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AND WHEN YOU PRAY
By Pastor Mark Swanson
Jesus taught the disciples to pray. That's what it says in Matthew 6:9. "This then, is how you should pray." Did you ever wonder why Jesus taught his disciples how to pray? Even if he chose rough and tough guys who were fisherman and tax collectors, why teach them something they had been doing all their lives? These are Jewish men. They had a hungering for God and demonstrated that hunger by leaving jobs and family to follow an itinerant Rabbi. We might make the assumption they needed more training, or were being initiated into a special mystery if Jesus had made their prayer life more complicated. But he didn't! The Lord's Prayer is so simple children memorize it every year. It is far shorter that Talmudic Prayers. It moves from point to point with the same grace as the 23rd psalm, one of the shortest and simplest psalms in scripture. What was Jesus teaching when he directed his disciples to "pray like this?" The answer lies in the bible.
5 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full."
6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Don't pray to build up your reputation in public. If that is what you are after you should only pray in your closet! And don't babble. Just tell God what you need as he requires. In fact, Your Prayer life should sound like this! "Our Father…"
It is dismaying to a pastor that so many men and women think prayer is just the opposite of what Jesus commanded. How many times have I asked someone to pray and they say, "Oh Pastor, I don't know how to pray. I couldn't possibly pray for anyone!" I truly think it's to bad when we tell God we can't find a way to do what he calls us to do. In fact, I had a dream this week.
I saw myself meeting with the Sunday School teachers, committee chairpersons, small group leaders, youth leaders, fellowship and activity directors, staff members, and worship leaders. And I made a pronouncement. "We are going to be a praying Church. Each time we gather it will be an opportunity to pray for each other."
We will honor the simplest, rather that the most complex prayers. We will encourage one another so that prayer becomes like breathing. Who needs to ask permission to breath? So, it will be here at Trinity Church UM. We will Pray and Pray and Pray.
I believe God will bless us only as we submit to becoming the kind if people He envisioned as the body of Christ.
AMEN.
Pastor Mark
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