THE MANNER TO PRAY

Matt 6:9-13 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as [it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

This prayer is a pattern and skeleton framework of how to pray.

• It is not to be repeated word for word, but to be used as a basis for prayer.
• We begin be praising God, for the prayer begins by saying, "Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name."
• So we begin praying by worshipping God first before we ask anything.
• But Jesus revealed more than just that in this passage.
• The Lord revealed to me, while I was praying, that Jesus explained detailingly each section of this prayer, and what it meant in the following verses.
• From Matthew 6:19 - 7:29, we have a detailed explanation of what Jesus meant in each section of the prayer.
• Let us study that explanation so our prayers can be more effective.

I. Our Father who ART IN HEAVEN. (vv. 19-23).

The first section of the prayer which Jesus explains is the issue of HEAVEN.

Matt 6:19-23 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

• In this section, Jesus is explaining the issue of HEAVEN in the Lord's Prayer.
• He is saying that we must to the Father who is HEAVEN.
• He is directing us away from this world and this earth to look to HEAVEN instead.
• And He describes the differences between HEAVEN and EARTH.
• HEAVEN is a spiritual plain.
• It is the place where nothing can be lost or ruined.
• Moth and rust cannot corrupt anything there.
• Target your heart to Heaven.
• Become spiritually minded.
• Heaven is the SPIRITUAL REALM.
• When Jesus said lay up treasures in Heaven, He is showing that He has our best interests in mind.
• He wants us to retain treasures.
• So He tells us to lay them up in heaven, because they will never fade away if they are in heaven.
• What He means is that we will get our hearts set on anything we wish, and whatever we choose will become our great desire.
• You can do that with a house or even a car.
• But when that thing in the world fades away and grows old, we will have just a memory.
• This world fades away, and all that is in it.
• Choose to treasure things in the Spirit.
• DESIRE things in heaven.
• The spiritual realm has all our needs.
• We must get out of this low, earthly weak world, and look HIGHER. (AIM A LITTLE HIGHER).

Matt 6:22-23 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

• THE EYE.
• The eye is DESIRE.
• Get your desires directed to heaven.
• A single desire is a desire that is not half directed to the world and half to the spiritual.
• A SPLIT desire is looking at the world and at God.
• ATTENTION.
• When our desire is in Heaven, our prayers will be very effective.

II. OUR FATHER who art in heaven (vv. 24-32).

• Next is the aspect of OUR FATHER.
• In this section Jesus begins saying that we cannot serve two masters.
• When we come to God, we must come to God as our only Master.
• If you really are not serving God, you will get nowhere in prayer.
• Verse 25 increases our faith.
• Since God is our Father, we do not even need to consider clothing and food needs.
• We do not even need to pray about these things.
• Why would Jesus tell us to take no thought for these things if we are supposed to beg Him for them?
• MATERIAL NEEDS are not what prayer is all about.
• Every part of this prayer is a spiritual request.
• God feeds fowl of the air and clothes lilies of the field, and HE LOVES US MORE THAN THOSE THINGS.
• Do the birds ask for food or the flowers ask to be clothed? NO.
• Verse 27 compares growth with our needs.
• Did we grow by thinking ourselves taller?
• Or did we grow without any effort?
• We grew when we were supposed to grow.
• So it is with our needs of daily life.
• We will get them.
• Verse 30 says "O ye of little faith."
• You are praying to FATHER.
• He calls Him FATHER for a reason, to build your faith.
• When you start realizing that your Father cares for you more than any earthly father ever could, then you have great faith to pray!!!
• No request has been mentioned yet, because you need faith to request something from God before you ask.
• We will say, "Wow! I see how He is my FATHER and WANTS to take care of his children, so now I know what I pray for will come to pass!"
• Verse 32 says the GENTILES seek these things.
• Sinners.
• Who are not God's children.
• Only born again Christians are God's children (Gala 4:5-5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.)

III. THY KINGDOM COME (v. 33)

• The first request is for the Kingdom of our Father to come.
• "Matt 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
• SEEK first the Kingdom of God
• The first request was THY KINGDOM COME.
• What is God's Kingdom?

Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

• Seek first the KINGDOM of God AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS
• The Kingdom IS HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.
• HIS righteousness, not our own.

Isai 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

• PEACE
• In Romans 14, where we read of PEACE being God's Kingdom, Paul is trying to say that PEACE BETWEEN OURSELVES AND OTHERS is what we should be striving for.
• Some people are TROUBLEMAKERS.
• They cannot get along with people who are a bit different in views than they are.
• They have No tolerance.
• Blessed are the PEACEMAKERS (Matt 5:9).
• Paul said in Romans 14 that we must not hurt another brother or sister by doing something which they honestly believe is wrong.

Romans 14:14-19 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. Let not then your good be evil spoken of: For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

• Since this is part of the Lord's prayer, Jesus is telling us to PRAY that we be like this.
• Make your first request the righteousness of God, being a peacemaker, and having JOY in the Holy Ghost.
• Pray for these things first!
• THEY are most important.

IV. THY WILL BE DONE IN EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN (7:1-6).

Matt 7:1-6 Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

• The WILL of God has always been to LOVE GOD and LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF.
• The greatest of all commandments.

Matt 22:37-39 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

• Jesus said JUDGE NOT that ye be not judged.
• We must pray to have the LOVE FOR GOD AND PEOPLE.
• You cannot have that without the Spirit.
• Human love is not that great.
• Love is the FIRST fruit OF THE SPIRIT.

Gala 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

• And if we pray for God's will to be done, we will love and therefore not judge.
• Verse 3 says, "Why behold the mote in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam in thine own eye?"
• CRITICISM of others' spirituality is the greatest problem anyone could have.
• CRITICISM that is not of God is a BEAM compared to a mote.
• Some people never see fault in themselves.
• Only in others.
• The spiritual man and woman will not even notice other people's faults because they are so overwhelmingly aware of their own.
• Spiritual people LOVE others.
• IN EARTH as it is IN HEAVEN.
• God made man from two extremely different things and put them together to make man.

Gene 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

1) DUST OF GROUND - (FLESH)

2) BREATH OF LIFE - (SPIRIT)

Eccl 12:6-7 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

• When we die, the dust and spirit returns to their sources.
• The dust which made our flesh is the EARTH.
• The spirit is the HEAVEN.
• God's will has no problem with our spirits, for they are one with God (1 Cor 6:17).
• But our problem is the flesh.
• The earth.
• God's will must be done in this earth as it is in heaven.
• His will must be done in my flesh as it is already in my spirit.
• LOVE.

V. GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD (7:7-11)

Jesus said, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"

• Who are we praying to? FATHER.
• Jesus increases our faith again.
• "What man is there of you, whom if HIS SON ASK BREAD, will he give him a stone?"
• Give us this day our daily bread.
• YOUR FATHER WILL GIVE YOU WHAT YOU ASK FOR, BECAUSE HE CARES.
• For everyone that asketh receiveth.
• Pray for strength for the day.
• Daily bread gives strength.
• Pray that God strengthen you and speak to you in the Word of God.
• The Bible.
• Your BREAD.

VI. FORGIVE US AS WE FORGIVE THOSE (7:12).

Matt 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

• If we want forgiveness, then we had better forgive others, too.
• This is so important that it is the only things in the prayer Jesus repeats after the prayer.

Matt 6:14-15 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

• You must forgive if you want to be forgiven.
• Do unto others what you have done unto you.
• PRAY to be forgiving person.
• PRAY to be forgiven of things you have done wrong.
• But that does not mean you can do them again and simply get forgiveness again.
• We make mistakes, and they are forgiven, but not things we do purposely not by mistake.

VI. LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION (7:13-14).

Matt 7:13-14 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

• Lead us not into temptation.
• To be LED is to WALK a certain path.
• The path we must pray to walk is the STRAIGHT and NARROW PATH.
• We walk paths just as we are told to be led not into temptation.
• There is a PATH OF TEMPTATION which is broad and many go in that way.
• Pray, "God do not let me follow temptation and walk the road that is broad where the world is walking."
• The wide path LEADS to destruction.
• TEMPTATION leads to destruction.
• LEAD ME NOT into temptation.
• Both 6:13 and 7:13-14 speak of being LED.
• KEEP ME IN THE TRUTH!
• I was in a service once and in prayer after service, I prayed for God to never let me fall into sin and false doctrine. Two men came over to pray with me from the other side of the building. They prayed that God would keep me true. GOD HEARD MY PRAYER and spoke to those men to pray the same prayer with me!
• So many are losing their faith and going into other beliefs.
• We must pray for God to keep us in the truth.

VII. BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL (7:15-20).

Matt 7:15-20 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

• Deliver us from evil.
• BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS.
• Jesus said deliver us from "EVIL" and then explained that by saying He meant false prophets and THEIR EVIL FRUIT.
• Eve ate evil fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
• She was DECEIVED into thinking it was right for her.
• False prophets DECEIVE.
• By their FRUITS we shall know them.
• So Jesus said to pray that we KNOW WHO IS FALSE AND WHO IS TRUE.
• Pray to beware of false prophets.
• Pray to be able to recognize false doctrine.
• LOOK AT THEIR LIVES.
• Someone who would just as soon strike you as say "Praise the Lord" is a false prophet.
• Hatred and envy are bad fruit.

Matt 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

• Thorns and thistles.
• Sharp people.
• Sting you easily.

VIII. FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM, THE POWER AND THE GLORY FOR EVER (7:21-29)

Matt 7:21-29 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

• Jesus goes back to beginning and mentions "the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."
• We pray all these things because the FATHER'S KINGDOM is for ever.
• That is why we pray to the father.
• FOR thine is the Kingdom...
• "I pray this because your Kingdom is eternal."
• This world is soon going to be gone.
• But God's Kingdom is for ever.
• That is why Jesus said, "Not every one who says 'Lord, Lord" shall enter into heaven.
• This is about prayer.
• NOT EVERY PRAYER IS REAL PRAYER.
• People say "Lord, Lord" when they pray.
• Jesus just explained what REAL PRAYER WAS.
• And if we pray like THIS, He said we are like a wise man who built His house on the rock.
• God KINGDOM is like a ROCK which shall never fall.
• It is forever.
• And if we pray like this, as we have learned tonight, then we shall never fall.
• We cannot fall because we have prayed for all the things we need to keep us.
• 1. God's KINGDOM to come
• PEACE and His righteousness - get along with people.
• 2. His WILL to love Him and people.
• 3. Daily bread to keep us strong.
• 4. Forgiveness for things which may lead to bad sin if we do not find forgiveness.
• Forgiveness keeps God's hand on our lives.
• He will not bless lives who have sinned and not been forgiven.
• 5. Be led on the straight path, not broad.
• 6. Be aware of false prophets.

• How can we fall if we pray for these things and get them?
• God's kingdom will last forever, while the earth will soon be gone.
• I want to stay with the Kingdom that shall never fall.

Hebr 12:25-28 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain FOOL BUILT HOUSE ON SAND AND WAS SHAKEN. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved WISE BUILT HOUSE ON ROCK AND WAS NOT SHAKEN, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

• God's Kingdom cannot be moved.
• A man who prays not like this is a fool building a house on sand.
• He does not pray for bread to keep him strong and for all the things listed.
• He is depending on his own wits to keep him going, our own wits are not great enough to do that.
• We need prayer.
• We need protection from demon-possessed false prophets to know what is wrong in their words.