Prayer and the Poor

Savior and Teacher: A Study of Matthew PART 16
Dr. Timothy Keller
27 May 2012

Matthew 6:1-15
1"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them.  If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men.  I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.  3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret.  Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

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.  6But 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.  7And when you pray, do not keep babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.  8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

9"This is then how you should pray:
10'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not in temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.'
14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  15But if you don not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

FOUNDATION
--Don't pray and do good works for pride and self congratulation.
--Don't try to control God through moral actions.
--God rewards you as a Father--so it's not a conditional relationship.
--Prayer is about relationship---not about asking for things.
--Based on adoration.
--Grace based familial relationship with God.

SUBSTANCE
--Adoring language of intimacy.
--Plunging yourself into the fullness of God.
--Acceptance - THY will be done!
--Romans 8:28
--Accepting the good, bad, and things I don't understand.
--Asking or strength to face the challenges.
--Resolution for guilty feelings and behavior.
--Lack of forgiveness means a lack of repentance.
--Repentance means rebelling against the evil status quo--God did not create the world as it is now; it got this way through sin; He will put things right.
--Prayer connects us with that future.
--Prayer allows us to be an agent of change.

KEY
--Father, forgive them is the ultimate Lord's prayer because it was prayed by Jesus who was free and clear of sin--It was a prayer for us!