All Hands on Deck: Praying Hands-Matt. 6:7-13

Johnny had been misbehaving and was sent to his room. After a while he emerged and informed his mother that he had thought it over and then said a prayer. "Fine", said the pleased mother. "If you ask God to help you not misbehave, He will help you." "Oh, I didn't ask Him to help me not misbehave," said Johnny. "I asked Him to help you put up with me." Does what we pray for really matter? Does how we pray make any difference? Last week we took a look at how integral corporate worship was to accomplishing the mission that God has given our church of knowing Christ, growing in Christ, and showing Christ to others. Today we are going to this new series “All Hands on Deck” by examining what is perhaps the most important biblically-prescribed component of the strategy for the mission to which God has us—prayer. You might say that last week we learned about the significance of meeting together; this week we will learn one of the most significant things we ought to be doing during those meetings. However, don’t take my word for it!

John Wesley said “Prayer is where the action is” because “God does nothing except in response to believing prayer.”

This is why S. D. Gordon suggested “The greatest thing anyone can do for God or man is pray” and why Chuck Smith concluded “the most important thing a born again Christian can do it to pray.”

And yet, in spite of this, J. Hudson Taylor argues “the prayer power has never been tried to its full capacity. If we want to see mighty wonders of divine power and grace wrought in the place of weakness, failure and disappointment, let us answer God’s standing challenge, ‘Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not!”

Andrew Murray believed that the man who mobilizes the Christian church to pray will make the greatest contribution to world evangelization in history.” Perhaps this is why, according to R. A. Torry, “When the devil sees a man or woman who really believes in prayer, who knows how to pray, and who really does pray, and, above all, when he sees a whole church on its face before God in prayer, he trembles as much as he ever did, for he knows that his day in that church or community is at an end”

Perhaps this is why, as Andrew Bonar comments, “The Prince of the power of the air seems to bend all the force of his attack against the spirit of prayer.” After all, Satan does not care how many people read about prayer it only he can keep them from praying.”

Is Satan winning the battle against prayer in your life? In this church? May it never be! “Prayer is the first thing, the second thing, the third thing necessary….Pray, then my dear brother; pray, pray, pray” (Edward Payson). “The true Church lives and moves and has its being in prayer” (Leonard Ravenhill).

If the church is the ship and Christ is the captain, then prayer is the all-important communication system between the control room and crew. Success in the mission to which we are called as crew members on the tumultuous sea of the this world is directly dependent on the quality of communication with our captain and His will for our vessel. Put another way, your capacity to be used in God’s kingdom building work and the capacity of this church to be used in the hands of God is directly dependent on the prayer life of its members.

So how do we do it?

Thankfully, the disciples of the New Testament asked a prayer expert this same question some 2000 years ago and Jesus’ answer was recorded for us in Matthew 6:7-15. Let’s turn there and look at two sets of instructions concerning prayer so that we might learn how to put our praying hands to the best use as we persevere on the high seas of this lost world.

INSTRUCTION SET #1: Don’ts (Improper Prayer Content)-6:7-8

In an effort to describe what prayer is not, Jesus observes the practice of many Gentiles in his day—“ And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words” (6:7). Prayer in the Non-Jewish world was often characterized by formal invocations and magical incantations in which the correct repetition counted more than the worshipper’s attitude or motivation. The verb for “don’t use” in this verse literally means the utterance of non-sensible syllables common to magical incantation in the pagan religions of Jesus’ day (e.g. “to say batta” or “to stammer”). In other words, prayers that become so common and mundane that they look and feel more like repetitive phrases than real conversation are no better than purposeless jibberish.

As already suggested, in the pagan community quantity and ritual was desired more than a broken and dependent heart before God.  Jesus suggests that pagan prayers were given by people who interceded endlessly for fear that their gods might not hear them—“ for they think they will be heard because of their many words” (6:7). Jesus prohibits a thoughtless and mechanical prayer life like. 

Ultimately, the prayers of the pagans depended on phraseology and diction rather than relationship. 

However, when it comes to the captain and his crew, there is a relationship established—a strong one. 

Because believers are friends of God, a deeper prayer life can be enjoyed that takes into consideration the heart and not necessarily what words are being used and how many times they are repeated.

Just imagine how annoying/nonsensical it would be to hear the same thing over and over again. Vain repetitious prayers might sound to God like a Gertrude Stein poem.

“Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose
Loveliness extreme.
Extra gaiters,
Loveliness extreme.
Sweetest ice-cream.
Pages ages page ages page ages”

Or this one (because I find her so delightfully outrageous)

“If I told him would he like it. Would he like it if I told him.
Would he like it would Napoleon would Napoleon would would he like it.
If Napoleon if I told him if I told him if Napoleon. Would he like it if I told him if I told him if Napoleon. Would he like it if Napoleon if
Napoleon if I told him. If I told him if Napoleon if Napoleon if I told him. If I told him would he like it would he like it if I told him.
Now.
Not now.
And now.
Now.
Exactly as as kings.
Feeling full for it.
Exactitude as kings.
So to beseech you as full as for it.
Exactly or as kings.
Shutters shut and open so do queens. Shutters shut and shutters and so shutters shut and shutters and so and so shutters and so shutters shut
and so shutters shut and shutters and so. And so shutters shut and so and also. And also and so and so and also.”

As outrageous as this sounds, how repetitive do we become in our prayer life? Phrases like “bless this food to the nourishment of our body” or “we praise you and thank you for this day” populate our prayers, often times without us even thinking. Such repetitions mean very little when they hit God’s ears.

Members of God’s crew are to communicate with the captain of their ship in ways that are very different. This is why Christ instructs His disciples—“so don’t be like them” (6:8). Jesus, in guarding toward syncretistic tendencies did not want to have other religions polluting the dynamic prayer life his children are able to have with their heavenly Father.

God’s children need not worry about getting God’s attention with vain repetitions or checking off some kind of prayer quota at church and before meals. After all, as Jesus continues “you father knows what you need before you ask Him” (6:8b). Believers already have God’s attention and He is already aware of their needs. Not only that, this verse reminds those listening in that God wants to give us good gifts; therefore, we need not impress Him with our requests hoping to get a secret formula right or say the right words for the magical spell. God already knows the needs of His own. 

Prayer is not to have repetitious platitudes as its content but should be thoughtfully specific and sincerely genuine. However, understanding what kind of attitude one must have in prayer still doesn’t answer what kinds of things should occupy a disciple’s prayer life. For that we must proceed to the “do’s” of Jesus’ instructions.  

INSTRUCTION SET #2: Dos (Proper Prayer Content)-6:9-15

Jesus continues His teaching to His disciples by saying “Pray then, in this way.” To “pray,…in this way” means to pray thusly or according to the following model. Jesus is not insisting on praying what follows next verbatim as some sort of sacred ritual or liturgy. Rather he is simple providing an outline or model of prayer that is pleasing to God and should be considered as an alternative to pagan prayers.  In speaking to a large crowd of individuals, some of whom would become eventually be recruited as members of the church, Jesus intends that this be a helpful model for disciples both individually and corporately.

The first phrase of the model is “Our Father who is in heaven.” This short phrase illustrates the incredible intimacy God has with His children along with an affirmation of His divine sovereignty. “Our Father” recognizes a couple of things. First, the plural pronoun “our” which is used throughout out the prayer shows that prayer should reflect the needs of the entire body of Christ as it exists in unity in the church. Second, the close relationship God’s children have with the Lord and how believers should consider God as accessible as the most loving parent is exhibited with the word, “Father”. However, “who is in heaven” suggests that God is totally “other” from this world as the creator as He exists from the outside looking in.

Already, one’s prayer life is shown not to be primarily concerned with self. Already, one’s prayer life is shown to reflect a dynamic and personal relationship with an all-powerful God. Are these things that frame our perspective when we bow our knees? Prayer is shown to include a personal address to almighty God, an address that takes time to appreciate who He is and what he is capable of given his special powers and qualities.

Following this opening address are a series of petitions. The first is a petition for God’s person—“Hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (6:9b-10). “Hallowed be your name” celebrates the holiness of God. One cannot convey an attitude of wanting God’s name and reputation to be holy if they are not right with God first. This phrase—“hallowed be You Name” means that the one praying desires to see God truly honored as God in the world today. Such a call for God’s holiness cannot be made by one who is not living in pursuit of holiness themselves.

The next phrase expresses the desire that the acknowledgement of God’s reign and the execution of His purposes take place in this world even as they already do in heaven—“Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”. Such a desire can only be communicated by one who is willing to surrender their ideas/wishes/agendas and allow God the freedom to do whatever His will desires. This is seen in the reference that this prayer makes to the “kingdom.” A subject’s prayer life should be more concerned about how the kingdom of God is moving forward than only what affects them personally. Effective prayers are bigger in scope that the individual praying them. 

  

Not only should prayer include a personal address to God that appreciates all that he is, but it should also include a time where the crew align themselves with the captain’s ways and will.

Next is a petition for God’s provision—“Give us this day, our daily bread” (6:11). Here again lies the plural pronoun (see 6:9b). Much speculation has arisen as to how the world “daily” should be interpreted. Ultimately, however, there is good evidence to support that this is talking about what is necessary for survival. Basic needs of provision need to be committed to God in prayer. In committing these things to God, crew members aboard His vessel recognize that all sustenance for one’s life comes from God and that he guaranteed whatever provision is necessary for the success of his mission AT PRESENT.

CR: Exodus 16:4-“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them whether or not they will walk in my instruction.’”

Along with an address of who God is and aligning ourselves with His will, prayer should include committing our needs to His control and trusting the outcome to Him.

The next petition is for forgiveness –“And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors” (6:12). Debts leave behind a stigma and consistent reminder of our slavery that that which we own. In the same way, sin leaves behind the stench of guilt that places a bulwark between us and God. Interestingly, what is desired for here is a reconciling of the relationship between God and man. This is understood however to be preceded by the forgiveness man has already shown to his brother for any offenses.

So far the model includes the following: a personal address to God, time aligning with his will, commitment of one’s needs to the great Provider, and time of confession of sin.

Next is a petition for protection—“ And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (6:13). This phrase is not saying “do not bring us to the place of temptation” or “don’t allow us to be tempted.” God’s Spirit has already done both of these with Jesus (cf. Matt. 4:1). This also does not request that God never tempt because he does not do that anyway (James 1:13). Rather this petition is for the subject to not be abandoned to temptation or to succumb to temptation. While often we do succumb to temptation, it is never because we do not have a way out (1 Cor. 10:13). Therefore, when we do give in, we have no one to blame but ourselves. However, we should not ask for God to withhold the very tests that He allows in our life to bring us to a more mature place spiritually. 

Along with the other ideas mentioned, the prayer of a crew member on board the vessel of the church should include asking God to ready oneself to

So What?

As vital as communication between captain and crew is on every important navy mission so too is communication between believers and their God as they accomplish their own mission. While a ship has cables and radios to aid in their effort to communicate properly, we have been given something greater—prayer.

We learn from this passage that there are things that one should and should not include in his/her prayer life. Vain repetitions or meaningless jargon have no place in the highly personal and powerful prayer life that should be found in all of those in the faith. Such superfluous language demonstrates a lack of faith and low view of the personal prayer life. However, in thinking about what one should pray about, we were able to see that our prayer life, while personal, should not be initially focused with ourselves. Rather our prayers should reflect a high view of God and his activity in not only our lives, but in the life of the entire body of Christ. Likewise, we saw that praise should be included along with committing our personal needs to God in faith and asking for forgiveness from sin. Finally, we saw that prayer should include requesting God’s help to live out the life He has called us to in this world that is full of temptation. In summary, prayer has and upward, inward, and outward component (knowing God, growing in God, and showing God to others) that has everything to do with the Lord’s his agenda and little to do with individual and personal pursuits. These are the things, Jesus advises that we fill our prayer lives with.  

To this we might add that prayer ought to be frequent (1 Thess. 5:14, “pray without ceasing”), collective (Acts 1:14, “These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer,”) offered in faith (Mark 11:22-24"Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.). It is the cure for anxiety (Philippians 4:6, “be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication let your requests be made known to God”) and a source of healing (James 5:16, “the prayers of the righteous man avails much”). Let’s give ourselves to it church! We must have present hands and praying hands if our mission is to be accomplished! Before we talk about service, before we even mention evangelism, before we talk about the study of God’s Word we must preoccupy ourselves with prayer. “Prayer strikes the winning blow; service is simply picking up the pieces” (S. D. Gordon). “Prayer is the real work, Evangelism is just the mopping up.” "No learning can make up for the failure to pray. No earnestness, no diligence, no study, no gifts will supply its lack" (E.M. Bounds).