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@ The Bitcoin Church
2024-04-08 22:16:18Welcome to Refinery Life Australia.
The theme for the coming Sunday mornings is The Master’s Recipe for effective Praying.
Today we are talking about Our Father.
Matthew 6:9 NKJV
9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
Scripture Reading
Matthew 6:1-15 NKJV
Do Good to Please God
1 “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2 Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.
The Model Prayer
5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
If we are to come boldly to the throne of grace to receive help in our time of need, we must know who sits on the throne.
We must know who God is, and we must know what kind of person He is.
We can learn a lot by considering our Lord’s most basic instruction on prayer.
What we have commonly called the Lord’s Prayer contains some of the most profound thoughts on prayer found in all the Bible.
Every word of this model prayer is important.
The prayer was given again in Luke’s gospel in response to a specific request from the disciples concerning prayer.
They felt their in adequacy in prayer and wanted Jesus’s aid.
He responded by giving this beautiful pattern to follow.
How are we to understand prayer?
It was not given to just as a prayer to God, even though it is useful for this.
All of us have experienced some beautiful moments with God as we are out of these words to him.
This prayer is meant to be an outline for prayer.
It is to guide us in our prayers as an outline guides the speaker in his delivery. The prayer presents two major concerns that we must present to the Father.
The first three petitions are concerned with the glory of God, His name, His kingdom, and His will.
Blast for our concerned with our needs. This should always be the order of our concern when we come to present ourselves to the Father in prayer.
First, we will gather from the light it gives about the God to him we pray.
He is to be addressed, according to our Lord Jesus, as “Our Father which art in heaven.”
We must know that God is our Father.
There are a few scattered references to God as Father in the old Testament, but it was Jesus, our Lord, who really gave meaning to this address.
Jesus came from the bosom of the Father, speaking of God as Father in very personal terms.
What are we admitting or affirming when we address God in prayer as “our heavenly father?”
Firstly the resourcefulness of God.
This address is an acknowledgement of the resourcefulness of God.
The root of this word translated Father includes the idea of originator.
It points to a source, of course, a point of origin.
God is the source.
The God who is the source of our physical life is also the God of all mercy and grace.
As such, He is the source of our eternal life.
The relationship we have with Him is at His initiative.
He is the originator of the relationship.
Every address of God as Father by a person in worship should be acknowledgement of this.
It is an affirmation that the relationship that each of us has with Him is His work, His creation.
Secondly the responsibility of God.
This address also indicates that since God is our heavenly Father, He is the one who was responsible for us.
None of us would've dared to push off onto God this responsibility, but fortunately He Himself made it so.
Since God has revealed Himself as the one who accepts responsibility for us, it is not presumptuous for us to bring our joys and I needs to Him.
This is exactly what he expects and even encourages.
Thirdly the responsiveness of God.
A third thing suggested by this title of God is responsiveness.
To address God as Father is to affirm that He is the responsive God of love who we know him to be.
Do you remember that helpful word about the Father that Jesus gave?
He assured Thomas in John 14:9 that “He that has seen me has seen the Father.”
It is safe to assume that God is just as responsive to our needs as Jesus was to need wherever he met it.
If you read the Gospels with discernment, you'll be reassured that Jesus was always accessible and responsive.
- We must know that God is our Father in heaven.
The phrase that our Lord added to “Our Father” is significant.
It reveals some things about the God to whom we pray, things that we need to know if we are going to pray confidently.
The first thing we need to know is His position.
First, Jesus’ saying that our Father in heaven is surely an affirmation that God is separate from earthly father's and personalities.
Some people mistakingly approach deceased human beings in prayer.
They select great saints of the past and address prayers to them.
This is absolutely a mistake.
There is no need to come to some mere mortal, a deceased one at that, when you can come before the living God Himself.
Furthermore, it separates Him from all living fathers.
He is the one in heaven in contrast to all of those on earth.
Prayer is not to be addressed to our physical or spiritual fathers.
Secondly, related to this is the information that God is sovereign.
The heavens were understood to be the very seat of God.
God is seen as the ruler over all things.
All things are under His control.
So, to approach God as the heavenly Father is to approach the One who has the right to do whatever pleases Him.
There is no other one in all the universe who has this kind of authority.
The third thing we need to understand is His power.
“Our Father which art in heaven” addresses God as the one who has the power to do whatever needs to be done.
“Father” would indicate that He would want to do it, but His position indicates that he has the power to do it.
Some of the titles with which people approach God today fail to acknowledge this.
Some refer to Him as the man upstairs.
This is not the same thing as saying, our Father which art in heaven.
The apostle Paul surely caught hold of this truth.
He affirmed in a prayer, “Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory, for ever and ever, amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)
When you address God as “Our Father which art in heaven,” this is what you are acknowledging.
Conclusion.
Your prayer life will grow as your knowledge of God grows.
Prayer has no meaning apart from this personal knowledge of him.
The great essential in a growing knowledge of God is fellowship with Him.
One of the greatest means of fellowship with God is prayer if you want to hear his voice you need to talk to him.
Do you see where this leads?
If you want to become more effective, bolder, and more confident in your prayer life, then pray more.
The more you pray, the better you will know the God who answers prayer and the more your position in His family will mean to you.
The more He means to you, the more you will enjoy the experience of prayer.
This will be true for all of eternity.
So let's go and pray!
Until next time
Stay in the Blessings
I really want to encourage you to be diligent with your Bible study time, because God has so much more for us than we can get from just going to church once or twice a week and hearing someone else talk about the Word.
When you spend time with God, your life will change in amazing ways, because God is a Redeemer. Theres nothing thats too hard for Him, and He can make you whole, spirit, soul and body!
You’re important to God, and you’re important to us at The Refinery.
When it comes to prayer, we believe that God wants to meet your needs and reveal His promises to you.
So whatever you’re concerned about and need prayer for we want to be here for you! Or even if you just want to say Hi, you can contact us at www.refinerylife.org
2024 IS A YEAR OF DECISIONS AND OPEN DOORS
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