The Never Ending Prayer

One of the first things that Jesus taught His disciples to do is to pray.  

Matthew 6:5-13  (CSB)

Jesus began by teaching us how not to pray.

He connected our minds and our hearts. We pray to an audience of one. We are not to pray to be seen by others.  

5 “Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. 

Truly I tell you, they have their reward. 

6 But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. 

And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

He warned about praying mindlessly.   

7 When you pray, don’t babble like the Gentiles, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words. 

If God knows what we need, why pray? There must be another reason why we pray. 

    

8 Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him.

9 “Therefore, you should pray like this:

Our Father in heaven,

Jesus taught about our intimate Father God.  He is both the God who is near, and the God who is mighty and great.  

It is easy to understand that God is great, but we struggle to comprehend our intimacy with Him as Daddy.

God is it possible that you love me like I love my kids?  Jesus says Yes! 

The God of the universe looks at you with love.  He cares for you like a Daddy.  

Jesus identifies who God is (our Daddy) and who we are (His kids).

your name be honored as holy.

What do we do to hallow anyone? 

It means to recognize someone's greatness.  He invites us to recognize the greatness of our God.  

He is the one and only. He existed before time, and will exist afterward.  He created everything with a word.  

He gave us His perfect Son to die for us. He is the one and only.  The truly great God.

Your kingdom come.

We submit all that we own and control over to Him.  Our time we surrender to Him.  Our words that leave our mouths must be surrendered to Him. 

In this moment we are pledging ourselves to Him. His kingdom is built by everyone who surrenders to His agenda. 

Not one time in this prayer does the word "my" enter.  It's not about our agenda, but His.    

Your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
10 

This world is a mess.  God wants the ways of heaven here now to reflect heaven's realities.  

How does He do that.  It's through you!  

When I see something outside of God's will, I'll say that's not right.  I'll do something about it.  

When I see it's inside God's will, I'll say that's the way it's suppose to be. I'll support it. 

     

Give us today our daily bread.

Jesus goes from the biggest of things which is His kingdom to the smallest of things which is our need for bread.  

God lives outside of time, so He can hear all of our prayers.  He wants to be invited into all of our needs.  

When our prayers are answered, we give Him credit which gives Him the glory. 

If we don't ask, how does He get it. 

We pray for "Our" bread.  Not only do we ask for ourselves, but for others.

     

11 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.

You and I make mistakes. We are in need of forgiveness.  God loves to forgive and yearns to do so.  

Some of us struggle with this.  One part of His nature is to forgive.  Once we are forgiven, we become the forgivers.  They are tied together.

   

And do not bring us into temptation,
12 

We recognize the fact that we can do evil to others.  Father, please lead us on a path which creates within us our best self.  We still have a choice which is to follow.  Father, please protect me from myself.   

but deliver us from the evil one.
13 

There is an evil one who is dedicated to our downfall. We are to call on God to fight for us behind heaven's curtain in the invisible realm.

This prayer is a model for prayer with no end.  We are to have an ongoing conversation with our Daddy, God.  

That's how Jesus taught us to pray.  This is a springboard to pray always.  This is our daily invitation into His presence.

Father, it is amazing how immense your love for us is.  

Please forgive me for my past. 

I open myself up to your love.  

I surrender myself to you, Jesus, as my king. 

I pledge to You my allegiance.   

Make your agenda come true in me.  

Keep me from temptation, and create within me my best self.  Protect me from myself and the evil one.   

Thank you for forgiving me and saving me.  

Notes taken from Steve Gilliam, Willowcreek Church  

Wise Investing

When Jesus taught on money, He didn't pass the offering plate.  He did it for the hearer's benefit. 

Jesus taught that when you invest.  Invest in things that last for eternity.  

Matthew 6:20 (NKJV)

20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Jesus didn't teach that treasure is bad.  He did say that if your store treasure here on earth that you will lose it. 

You will lose it in this life, or you will lose it at the end of this life.  There is life here on earth, but there is more life in eternity.

   

In Jesus's day, there was a motto to eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow you die.  Jesus taught life goes on for eternity.

   

The core of Jesus's teaching is this. Why would you exchange eternal treasure for temporary treasure? 

How will you invest your time, talents,and  money?  People think that what they've earned is theirs, but the Bible teaches otherwise. 

Moses taught.

  

Deuteronomy 8:17-18 A  (NKJV)

17 then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ (deception)

18 “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth...

James taught.

James 1:16-17 (ERV)

16 My dear brothers and sisters, don’t be fooled about this. 

17 Everything good comes from God. 

Every perfect gift is from him. 

These good gifts come down from the Father who made all the lights in the sky.

God has entrusted you with the decision to invest wealth either here or in eternity.   

Earthly treasure is money, and what money can buy. God doesn't need your money. Heavenly treasure is what matter's most to God. 

What God treasures most is your heart. Our hearts naturally follow where we store our treasures.

Matthew 6:21 (ERV)

21 Your heart will be where your treasure is.

If your treasure is upon the earth, your heart will be here too. If you'll place your treasures in eternity, the longing of your heart will be there too.  

You have the ability to control the longing of your heart by where you store your treasure.  

This is a secret in eliminating fear of death. If all your treasures are here on earth, when it's time to go, you'll panic.  

However, if your treasures are stored in eternity, that's where your heart will long to be. Fear of death loses it's power over you.

1 Timothy 6:17-19  (ESV)

17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 

18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 

19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

How do you turn your heart to God.  Share with those who have need.  Through simple acts of kindness, we can be an answer to other people's prayers.  

The world doesn't have a provision problem.  We have a distribution problem.  God gets blamed when we don't share.

The Bible teaches the power of systematic % giving which is called the tithe.  Why don't you have a systematic % strategy of giving to others?  

Why don't you budget to give away something like a fast food meal each week?  

Can you not see how over time this could impact your treasure in heaven?  

Matthew 6:24 English Standard Version (ESV)

24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

We are talking about your heart right?  Either God is your master or the things of this earth are.  The earthly things can own you.  That's the deception. 

Things that you own require your time to maintain.  It can overwhelm and control you.  

You get one time at bat in this life.  Don't become a slave to things that don't matter.  You will have a master.  The god of this world which is money or the God of eternity.  

If you are not intentionally investing in heaven, you're investing here on earth.  If you hear the truth, but don't heed it, you're being foolish.  

Please don't be deceived and fooled by the temporary god of money.  Choose wisely. Only you can make this choice.

Ask the Holy Spirit what are you saying to me with these words?  Please draw me to you Holy Spirit.  

Jesus, your teaching is so easy to understand, but impossible to live out on my own.  

Jesus, please be Lord of my life.  I refuse to serve the things in this life. Amen.  

Excerpts from Steve Gillen, Willowcreek Church