God confronts
Mathew 6:5-15
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.
“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. ”14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Jesus teaches that we should
not pray like the Gentiles or like the hypocritical Jews who
1.) pray to gain the favor or attention of men and not to seek the secret attention of God.
2.) pray with vain words thinking they will be heard because their many words not knowing God already knows why they are coming to Him. (In other words no matter how eloquently we place our request for health wealth or prosperity He will answer us according to our needs not our DESIRES.)
Jesus teaches that when we pray we should acknowledge God as our Father. (the idea that God has shown us favor and called us his children) At the same time we are to acknowledge the Holiness of the Father, seeking His will for our lives and seeking His kingdom above all else. He teaches that it is appropriate and good to pray for the Father to provide basic physical provision. Also that we should pray asking our Father to forgive our debts (with the added condition ‘as we forgive those who are indebted to us’).
Jesus adds that we should ask the Father (because of our weakness!!) not lead us into temptation but to deliver us from evil or the evil one.
Jesus adds a footnote to the end of his discussion on prayer focusing on the petition for forgiveness that should make us tremble: “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
God confronts
So before we go to confess our sins and seek forgiveness from our Father let us make sure we have sought the forgiveness of those we have sinned against and have called to repentance and have granted forgiveness to those who have sinned against us.
God’s people confess“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. ”
God renews covenant I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to YHWH,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Psalm 32:5
This is the testimony of David. He acknowledges his sin, he repents he turns to YHWH and YHWH, it says forgave the iniquity of David’s sin. If you have acknowledged your sin to your Father and repented He also says to you, “
I love you! I have forgiven the iniquity of your sin!”
Congregation: THANKS BE TO GOD!