How To Talk With God
Matthew 6:7-15
Let’s start with the big picture. You have been born into a universe which is not here by accident – but which was created by God.
And when you look at the design of our eyes – and the beauty of orchids – and the size of the galaxies -- we can tell that the God who created this is massive in size -- infinitely powerful – overflowing with love – perfect in wisdom – and deeply personal.
So here we are – little human beings – created by a massive, powerful, loving, wise, and personal God.
So -- can we know Him? Can we interact with Him? Can we talk to Him? And if we can talk to Him – how do we go about doing that?
That’s what Jesus explains to us in the next section of the Sermon on the Mount – Matthew 6:7-15. So let’s turn there in our Bibles. If you need a Bible, go ahead and raise your hand and we will bring one to you. Matthew 6:7 is on page 811 in the Bibles we are passing out.
In these verses Jesus explains how we can know God – interact with God – talk with God. Look at what He says in vv.7-15 –
7 And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
[At this point some well-meaning editor added “For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever, Amen.” But this is not in the earliest manuscripts – so we know it was not part of Jesus’ teaching. Then Jesus goes on to explain --]
14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,
15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Jesus starts off in vv.7-8 telling us how not to talk with God. So how should we NOT to talk with God? Look first at v.7 --
7 And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.
People at Jesus’ time would repeat incantations over and over hoping that the more they repeated those incantations the more God would hear. So if they repeated it five times – God would listen a little – if they repeated it 100 times – God would listen more – if they repeated it 10,000 times God might really listen.
But Jesus says that’s wrong. Don’t think that if you pray more – God hears more. Think of it – if you are forgiven by Jesus (more on that in a moment) – then when you go into your bedroom, kneel down at your bed, and say – “Father” -- immediately God is giving you His complete, undivided attention.
Then look at v.8 --
8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
People at Jesus’ time also thought God did not know what they needed – they thought that if they said more -- then God would know more.
But Jesus says that’s wrong. Even before you pray – God already knows what you need. Think of it – you are a tiny little person among 7 billion people on this little planet earth in a massive universe. And the God who is over it all – knows every concern you have – knows every need you face.
So don’t think that the more you pray, the more God listens – or the more you pray, the more God knows.
But that does not mean we should not repeat requests to God or persevere in prayer to God. Jesus repeated the same request to the Father three times in the Garden of Gethsemane. And Jesus gave parables teaching that we should persevere in prayer.
So Jesus’ point is – don’t think that by praying more you make God care more or know more. No – if you are trusting Jesus Christ then God listens to you with complete undivided attention – and He knows your every concern.
But now this raises a question. If God already knows about all our needs – then how SHOULD we talk to God? Do we just say – God you already know what I need – what I desire. Amen?
No. Look at what Jesus says in vv.9-13 –
9 Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,
15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
As I pondered what Jesus says here – I saw five crucial truths about how Jesus wants us to talk to God.
First – recognize that we need to be forgiven by God. Notice that three times in vv.8-15 Jesus talks about the importance of us being forgiven by God. Once in v.12, once at the end of v.14, and at the end of v.15.
So we human beings can’t just start talking to God and think that everything is fine. Everything is not fine – because God is holy and righteous and just – and we have all sinned against him. Think about it like this. God is infinitely more satisfying than anything else. So – has anyone here this week desired something else more than God? We all have – we all have sinned against God.
So we can’t just start talking to God – because God has to respond to sin with justice and punishment. Which means the million dollar question is – how can we be forgiven?
And the good news is that God loves us so much that He sent His own Son Jesus to be punished in our place on the Cross. So when we turn to Jesus and trust Him as our Savior, our Lord, and our Treasure – at that moment we are completely forgiven.
And so because we are trusting Jesus -- whenever we talk to God we can know that we are forgiven and that God is hearing us with great love and compassion.
Second -- talk to God humbly, simply, and directly. Notice v.9 – “Our Father in heaven, hallowed by your name.” We pray humbly – He’s our Father in heaven. We pray simply – no strange incantations. And we pray directly – directly making our requests – hallowed be your name.
Third – center your prayer around the glory of God’s name. Notice the first request Jesus has us praying – in v.9 – “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” When the Bible talks about God’s name it’s talking about His character, His glory, His reputation. So here Jesus tells us to ask God to hallow – display—show forth – His glorious name.
When God saves you He changes your heart so you love His glorious name more than anything. And so the focus of our prayers will always be -- let your name be hallowed – let your name be displayed – let your name be honored and praised. Center your prayer around the glory of God’s name.
Fourth – ask Him to hallow His name, let His kingdom come and His will be done, forgive your debts, give you your daily bread, and lead you not into temptation but keep you from evil. Five main requests – which pretty much covered every concern we’d ever have. So what Jesus wants us to do is ask God to do these things.
And the fifth – understand that your prayers will move God to act. Think about this. Here Jesus tells us how to pray. And he says prayer involves asking God to do things. Prayer is not – you know what’s best. Prayer is not – do whatever You are going to do.
No – prayer is – asking God to do specific things. Why would we ask God to do specific things? It’s because God has ordained to accomplish His will through our prayers. God has chosen to have your prayers move God to do the things He has purposed to do.
Picture it. This afternoon you take five minutes and go into your bedroom and close the door and kneel by your bed. You, tiny you – one of 7 billion people on earth – tiny you – asking the massive, infinitely powerful Creator God to do something.
What will happen? Your tiny little prayer will move the Creator of the Universe to act. The God of the universe will hear. And the God of the universe will act.
So let’s go through each of the requests Jesus calls us to pray – and see what will happen when we pray.
What will happen when we pray?
First – when we pray v.9 – “Hallowed be your name” -- God’s name will be hallowed. All through the Bible we read that God’s purpose for everything He does is to hallow His name – to display His glory. The purpose for the entire universe is the display of His glory. There’s nothing that is more fitting for God to do than display His glory. There’s nothing that will satisfy you more than for God to display His glory. There’s nothing more loving God can do for humanity than display His glory.
And when you go into your bedroom and take five minutes to pray v.9 – “Hallowed be Your name” – your prayer will move God to display His glory. Your prayer will cause God’s glory to be displayed more than if you had not prayed.
Second – when we pray “Your kingdom come, your will be done” -- God’s kingdom will come and His will will be done. God’s kingdom is His saving power which changes people’s hearts, gives them faith in Jesus Christ, and sets them free from Satan’s kingdom.
So if you spend 5 minutes this afternoon pleading with God – let your kingdom come in my neighborhood – at my workplace – among my family and friends -- more of God’s saving power would be poured out on your neighborhood, your workplace, your family and friends than if you had not prayed.
Third – when we pray “Give us this day our daily bread” -- God will give us our daily bread. This is not asking God for luxuries. Our highest desire is for His name to be hallowed. So this is asking – give me whatever physical necessities I need in order to fulfill Your call on me to hallow Your name.
Which means that if you spend 5 minutes tonight asking God – give us our daily bread – you will stir God’s heart to give you more of the financial provision you need – and you will have more of the financial provision you need than had you not prayed.
Fourth – when we pray “forgive us our debts” -- God will forgive our debts. “Debts” is another word for sins. So Jesus is urging us to ask God to forgive us for our sins. And because of Jesus’ death on the Cross – God can and will forgive us.
But why does Jesus say – “as we forgive our debtors”? And why – in vv.14-15 does Jesus say that if we do forgive others – God will forgive us – but if we don’t forgive others – God won’t forgive us?
It’s because Jesus wants part of our prayer to be checking our hearts. Have I forgiven others? Forgiving others is not a way to earn God’s forgiveness. No – forgiving others shows that we have the faith in Christ by which we receive God’s forgiveness. So part of prayer is checking our hearts – am I trusting Jesus? Am I humbled by His mercy – and stunned by His goodness – so I freely forgive others?
So if you take five minutes this afternoon and pray – “forgive my debts” and check your heart – you will experience fresh assurance of God’s forgiveness.
Fifth – when we pray “lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil” -- God will not lead us into temptation and He will deliver us from evil. This does not mean praying that God will keep us from being tempted – it means praying that God will keep us from sinning when we are tempted. So Jesus wants us to pray – keep me from sinning – keep me from falling into evil. So why would Jesus urge us to pray this?
It’s because God will answer. The more you ask God to keep you from sinning – the more God will keep you from sinning. If you took 5 minutes tonight and prayed earnestly that God would strengthen you against sin – then tomorrow you would have more power over sin than if you had not prayed.
So what will happen when we pray? Our prayers will move God to act. This afternoon little you can set aside time to pray – and by God’s mercy the world will be changed --
- His glory will be more powerfully displayed.
- His saving kingdom will increase in your neighborhood or workplace.
- He will bring you more of the financial provision you need.
- He will pour out assurance of your forgiveness.
- He will give you more strength against sin.
What does this mean for us?
It means we must be devoted to prayer.
Not just to praying while we are driving – or while doing the laundry. Do that. But time where all we are doing is praying – praying – praying.
In the early 1900’s James Fraser left London for inland China to bring the good news of Jesus to the Lisu people, who lived between southwest China and Burma.
He labored in prayer for God to save them. He went village to village telling them about Jesus. But after a few years there was little response — and he was discouraged.
But he kept devoting himself to prayer — and to telling people about Jesus.
And then — one by one — Lisu men and women started responding to the good news. The one by one became two by two — then three by three — and at the end of 10 years — 60,000 Lisu people had come to know Jesus and been baptized.
Here’s his conclusion --
I believe it will only be known on the Last Day how much has been accomplished by the prayers of earnest believers …
(From “Behind the Ranges: Fraser of Lisuland,” by Mrs. Howard Taylor, p.47.)
So – pray.