Matthew 6:5–6
5“When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 6“But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
Focused Thinking:
What should be our attitude and posture in prayer?
“When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites.”
- You are not to be spiritually dishonest.
- You are not to be two-faced.
- You are not to do it to be noticed by men.
What do the hypocrites do?
“for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners”
“so that they may be seen by men.”
Typically what impresses men doesn’t impress God.
- God isn’t impressed by people who use God to get recognition.
- God isn’t impressed by people who use God to get respect.
- God isn’t impressed by people who use God to get rewards.
“Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.”
Their reward isn’t from God; their reward is from men.
- Rewards from men are rarely satisfying.
- Rewards from God are always satisfying.
If you only pray to be notice by men then you don’t pray in private.
Private prayer should precede public prayer.
What should we do when we pray?
“But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret,”
Prayer should be private.
Prayer should be personal.
Prayer should be precise.
Prayer is listening to God and responding.
Prayer isn’t about others listening; it is about us listening to God.
Prayer isn’t about others responding; it is about us responding.
“and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
Giving is a secret discipline.
Prayer is a secret discipline.
Fasting is a secret discipline.
Personal Application:
Is the church weak or strong in the secret disciplines?
If the church were strong in the secret disciplines, we’d be strong in every discipline.
If the church were strong in the secret disciplines, the church would be radically different in her ability to love God, love people and make disciples.
If the church were strong in the secret disciplines, the world would be radically different because they would experience the power of God through us.
I must continue to prioritize my priority time.
I must continue to prioritize staff prayer on Mondays.
I must continue to prioritize staff prayer walks on Thursdays.
I must continue to prioritize and give vision to the prayer team.
I must fuel Matthew Bryan’s vision.
I must empower him to build prayer teams that change our church and city.
Interactive Prayer:
Father, I pray that You will increase my faith in prayer. Help me to believe with all of my heart that You still bring revival and spiritual awakening. Father, I pray that You will bring godly sorrow to our people that leads to a repentance without regret. Father, I want to lead our people away from consumer Christianity to courageous Christianity. Father, I want people to know the joy of knowing You, loving You and obeying You. Father I want people to know the joy of defining their life by Your mission instead of their mission. Father, I want people to know the joy of being a difference maker instead of being an attendee. Father, fill our people up with Your fullness. Give them a faith that works. Give us a faith that changes our life, our marriages, our children and our friends.
Father, I pray that Your Spirit will fall upon us on Mother’s Day. Traditionally it is hard to see manifestations of Your Spirit on holidays because people aren’t focused on You as much as they are focused on the events of the day. Father, please give us the ability to focus on You this morning. Give us the ability to see You and to hear from You. Give us the ability to respond to You. I pray there will be mothers who trust Christ as their Lord and Savior this morning. I pray that there will be children who trust You as their Lord and Savior. I pray that there will be genuine repentance this morning to become a mom who models Christ in all things. Father, speak through me this morning. Give me the ability to communicate Your beauty and glory. Give me the ability to say what You would say the way You would say it. Give me the ability to speak in the power and demonstration of the Spirit.
Father, I pray that everyone in our church will rise up this morning ready to worship. I pray that children cooperate and don’t give their moms hard times. I pray for smooth morning for families. I pray for a no-fighting day for brothers and sisters today. I pray for moms to feel loved today. I pray for fathers to hear the Word today and to repent of selfishness and commit to live selfless. I pray for men to make commitments to become godly husbands and fathers. I pray for prodigal children to come running home tomorrow. I pray for breakthroughs tomorrow in the lives of families.
Father, I never want to settle for just a good day. I never want to settle for just a high attendance day. High attendance accomplishes nothing for the kingdom apart from Your Spirit. Father, I pray for seeds of the Word of God to be planted tomorrow and to fall on good soil and to produce 100-fold. Father, I pray for seeds to be planted that have a ripple effect beyond our comprehension. Father, I don’t want to just do church, I want to worship You, I want to see You change lives. Father, I don’t want it to just be a good Sunday, I want every Sunday to build into a movement of God. Father, give us the ability to be so much more than a popular church; give us the ability to be a true movement of God.
Father, give us the ability to be a movement of people who truly love one another. I pray that we could ignite a “love one another” movement in our church and city. Father, what could happen if 1000 plus people focused on loving one another? What would happen if a 1000 plus people focused on the golden rule? What would happen if 1000 plus people focused on making disciples? Father, ignite something divine in our hearts. Give us a vision for living 100% on mission. Give us a vision and confidence that we can truly turn the city upside down. Give us the ability to change this nation. Father, we are in scary times, the people of God must wake up. Wake us up, Father! Father, give us the ability to humble ourselves. Give us the ability to pray and to seek Your face. Give us the desire and discipline to turn from our wicked ways. Father, I pray that You will hear from heaven. I pray that You will forgive our sins and will heal our land.
Father, give me the vision for this church for the next ten years. Give me the vision that will turn this church into a true movement of God. We don’t want to be successful at creating consumers; we want to be successful at creating disciples. Father, give us the ability to relentlessly focusing on making God priority, making discipleship priority and making mission priority. Give us the ability to truly equip and make disciples. Give us the ability to help people reprioritize their lives to truly be disciples. I pray that You would give our people the heart of Tim and Kris Kulhman. I pray that our people would be heroic in their faith. I pray that they will be strong, passionate and bold. Give us the ability as a church to truly be a reformer for this city and even for this country. Father, give me the ability to be so much more than I am. Make me the man of God that I cannot be by my own ability. Father, do something so beyond me. Father, change me. Don’t let me be in control. I pray that You will use this upcoming week in my life to free me from the past, to free from the devil’s lies and to give me the ability to live 110% surrendered to You. Father, continue to purify my desires and give me the ability to be disciplined in my pursuit of You and in my leadership of Your church.
Father, give us the ability to move from selfish to selfless as a church. Father, I pray that we will quit asking to sit on Jesus’ right and left, but rather, we would ask to serve the least of these. Father, I don’t like trying to grow this church in my strength. Show me how to grow it in Your strength. Father, there are times I sense Your Spirit more than others. Show me how to get out of the way and to be used by Your Spirit. Father, something is missing momentum-wise in our church right now. Show me what is missing and give us the courage to change it and bring ourselves into alignment with You. Father, show me what we were doing in 2009 that we aren’t doing in 2010. Father, give us the favor that we had in 2009 and more than that. Father, give us an anointing that surpasses our previous experiences and faith. Increase our faith. Father, I personally need to see You and experience You. I need You to increase my faith. Father, I need to see You see exceeding abundantly beyond all that I can ask or think. Father, I pray that we would see more than 200 baptisms this year. Father, give us the ability to truly fix our connect problems and take something we’ve been weak in and make it a strength. Father, make us a staff, a leadership and a church that is blessable. Bless us by giving us a harvest of the seeds we’ve planted. Bless us by giving us Your undeserved favor. Give us the blessing of being used by You. Build our character and leadership to lead Your people effectively.
Father, I love You and need You more than I can ever comprehend or understand. I pray that You are pleased with us and that we can be a fragrant aroma to You. Father, grow us into the men and women that want to use to start a new revolution. Make us a people who live for You with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. Give us the ability to love You and to love others. Give us an all-consuming passion and ability to make disciples. Give me the vision and teaching for M28.
Amen!
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