Deeper Prayer Life A Sermon Series on Prayer

Praying Through The Sermon on the Mount: Your Motive Must Be Pure Matthew 6:1-18

Doing something that God approves of does not automatically guarantee pleasing Him. A righteous deed done to obtain human applause is nowhere near honoring God. The quality of a righteous deed lies on its motive.

Jesus points this out using three most important Jewish religious pieties. He expects his disciples to continue to practice these righteous acts, but in the right manner and with the right motives.

“Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, TO BE SEEN BY THEM. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 6:1) Basic Principle

a matter between a person a matter between a person and God and God Righteousness in harmony with the will of in harmony with the will of God God pleases the Lord pleases the Lord

ALMSGIVING : Give in all Sincerity. (vv. 2-4)

1.Almsgiving: Give in all sincerity (vv. 2-4). “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.”

The hypocrites were not really giving. They were buying the praise of men by drawing attention to themselves. The hypocrites were not really giving. They were buying the praise of men by drawing attention to themselves. 1.Almsgiving: Give in all sincerity (vv. 2-4).

Almsgiving is one of the ways to help the needy and at the same time remind the rest that God is the source of all good gifts. This practice of generosity prevents greed in our hearts. Almsgiving is one of the ways to help the needy and at the same time remind the rest that God is the source of all good gifts. This practice of generosity prevents greed in our hearts. 1.Almsgiving: Give in all sincerity (vv. 2-4).

“But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Good Example: Good Example: Barnabas (Acts 4:34-37) 1.Almsgiving: Give in all sincerity (vv. 2-4). Bad Example: Bad Example: Ananias & Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11)

PRAYER : Pray in all Honesty. (vv. 5-15)

1.Prayer: Pray in all honesty (vv. 5-15). “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.”

The hypocrites were not really praying to God. They were performing self-worship by putting up a show of their piety. The hypocrites were not really praying to God. They were performing self-worship by putting up a show of their piety. 1.Prayer: Pray in all honesty (vv. 5-15).

“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.”

Jesus is not forbidding public prayer. But if we pray more in public than in private, it most likely indicates a sinful desire to obtain the praise of men. Jesus is not forbidding public prayer. But if we pray more in public than in private, it most likely indicates a sinful desire to obtain the praise of men. 1.Prayer: Pray in all honesty (vv. 5-15).

“It is wrong to pray in public if we are not in the habit of praying in private. Observers may think that we are practicing prayer when we are not, and this is hypocrisy.” (Warren Wiersbe) (“The Bible Exposition Commentary”)

1.Prayer: Pray in all honesty (vv. 5-15). “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.”

While length and repetition are not wrong per se (Luke 6:12; 18:1; Matthew 26:44), they do not make efficacious prayers. While length and repetition are not wrong per se (Luke 6:12; 18:1; Matthew 26:44), they do not make efficacious prayers. 1.Prayer: Pray in all honesty (vv. 5-15).

“All of us have one routine prayer in our system; and once we get rid of it, then we can really start to pray!” (Dr. Robert A. Cook)

Ritualized prayers Ritualized prayers 1.Prayer: Pray in all honesty (vv. 5-15). Prescribed prayers Prescribed prayers Long prayers Long prayers Meaningless repetitions Meaningless repetitions To be seen and heard by men To be seen and heard by men Perversion of Prayer

1.Prayer: Pray in all honesty (vv. 5-15). “The motive of sinful self-glory is the ultimate perversion of prayer. It robs prayer of its primary purpose—to glorify God (John 14:13).” (John MacArthur) (“Alone with God”)

“Father” “Father” 1.Prayer: Pray in all honesty (vv. 5-15). “Our” “Our” “Why do we still pray?” “Why do we still pray?” Notes on Prayer “Give us today” “Give us today” “Forgiving others” “Forgiving others”

1.Prayer: Pray in all honesty (vv. 5-15). “The important thing about prayer is not simply getting an answer, but being the kind of person whom God can trust with an answer.” (Warren Wiersbe) (“The Bible Exposition Commentary”)

FASTING : Fast in all Humility. (vv )

1.Fasting: Fast in all humility (vv ). “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.”

The hypocrites fasted to glorify their flesh instead of denying it by making sure people knew they were fasting. The hypocrites fasted to glorify their flesh instead of denying it by making sure people knew they were fasting. 1.Fasting: Fast in all humility (vv ).

“But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men 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.”

Fasting intends to force us to focus on God and not on ourselves. This is why it is almost always accompanied by cries of repentance. Fasting intends to force us to focus on God and not on ourselves. This is why it is almost always accompanied by cries of repentance. 1.Fasting: Fast in all humility (vv ).

“The most important part of a Christian’s life is the part that only God sees.” (Anonymous) 1.Fasting: Fast in all humility (vv ).

“Prayer's greatest achievement is not receiving our requests but releasing our wills. God's power is manifested when our wills are totally surrendered to Him.” 1.Fasting: Fast in all humility (vv ).