1 "Beware of practicing your righteousness before
men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no
reward with your Father who is in heaven. 2 "So
when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet
before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues
and in the streets, so that they may be honored by
men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in
full. 3 "But when you give to the poor, do not let
your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4
so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father
who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
Two different motives, two different methods
“before men to be noticed by them” “so that they
may be honored by men”
VS.
“and your Father who sees what is done in secret
will reward you”
5 "When you pray, you are not to be like the
hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the
synagogues and on the street corners so that they
may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have
their reward in full. 6 "But you, when you pray, go
into your inner room, close your door and pray to
your Father who is in secret, and your Father who
sees what is done in secret will reward you.
7 "And when you are praying, do not use
meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they
suppose that they will be heard for their many
words. 8 "So do not be like them; for your Father
knows what you need before you ask Him.
Mark 1:35 In the early morning, while it was still
dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away
to a secluded place, and was praying there.
Luke 5:16 But Jesus Himself would often slip away
to the wilderness and pray.
Luke 6:12 It was at this time that He went off to the
mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in
prayer to God.
God’s foreknowledge & sovereign use of prayer
James 4:2 … You do not have because you do not
ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask
with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on
your pleasures.
• some prayers aren’t God’s will, won’t be granted
• but main reason we do not have is because we do
not pray!.
God’s foreknowledge & sovereign use of prayer
1. God knows in advance whether you’ll choose to
pray
2. God’s decided in advance to grant what you pray
for (some of it!)
God’s foreknowledge & sovereign use of prayer
3. If God had known in advance that you would not
pray:
He would have arranged in advance
for some things you SHOULD have prayed for
to NOT happen!
9 "Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who is in
heaven, Hallowed [holy] 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.
Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in
everything by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known to
God.
1 Timothy 6:8 If we have food and covering, with
these we shall be content.
12 'And forgive us our debts, as we also have
forgiven our debtors.
Colossians 2:13 When you were dead in your
transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
He made you alive together with Him, having
forgiven us all our transgressions, 14 having
canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of
decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He
has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the
cross.
12 'And forgive us our debts, as we also have
forgiven our debtors. …
14 "For if you forgive others for their transgressions,
your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 "But if
you do not forgive others, then your Father will not
forgive your transgressions.
Case 1:
Genuine Christian temporarily not forgiving.
Result: God will not hear your prayers until you
forgive.
Psalm 66:18 If I regard wickedness in my heart,
The Lord will not hear;
Case 2:
Absolutely refuse to forgive.
Result: Shows you’re not really a Christian; your
own sins will be charged against you in hell.
If it’s hard to forgive someone, ask the Holy Spirit to
show you your own sins more clearly.
13 'And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver
us from evil. …
God doesn’t tempt:
James 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I
am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be
tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt
anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is
carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then
when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and
when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.
God does allow testing:
Matthew 4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit
into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
.
God always gives a way out:
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken
you but such as is common to man; and God is
faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted
beyond what you are able, but with the temptation
will provide the way of escape also, so that you will
be able to endure it.
Matthew 26:41 "Keep watching and praying that
you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is
willing, but the flesh is weak.”
13 … {For Yours is the kingdom and the power and
the glory forever. Amen.}’
1 Chronicles 29:10 So David blessed the LORD in
the sight of all the assembly; and David said,
"Blessed are You, O LORD God of Israel our father,
forever and ever. 11 "Yours, O LORD, is the
greatness and the power and the glory and the
victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in
the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O
LORD, and You exalt Yourself as head over all.
.
Only use top half.