Sunday, May 26, 2013

Propriety of Prayer

Audio sermon clip: 17. Propriety of Prayer:                  




Propriety of Prayer
Matt.6:5-8.  Pray.

The Lord Jesus not only gave us the model prayer in the Sermon on the Mount, He gave us a lot of other good instruction on prayer.  Let us consider the Propriety of Prayer or, the proper way to pray according to our text.  We see three things in the lesson.  Two are looking at our topic from a negative point of view and one is from a positive point of view.

THE PRAYING OF THE HYPOCRITES.  MATT.6:5.  (improper)
1.      The Restriction about their praying. Thou shalt not… We should be different from the world. 
2.      The Reason for their praying.  To be seen & praised of men… They are more interested in reputation than character.  This is what Christ condemned.
3.      The Reward from their praying.  …they have their reward.  Choose men’s rewards over God and that is all you will get. 

THE PRAYING WITH THE HEART.  MATT.6:6.  (proper)
1.      The Regulations for proper praying. Two things are important.
A.     The Place for our prayers.  Closet.  Not public. Quality time with God.
B.     The Person for or Prayers.  God.  Not Mary, Saints or anyone else.
2.      The Rewards for proper praying.  Better than those of the hypocrites. 2 things.
A.     The Source of the reward.  Thy Father.   Jn.12:43.
B.     The Site of the reward.  What men do not know, God knows - and He will reward proper praying openly.

THE PRAYING OF THE HEATHEN.  MATT.6:7-8.  (Improper)
1.      The Repeating in prayer.  Vain babbling is like some Pentecostals and Charismatics or repetitive Hail Mary’s & Our Fathers by some Catholics. This is not a condemnation of consistent praying for the same thing as in Matt.26:44.
2.      The Restricting in the praying. Be not like them. Not using worldly practices but rather following the teaching of scripture.
3.      The Recognition in praying.  God’s omniscience is not an excuse not to pray but a reason to pray properly.

CONCLUSION:  There are three main reasons why we are to pray properly.  1. To show our dependency on God.  2.  To show our devotion to God.  3.  To show our desire for God to work in our lives.  AMEN.


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