“WHEN THOU PRAYEST” (Mt 6:5-9)
June 11th, 2003 Prayer Meeting Devotional
Int. The story is told (and I believe it was a story) about one of our “Mega-churches” “The 2000 member Baptist church was filled to overflowing capacity one Sunday morning. The preacher was ready to start the sermon when two men, dressed in long black coats and black hats entered through the rear of the church. One of the two men walked to the middle of the church while the other stayed at the back of the church. They both then reached under their coats and withdrew automatic weapons. The one in the middle announced, "EVERYONE WILLING TO TAKE A BULLET FOR JESUS STAY IN YOUR SEAT!" Naturally, the pews emptied, followed by the choir. The deacons ran out the door, followed by the choir director and the assistant pastor. After a few moments, there were abut 20 people left sitting in the church. The preacher was holding steady in the pulpit. The men put their weapons away and said, gently, to the preacher, "All right, pastor, the hypocrites are gone now. You may begin the service."
Int. This word “Prayest” is only found twice---(Mt. 6:5-6)
1. C. H. S. said: "Brief prayers best: — Precious things lie in small compass .... Not length but strength is desirable."
2. Pulpit Commentary: "To be without prayer is to be without religion.
a. “Behold, he prayeth,” is another way of saying,” He has become a Christian” (Acts 9:11).
3. John Bunyan said: "When thou prayest, rather let thy heart be without words, than thy words without a heart."
a. Actually, we should "pray without ceasing."
4. THOU SHALT NOT BE AS:(Vr. 5) "Our Lord here rebukes two revolting faults in prayer, ambition, and vain babbling."
5. Consider that our Lord calls the Pharisees “Hypocrites.”
I. CONSIDER THE PLACES WHERE THEY PRAYED. ( in the synagogues).
a. The synagogue was not the place for private devotions.
1. The custom of opening churches for private worshippers tends to encourage hypocrisy.
b. The “corners of the streets” where the people were gathered is where the hypocrites “loved to pray”.
1. They did not love to pray however.
c. Secret prayer should be in secret.
1. The closet is in the heart.
2.. There we may shut the door against the world, the flesh, and the devil.
d. "It is not the place, Chrysostom says, that God regards, but the heart and the motive.
a. “Enter into thy closet; it profits not unless God is with thee there."
2. CONSIDER THE POSTURE THEY USED IN PRAYING. (Standing)
a. Standing is not, in itself, a posture unsuitable to prayer.
1. (Neh 9:4) "Then stood up upon the stairs, of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, and cried with a loud voice unto the LORD their God."
2. (Mark 11:25) "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."
3. (Luke 18:11-13) "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this place
b. The change of posture from kneeling to standing may be found helpful to the spirit of prayer.
1. Standing “to be seen of men” is quite another thing. Kneeling, if this be its purpose, is equally reprehensible.
2. The spirit may kneel to God in humility, or stand before him in ready obedience, when the body is otherwise engaged.
3. Matthew Henry: "(Mt 11:25), When ye stand praying), but kneeling being the more humble and reverent gesture,
a. (Luke 22:41) "And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,"
b. (Acts 7:60) "And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep."
c. (Eph 3:14) "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,"
4. Concerning the Pharisees, their standing seemed to savour of pride and confidence in themselves
a. (Lu 18:11), “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.”
c. Superstitious praying is forbidden:
1. The mode of praying with the face to the East was instituted by Pope Beniface #2 in 532 A. D.
2. Prayers for the dead were introduced in A. D. 190 A. D.
3. Prayers to the Virgin Mary were introduced by Pope Gregory in A. D. 593.
3. CONSIDER THE PRIDE IN THEIR PRAYING. (Certain public places)
a. They love to pray in synagogues and street corners.
b. They did not love prayer for its own sake, but they loved it when it gave them an opportunity of making themselves noticed.
c. It is that they may be seen of men; not that God might accept them, but that men might admire and applaud them; and that they might easily get the estates of widows and orphans into their hands (who would not trust such devout, praying men?) and that, when they had them, they might devour them without being suspected (Mt 23:14); and effectually carry on their public designs to enslave the people.
d. Mt Poole said: "Our Saviour here cautions them against the same thing in prayer, as he had done before in giving alms, hypocrisy and doing this duty upon that design, merely to be taken notice of and applauded by men."
4. CONSIDER THE PROFIT OF THEIR PRAYING. (They have their reward) (Vr. 5)
5. CONSIDER THE PROPER WAY FOR PRAYER.
a. Thou, when thou prayest, do so and so (Mt 6:6)
b. Thou in particular by thyself, and for thyself.
c. Personal prayer is here supposed to be the duty and practice of all Christ’s disciples.
d. Instead of praying in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, enter into thy closet
e. That is, into some place of privacy and quiet.
1. The secret of religion is religion in secret. (Vr. 6) “In secret”
2. John Gill: “That a man ought not to cause his voice to be heard in prayer; but should pray "silently", with a voice that is not heard; and this is the prayer which is daily accepted .”
6. CONSIDER THE PROPER PLACE FOR THE CHRISTIAN TO PRAY (Vr. 5)
a. This text of Scripture seems to be an adaptation from (Isa 26:20)
1. (Isa 26:20) "Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast."
2. Every Jewish house had a place for secret devotion. The roofs of their houses were flat places for walking, conversation, and meditation,
3. (Acts 10:9) “On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:”
b. (2 Ki 4:33) "He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD."
1. “Shut the door. One great advantage of a chamber set apart for prayer is that it keeps us free from many distractions.
2. Our hearts are ready enough of themselves to wander, and so we need every outward help we can gain.
c. Pulpit Commentary says: "These words are not intended to discourage the practice of public worship."
“Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire,
Uttered or unexpressed;
The motion of a hidden fire
That trembles in the breast.
Prayer is the burden of a sigh,
The falling of a tear;
The upward glancing of an eye,
When none but God is near.”
d. Christians need to get alone with God.
1. (Gen 24:63) "And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming."
2. (Mat 14:23) "And when he had sent the multitudes away, he (Jesus) went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone."
3. (Acts 10:9) "On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:"
7. CONSIDER THE PERIOD OF PRAYER OR THE LENGTH OF A PRAYER.
1. Long prayers are sometimes in vain. (1 Kings 18:26; Luke 6:12; Acts 19:34).
a. (1 Ki 18:26) "And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made."
b. (Acts 19:34) "But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians."
2. Long prayers are sometimes very wise.
a. (Luke 6:12) "And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God."
3. Long prayers are to be avoided in public.
a. (Job 9:14) "How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him?"
b. (Eccl 5:2) "Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few."
c. (Hosea 14:2) "Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips."
8. CONSIDER THE PROHIBITIONS IN PRAYER.. (Vain repetitions) (Vr. 7)
a. Gray & Adams: "It is not, then, repetition, but 'vain repetition.' ---empty of heart, of desire, of hope--that is here rebuked; not much prayer, but 'much speaking.' the folly of supposing that the mere 'saying' of prayers is of any use apart from the emotions of the heart."
b. Gray & Adams on (Vr. 7-8) vain repetitions, unmeaning tautology, idle babbling, empty round of phrases recited parrot-like, " and endless tumult and hubbub of words, is often substituted for the unspeakable utterances of the spirit."
1. "He who multiplies his prayers," say the Rabbis, " is sure of a hearing; "
2. Ill. Roman Catholic repetitions of pater nosters, creeds, etc. knoweth "
3. (Acts 19:34) “But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
c. Vain Repetition: (1Ki 18:26): "They Called on Baal from morning until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us; "
d. Repetition in prayer is not always "vain".
1. (Mat 26:39) "And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."
2. (Mat 26:42) "He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done."
3. (Mat 26:44) "And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words."
e. People's N. T. Notes: "What is forbidden is not much praying, nor praying in the same words (the Lord did both), but making the number of prayers, length of prayers, or time spent in praying, a point of observance and of merit."
f. J. F. & B. says: "This method of heathen devotion is still observed by Hindu and Mohammedan devotees.
1. LIGHTFOOT said, with the Jews it was a maxim, that "Every one who multiplies prayer is heard."
2. In the Church of Rome, not only is it carried to a shameless extent, but, as THOLUCK justly observes, the very prayer which our Lord gave as an antidote to vain repetitions is the most abused to this superstitious end; the number of times it is repeated counting for so much more merit."
CONCLUSION: The model prayer (Not the Lord’s Prayer–which is in Jn 17) is rehearsed every Sunday in 95% of the Churches in America.
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