxious

Mat 6:25  Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 

Mat 6:26  Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 

Mat 6:27  Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 

Mat 6:28  And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 

Mat 6:29  And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 

Mat 6:30  Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 

Mat 6:31  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 

Mat 6:32  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 

Mat 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 

Mat 6:34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. 

Paul the inspired writer wrote to the church at Thesalonica

1Th 5:17  Pray without ceasing. 

1Th 5:18  In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 

WE START THIS MORNING IN FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST, FIRSTLY WHAT HOPE CAN WE

HAVE WITHOUT FAITH. I SUBMIT TO YOU WE CAN HOPE IN TIME, AND CHANCE.

HEBREWS 11:1-3

Heb 11:1  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 

Heb 11:2  For by it the elders obtained a good report. 

Heb 11:3  Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. 

FAITH IS THE SUBSTANCE, THE SUBSTANCE IS THE PLATFORM THAT THINGS ARE BUILT

UPON.

I`LL ASK WHAT SUBSTANCE IS YOUR FAITH BUILT UPON? IS IT MONEY OR POSSESIONS, OR FUN, OR COMFORTABILITY, IS IT FOOD, OR DRINK?

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD WITHOUT FAITH.

Heb 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. 

THE POINT TODAY IS THAT WE HAVE TO SEEK GOD WITH PRAISE, AND THANKSGIVING,

AND IN BELIEF THAT HE IS THE ONE AND ONLY, THE MOST HIGH, THAT

CAN EXECUTE ANYTHING INTO FRUITION.

Mat 19:26  But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Mar 10:27  And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.

Luk 1:37  For with God nothing shall be impossible.

IF YOU DON`T BELIEVE THAT NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD, WE NEED TO LOOK

AT OUR WEAK FAITH, AND STUDY HIS WORD IN A MORE PERSISTANT WAY.

Mat 17:20  And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

BACKUP TO VERSE 14,15

Mat 17:14  And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, 

Mat 17:15  Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. 

THE MAN BROUGHT TO HIS DISCIPLES, THE DICIPLES COULD NOT CAST OUT THE DEVIL.

Mat 17:16  And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. 

Mat 17:17  Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. 

Mat 17:18  And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. 

Mat 17:19  Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? 

Mat 17:20  And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. 

Mat 17:21  Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. 

HOW ARE WE TO APPROACH GOD IN PRAYER?

1. WITH A HUMBLE HEART. HUMBLE YOURSELFS IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD.

Luk 14:11  For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Luk 18:14  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Php 2:8  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

2. IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH. PRAYER IS WORSHIP TO GOD.

Joh 4:22  Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 

Joh 4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 

Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 

3. WITHOUT HYPOCRISY.

hy·​poc·​ri·​sy | \ hi-ˈpä-krə-sē also hī- \

plural hypocrisies

Definition of hypocrisy

1: a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not : behavior that contradicts what one claims to believe or feel

His hypocrisy was finally revealed with the publication of his private letters.

especially : the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion

our conventional morality often serves as a cover for hypocrisy and selfishness

— Lucius Garvin

2: an act or instance of hypocrisy

a keen awareness of one's parents' hypocrisies

FALSE PREACHING, FALSE TEACHING, FALSE BRETHREN

A BEHAVIOR THAT CONTRADICTS THE TRUTH OF GOD`S WORD.

4. WITH A THOROUGH LOVE OF GOD.

Mat 22:37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 

5. IN FASTING.

Mat 17:21  Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. 

GOD HAS GIVEN US THE BLESSING AS A CHRISTIAN TO TALK TO HIM AND COMMUNE

WITH AND CAST ALL OUR CARES ON HIM

1Pe 5:7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 

We can pray to God in any posture:

WALKING

DRIVING

SITTING

STANDING

KNEELING

BEFORE BEDTIME

WHEN WE FIRST AWAKE

IN ALL WEATHER, RAIN, OR SUNSHINE

PRAY TO GOD FIRST IN EVERYTHING,PUT GOD FIRST IN EVERYTHING,GIVE GOD ALL

GLORY

FINALLY OUR DUTY IS TO FEAR GOD AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS. THAT IS ENCLUSIVE OF REFERENCE TO HIS WORD

THANKS FOR LISTENING.:)

IF YOU NEED THE PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH LET BE KNOWN.

HEAR

BELIEVE

REPENT

CONFESS

BE BAPTIZED (IMMERSED IN WATER)

LIVE FAITHFULLY