Lord's Prayer

Scripture Texts: Matthew 6:7-8, 31-34; John 14:13

The Question.

Matthew 6:7-8 “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.

To the casual reader of this verse it’s possible to think there is a contradiction in Jesus’ words.  On the one hand Jesus says, “When you pray” and on the other hand he says, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”  This second statement begs the question, “Why pray if God already knows what we need before we ask?”

Before I answer that question, I want to make the question harder to answer.  In other words, I want to be absolutely clear God really is sovereign and He really does know all things, control all things and has power over all things.  Listen to God’s own Word about His sovereignty.

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Text: Luke 11:1-13

I remember the conversation well.  It was one of those awkward conversations, kind of like between a student and a principal, or between a young driver and a policeman.  It wasn’t a familiar, casual, easy kind of conversation.  It was halting, stilted, stumbling, groping.  I felt insecure, my words seemed inadequate.  I was a rookie, a novice and I felt it.

It was June 10, 1972 in the evening on a rock at Malibu, the Young Life camp in British Columbia.  It was quiet, I was alone.  We were supposed to talk to God, get real about our lives and where things stood.  Like I said, it was an awkward conversation.  I hadn’t really tried to talk to God in any kind of real way like this before and certainly not about things so personal.

It felt strange talking to someone you can’t see or hear, like talking to the air.  And what do you say?  By God’s grace and I believe by His Spirit’s enabling, I was able to say, “God, I surrender, I give up, I want you to be the Lord of my life.  I have sinned and I need a Savior.  Please take over.  Not my will but your will be done.”  Not those words exactly, but words to that effect.  A humble, simple crying out to God.

It was a novice’s prayer.  A simple conversation between a creature and the Creator, a needy dependent soul and an all powerful provider and sustainer.

That’s the impetus for most prayer, a clearly defined sense of inadequacy and dependence.  The greater the sense of need the greater the seeking.  Prayer is the place for hurting, needy, broken, searching, struggling people.  It’s the oasis in the wilderness; it’s the rest stop on the highway of our lives.  It’s the break room in the midst of our work and labor; it’s the calm in the storm.

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