Teaching about Prayer and Fasting
5 “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. 7 When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!” Matthew 6:5-8 NLT
Instead of long, loud, and fancy, the prayers that move God’s heart are simple, authentic, and heartfelt.
JESUS GAVE US A MODEL PRAYER, THE LORD’S PRAYER.
9 Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10 May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today the food we need, 12 and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. 13 And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. Matthew 6:9-13 NLT
IT’S A PATTERN, NOT A CHANT – The different parts of the Lord’s Prayer are meant to teach us something about God, prayer, and about our need.
14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins”. Matthew 6:14-15 NLT
JESUS MAKES IT CLEAR IF WE WANT TO BE FORGIVEN, WE HAVE TO FORGIVE OTHERS WHO SIN AGAINST US.
16 “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. 17 But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. 18 Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” Matthew 6:16-18 NLT
Fasting: Denying self of the natural to experience the supernatural; abstaining with a spiritual goal in mind.
- Jesus expected His followers would regularly fast.
- Jesus expected His followers would regularly pray.
14 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Hebrews 4:14-16 NLT
PRAYING DANGEROUS PRAYERS
- GOD SEARCH ME.
- GOD BREAK ME.
- GOD SEND ME.
David’s prayer in Psalm 139…
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Psalm 139:23-24 NLT
Search Me, O God, and know my heart…
9 “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? 10 But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.” Jeremiah 17:9-10 NLT
- It’s easy to pretend we are good at heart, but the Bible teaches us that our heart deceives us and is desperately wicked.
- That’s why we need Jesus to not only save us, but to transform us.
- Instead of simply asking God to do something for you, ask God to reveal something in you.
- Show me if I’m doing anything that offends you or hurts your heart.
- Ask God to reveal our fears.
- What we fear the most often reveals where we trust God the least.
Next Steps for me today…
- Search Me, O God and reveal my heart.
