Biblical Prayer (part 4)

Have a blessed Sunday to all. I am now on the last part of this series. My prayer is that we improve in our prayer life because it is the air that we breath.

BIBLICAL PRAYER

Matthew 6:12-13

"Forgive us our sin"

Sin is a moral and spiritual debt to God that must be paid. Believers have experienced once-for-all God's judicial forgiveness, which they received the moment Christ was trusted as Savior. We are no longer condemned, no longer under judgment, no longer destined for hell. "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1) The eternal Judge has declared us pardoned, justified and righteous. No one, human or satanic, can condemn or bring any "charge against God's elect". "Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." (Romans 8:33-34) But because we still fall into sin, we frequently require God's gracious forgiveness, His forgiveness not now as judge but as father.

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"as we also forgive those who sin against us"

Jesus gives the prerequisite for receiving forgiveness in the words, as we also forgive those who sin against us". The principle is simple but sobering. If we have forgiven, we will be forgiven; if we have not forgiven, we will not be forgiven.

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"do not lead us into temptation"

Temptation has to do with testing or proving. It is not either good or evil. It derived the relative meanings of trials and temptation.

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God's holiness and goodness will not allow His leading anyone certainly not one of His children, into a place or experience in which they would purposely be induced to commit sin. "Let no one say when he is tempted, I am being tempted by God; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone." (James 1:13)

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"deliver us from evil"

Deliver is actually in the form of command. In a cursed world where we are battered by evil and all around us, we confess our inadequacy to deal with evil. We confess the weakness of our flesh and the absolute impotency of human resources to combat sin and rescue us from its clutches. Above all, we confess our need for the protection and deliverance of our loving heavenly Father.

NOTE: Praying for deliverance is the expression of the redeemed soul that so despises and fears sin that it wants to escape all prospects of falling into it, choosing to avoid rather than having to defeat temptation.

This series is from my hand-out notes during our six months Church Membership Class in LWCM , Banilad, Cebu, Philippines. The class was conducted by our Senior Pastor Mel Caparros.

Biblical Prayer (part 3)

Happy Easter to every one. I am happy that it is Sunday once again, and we are now on the part 3 of this Biblical Prayer. We are now down to the last 2 part of this series. I hope you will find this useful in your spiritual life.

PATTERN IN PRAYER

(first half part)

Matthew 6:9-11

"Our Father who art in heaven."

*God is Father only of those who come toHis family through His Son, Jesus Christ.

*Knowing God's fatherhood should settle the matter of selfishness. Jesus taught us to pray, "Our Father" using the plural pronoun because we are fellow children with all the rest of the household of God. There is no singular personal pronoun in the entire prayer. We pray holding up to God what is best for all, not just for one.

*Knowing God as our Father settles the matter of resources. He is our Father who is in heaven. All the resources of heaven are available to us when we trust God as our heavenly supplier.

"Hallowed be Thy name."

*At the beginning Jesus gives a warning against self-seeking prayer. God is to have priority in our prayers. To hallow God's name is to revere, honor, glorify and obey Him as singularity perfect.

"Thy Kingdom come."

*To pray "They kingdom come" is to pray for the program of the eternal Deity to be fulfilled, for Christ to come and reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. Therefore when we pray They kingdomg come, we are praying for God's rule through Christ's enthronement to come, His glorious reign on earth to begin.

*His program and His plan should be the preoccupation of our lives and of our prayers.

"Thy will be done."

*When we pray "They will be done", we are praying that His will prevail all over the earth as it does in heaven.

"Give us this day our daily bread."

*Bread not only represents food but is symbolic of all of our physical/basic needs. John Stott has observed that to Martin Luther, "everything necessary for the preservation of this life is bread, including food, a healthy body, good weather, house, home, wife, children, good government and peace."

NOTE: it is significant that the petitions come in the order they do: first, God's vindication; then, disciples' satisfaction.

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This series is from my hand-out notes during our six months Church Membership Class in LWCM , Banilad, Cebu, Philippines. The class was conducted by our Senior Pastor Mel Caparros.

Biblical Prayer (part 2)

I am happy that it is Sunday once again and can continue with these interesting series of Biblical Prayer. Having a healthy prayer life is very important in our lives. Prayer is my favorite Bible study topic. I hope you will find this post useful in your life.

ANSWERED PRAYERS - UNANSWERED PETITIONS

Not every petition is granted. Paul asked three times for deliverance from his "thorn in the flesh". God's answer to Paul directed him to find comfort in God's sufficient grace. Also God declared that His power is best seen in Paul's weakness. "Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." (2 Corinthians 12:8-9 NIV) God gave him problem to hinder his pride as Paul admitted that. He learned that petitions are sometimes denied in light of an eventual greater good: God's power displayed in Paul's humility.

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Faith is the condition for answered petitions. "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." (Mark 11:24 NIV) Two extremes must be avoided concerning faith.

(1) With Jesus' example in mind we must not thing that faith will always cause our wishes to be granted.

(2) Also we must not go through the motions of prayer without faith.

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Some believers do not received what they pray for because they pray from selfish motives. "You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." (James 4:2-3 NIV) Prayers are also hindered by corrupted character or injured relationship. "Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers." (1 Peter 3:7 NIV)

CONCLUSION: We need to check our heart before we make our petitions.

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This series is from my hand-out notes during our six months Church Membership Class in LWCM , Banilad, Cebu, Philippines. The class was conducted by our Senior Pastor Mel Caparros.

Biblical Prayer (part 1)

It has been awhile that the Successful Marriage series was over and I was not able to come up with a new one right away due to my previous health problem. Although this day had been a busy day for me because we have company in the house and as usual, it was Domino Time for all of us. By the time we're done, it was very late at night already, but I don't want to let this Sunday go again without starting a new Sermon Series; and today and for the next few Sundays to come, I will be sharing about;

BIBLICAL PRAYER

Prayer in the Bible involves the dialogue between God and people. Jesus' example and teaching inspires prayer. Mark emphasized that Jesus prayed in crucial moments. Jesus displayed a regular and intense prayer life. "After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone..." (Matthew 14:23 NIV) "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." (Mark 1:35 NIV) Jesus prayed for long period of time. "One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God." (Luke 6:12 NIV)

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Significantly, the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray after watching Him pray. "One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples." (Luke 11:1 NIV)

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Jesus also corrected some abuses and misunderstandings regarding prayer.

1. Prayer is not to be offered to impress others. Jesus did not reject group prayer, but his warning might apply to a believer who prays to impress a congregation. "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. 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." (Matthew 6:5-6 NIV)

2. Jesus also prohibited meaningless repetitious prayer. "And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words." (Matthew 6:7 NIV)

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Jesus taught persistence in prayer.

"Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.' Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs. So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Luke 11:5-28 NIV)

God is not like the reluctant neighbor, even though Christians may have to wait for answers. The ironies of prayer are evident: God knows our needs, yet we must ask; God is ready to answer, yet we must patiently persist. Children of the kingdom will have their request heard. "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." (Matthew 21:22 NIV)

CONCLUSION: Jesus prayed a lot. This should make us realized that all the more we need to pray, too. Prayer is our communication to God. It is acknowledging that we need Him.

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This series is from my hand-out notes during our six months Church Membership Class in LWCM , Banilad, Cebu, Philippines. The class was conducted by our Senior Pastor Mel Caparros.