Prayer Matthew 6. 5-18

Yet I pray! Prayer?? I don’t find prayer easy! I don’t understand prayer! Yet I pray!

So I pray! Prayer!!! Jesus tells me to pray! The Bible tells me to pray! God uses prayer to draw me close.. So I pray!

The Lord’s prayer: How? What? How?

5 “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 others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 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.

16 “When you fast, do not look sombre as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

How? Sincerely! The Lord’s prayer: when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen What? Sincerely! How? Vv 5-6, 16-18

How? Sincerely! The Lord’s prayer: so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen What? Sincerely! How? Vv 5-6, 16-18

How? No nagging! The Lord’s prayer: 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. What? How? No nagging! Vv 7-8

The Lord’s Prayer- What? It helps us know how to approach God: Our Father In heaven tension!

The Lord’s Prayer- What? 2. It helps us know what to ask for: Daily needs Promised already tension!

The Lord’s Prayer- What? 3. It helps us deal with our weaknesses

3. It helps us deal with our weaknesses And forgive us our debts,     as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation,     but deliver us from the evil one. 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

The Lord’s Prayer- What? 3. It helps us deal with our weaknesses: Trespasses, debts and sins!

You do owe me, but I’m letting you off! Onesimus and Philemon You do owe me, but I’m letting you off!

The Lord’s Prayer- What? 3. It helps us deal with our weaknesses: Trespasses, debts and sins! We cannot stop ourselves!

The Lord’s Prayer- What? 3. It helps us deal with our weaknesses: Trespasses, debts and sins! We cannot stop ourselves! Forgive as we are forgiven!

The Lord’s prayer teaches us to pray.. Sincerely! Daily needs Approach God Our weaknesses No nagging!

Questions we need to answer….. Are we really sincere ? Do we try to nag God? Is he the Lord God Almighty, and our Father? Do we rely on him for what we know he knows we need? Do we recognise our weaknesses and our broken relationship? Do we seek God’s help to live out what we believe?

24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”