by admin | Jun 21, 2020 | Sermon Audio and Notes, Teach Us To Pray
5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
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.
Matthew 6:5-13
This week we learn that when we pray, “give us today our daily bread” we are assuming our dependence on God and recognizing that we can do nothing outside of Him. We are inherently needy creatures that rely on a source of energy that is outside of ourselves in order to survive. And even though we cannot meet our needs on our own, we still tend to be greedy and even become ungrateful when God does not meet the needs that we think are our top priorities.
God provides all that we need, but sometimes what we think we need, God knows will derail us. The needs we bring to God reveal what is most important to us, and while God loves to provide for us, He is not in the business of sponsoring our idols. We need to switch our mindsets to understand that Jesus is our daily bread and because of that he is our provider, our portion, and we have plenty. We should not worry about tomorrow, because our God is able to supply our needs today.
- What needs are keeping you up at night that God is able to give you?
- Who can be changed because of your surplus?
- Give…
Catch up on earlier Teach Us to Pray sermons: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5
by admin | Jun 15, 2020 | Sermon Audio and Notes, Teach Us To Pray
5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
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.
Matthew 6:5-13
This week we are learning to pray, “your will be done.” Emma teaches us that actually, this is not just about praying, but it is more about the posture of our hearts and about the way we live our lives. Two things happen when we start to pray “your will be done.” First, we must surrender our own wills and wants to the Father knowing that He knows us deeply and intimately. And then, when we have surrendered what we want, we are able to trust the outcome to the God of the universe.
When we are able to surrender our wills and place them in the loving hands of the Father, we are acknowledging that He is better equipped to handle our desires. As humans, we are small, singular, self-centered, and survival-oriented. Our basic instinct is to make sure we are taken care of at all times. This limits our capacity to see things the way that God sees them. God is big, connected to everything, cares about all of creation, and is sacrificial and oriented towards flourishing. This makes Him much more capable of handling our cares and concerns because He is able to see the bigger picture.
- Ask: Where are my survival mechanisms working away without me being aware of them? What is one area of my life where I very clearly know what it is that I want to have happen, where I know exactly what MY will is?
- Surrender: Ask the Spirit of God to help you truly surrender your will and grow your desire for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven.
- Trust: Ask the Spirit of God to help you, comfort you, and assure you as you hold onto “God’s will be done” even when, as when our Christ was murdered on that cross, the outworking of God’s will sure look like the enemy is winning.
Catch up on earlier Teach Us to Pray sermons: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4
by admin | Jun 8, 2020 | Sermon Audio and Notes, Teach Us To Pray
5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
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.
Matthew 6:5-10
This week we are focusing on the phrase of the Lord’s prayer “Your Kingdom Come.” Prayer allows us to know ourselves, and to know God, on a more intimate level. We learn that we, here on earth, all live in kingdoms: either the kingdom of light with God, or the kingdom of darkness without God. Each of these kingdoms function differently, have different values, and different pursuits. Without God’s Kingdom coming to earth, we can do nothing.
So, when we pray, “Your Kingdom Come” we are submitting ourselves to the will and love of God. We are agreeing to serve the King of the Kingdom of Light and we realize that it is actually an honor to serve Him. Ultimately, when we pray and come in agreement with “Your Kingdom Come” we in return receive encouragement and comfort.
- Where are you seeing brokenness that is hurting you? This is where Jesus is inviting you to pray: let your kingdom come.
- PRAY that God’s Kingdom (healing, salvation, redemption, love, protection, grace, wholeness…) come in that area.
Catch up on earlier Teach Us to Pray sermons: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3
by admin | May 31, 2020 | Sermon Audio and Notes, Teach Us To Pray
5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
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.
Matthew 6:5-13
This week we are looking at the second line of the Lord’s Prayer: “hallowed by your name.” Throughout the Bible, and even today, we know that names are important because they hold meaning. To “hallow” the Lord’s name means to hold it sacred, to give it honor, and to recognize that it cannot be boxed. It also reveals to us the reverence, purity, and power that is the name of God. Thus, when we pray, we should know to whom we are praying to: the all-mighty, all-pwoerful, and all-loving God.
When we come to understand to whom we are praying, and interesting thing happens. Our hearts desires start to align with who God is because our struggles are being reordered to fall beneath the Great Name of God. Pastor Yami revealed to us that “the name of our struggles are not even comparable to the Name of God” so we can come to God with the full confidence in His power to bring about change. We are no longer slaves to our struggles because they are no match for our God.
- What are the names of the things troubling you right now?
- Where do you need to start recognizing who God is?
Catch up on earlier Teach Us to Pray sermons: Week 1, Week 2
by admin | May 19, 2020 | Sermon Audio and Notes, Teach Us To Pray
5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
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.
Matthew 6:5-9
This week we are looking at Jesus’ model of how to pray and really zooming in just on the first sentence: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed by your name.” This single sentence can seem simple, yet its implications are quite profound. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice for us, we are now adopted into His family, making us heirs with Christ. This is remarkable considering that we as humans, are sinful beings and thus should be eternally separated from God. But God loved us so much that He made a way for us to be reconciled back to Him, even going as far as adopting us into His very family.
Now, because of our new status as sons and daughters of the Most High, we are able to come to our Father with a childlike posture. This means, we don’t need to start our prayers like we are strangers to God, but rather with the confidence knowing that He fully understands the cost of our adoption, and still chooses to love us every day. When we pray “Our Father” there is authority, affection, fellowship, and honor between God and us which disarms all of the selfish, prideful, or angry feelings that we may holding onto.
- What gives your confidence when you pray? Is it how good you are are praying or your relationship with God?
- Examine your motivation when you pray or when you don’t pray – is it because it is a task or a delight?
Catch up on earlier Teach Us to Pray sermons: Week 1
by admin | May 10, 2020 | Sermon Audio and Notes, Teach Us To Pray
5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
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.
Matthew 6:5-8
This week we start a new message series called “Teach Us To Pray” where we will be unpacking different elements of prayer and redefining how it impacts our daily lives. This message encourages us to see prayer as a way to intentionally choose to invite God into what is going on inside of our bodies, hearts, minds, and souls. When God invites us to pray, He is a father figure wanting to hear from His kids, and it is important for us to remember that He actually wants to be a part of doing life with us.
We also find out that we need to unlearn some of the unhelpful ways that others have taught us how to pray. Prayer is not about showing off or about competing with someone else’s prayer, so there should be no pressure for prayer to be a performance. It also might be tempting to only go to God when times get tough, but it is important for us to always be including God is our lives, especially the times of celebration. Finally, at it’s core, prayer is about listening and responding to God. It’s about a relationship with your Heavenly Father.
- What is your prayer life revealing about who God is to you? Is He someone to trick into giving you things or is He a Father?
- What burdens are you carrying because you are not really sure if God is able to hear you?
- What is one thing you need to give up this week to receive God’s invitation into a better prayer life?
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