Embracing Intimacy: The Heart of Christian Prayer

 

Summary

In Matthew 6:6-15, Jesus provides profound insights into the nature of prayer, emphasizing the unique relationship Christians have with God. Jesus instructs us to pray in a manner that is intimate and personal, addressing God as "Our Father." This signifies a familial relationship rather than a transactional one. Unlike the pagan approach, which relies on many words and rituals to be heard, Christian prayer is based on the understanding that God already knows our needs and desires a relationship with us as His children.

The essence of Christian prayer is rooted in the doctrine of adoption. When we accept Christ, we are adopted into God's family, not because of our efforts or merits, but through His grace. This adoption changes our status from outsiders to beloved children, granting us access to God with confidence and trust. Jesus contrasts this with a business-like relationship, where interactions are based on performance and merit. Instead, our relationship with God is unconditional, based on His love and commitment to us.

Prayer, therefore, is not just about asking for things but about aligning ourselves with God's will and experiencing His presence. It involves praise, petition, and submission, all grounded in the understanding of our identity as God's children. This perspective transforms our prayer life, making it warm, personal, and filled with trust, rather than cold, mechanical, or anxious.

Understanding this relationship changes how we approach God. We are encouraged to be persistent and bold in our requests, knowing that as a loving Father, God desires to provide for us. This approach fosters a spirit of praise and wonder, recognizing that everything we receive is a gift from God, not something we earn.

Key Takeaways:

1. Intimacy in Prayer: Jesus teaches us to approach God as "Our Father," emphasizing a personal and intimate relationship rather than a transactional one. This familial bond allows us to pray with confidence, knowing that God already knows our needs and desires a relationship with us. [18:40]

2. Doctrine of Adoption: Being a Christian means being adopted into God's family, not through our efforts but by His grace. This adoption changes our status and grants us the rights and privileges of being God's children, allowing us to approach Him with trust and assurance. [19:30]

3. Contrast with Pagan Prayer: Unlike pagan prayer, which relies on rituals and many words, Christian prayer is based on a relationship with God. It is not about earning God's favor through performance but about experiencing His love and grace as His children. [13:17]

4. Persistence in Prayer: Jesus encourages us to be persistent and bold in our prayers, knowing that God, as a loving Father, desires to provide for us. This persistence is not about demanding but about trusting in God's goodness and timing. [30:22]

5. Spirit of Praise and Wonder: A true understanding of our relationship with God leads to a spirit of praise and wonder. Recognizing that everything we receive is a gift from God fosters gratitude and adoration, transforming our prayer life into one of joy and thanksgiving. [26:06]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:21] - Introduction to Prayer
- [00:38] - The Lord's Prayer
- [01:10] - Jesus as the Way to God
- [01:51] - Unique Christian Prayer
- [02:23] - Pagan vs. Christian Prayer
- [03:26] - Basis of Prayer
- [05:01] - Understanding True Prayer
- [06:23] - Employing True Prayer
- [08:34] - Business vs. Family Relationship
- [12:52] - Test of Prayer Basis
- [15:27] - Adoption into God's Family
- [18:40] - Our Father: The Foundation
- [22:32] - Doctrine of Adoption in Prayer
- [30:22] - Persistence and Trust in Prayer

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
- Matthew 6:6-15
- John 1:12
- Hebrews 4:14-16

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#### Observation Questions
1. What does Jesus instruct us to do when we pray, according to Matthew 6:6-15? How does this differ from the pagan approach to prayer? [00:21]
2. In the sermon, what are the two different bases on which people can approach God, and how does Jesus describe them? [04:25]
3. How does the sermon describe the difference between a business relationship and a family relationship with God? [09:15]
4. What does the sermon say about the role of adoption in our relationship with God? [19:30]

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#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does understanding God as "Our Father" change the way Christians approach prayer compared to other religious practices? [18:40]
2. What implications does the doctrine of adoption have for a Christian's identity and relationship with God? [19:30]
3. How does the sermon suggest that persistence in prayer reflects our trust in God's goodness and timing? [30:22]
4. In what ways does the sermon suggest that a spirit of praise and wonder should be a natural response to understanding our relationship with God? [26:06]

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#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your own prayer life. Do you approach God more like a boarder or a child? What changes can you make to align more with the familial relationship Jesus describes? [15:27]
2. How can you incorporate the understanding of being adopted into God's family into your daily life and interactions with others? [19:30]
3. Think of a recent situation where you felt anxious or cold in your prayers. How might viewing God as a loving Father change your perspective in similar situations? [14:07]
4. Identify a specific area in your life where you need to be more persistent in prayer. How can you practice shameless persistence as Jesus encourages? [30:22]
5. Consider how often you express praise and wonder in your prayers. What practical steps can you take to cultivate a spirit of gratitude and adoration in your relationship with God? [26:06]
6. How can you remind yourself daily of the grace and love that comes with being a child of God, especially during challenging times? [19:30]
7. Reflect on a time when you felt like you had to "earn" God's favor. How can you shift your mindset to embrace the unconditional love and acceptance that comes from being part of God's family? [21:34]

Devotional

Day 1: Intimacy with God in Prayer
Prayer is not merely a ritual or a list of requests; it is an intimate conversation with God, our Father. Jesus teaches us to approach God with the familiarity and trust of a child speaking to a loving parent. This relationship is not based on our performance or eloquence but on the understanding that God already knows our needs and desires a deep connection with us. By addressing God as "Our Father," we acknowledge the personal and familial bond we share with Him, which transforms our prayer life from a transactional interaction to a warm and trusting dialogue. [18:40]

Matthew 7:7-8 (ESV): "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened."

Reflection: How can you cultivate a more intimate and personal relationship with God in your prayer life today?


Day 2: Adoption into God's Family
The doctrine of adoption is central to understanding our identity as Christians. When we accept Christ, we are adopted into God's family, not because of our own efforts or merits, but through His grace. This adoption changes our status from outsiders to beloved children, granting us the rights and privileges of approaching God with confidence and trust. Unlike a business-like relationship based on performance, our relationship with God is unconditional, rooted in His love and commitment to us. This understanding allows us to pray with assurance, knowing that we are cherished members of God's family. [19:30]

Ephesians 1:5-6 (ESV): "He predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved."

Reflection: In what ways does knowing you are adopted into God's family change how you approach Him in prayer?


Day 3: The Simplicity of Christian Prayer
Christian prayer is distinct from pagan practices that rely on rituals and many words to be heard. Jesus emphasizes that our prayers should be grounded in a relationship with God, not in attempts to earn His favor through performance. God already knows our needs and desires to shower us with His love and grace as His children. This understanding frees us from anxiety and allows us to experience the simplicity and beauty of prayer as a heartfelt conversation with our Creator. [13:17]

Ecclesiastes 5:2 (ESV): "Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few."

Reflection: How can you simplify your prayer life to focus more on your relationship with God rather than on the words you use?


Day 4: Persistence and Trust in Prayer
Jesus encourages us to be persistent and bold in our prayers, knowing that God, as a loving Father, desires to provide for us. This persistence is not about demanding our way but about trusting in God's goodness and timing. By continually bringing our requests to God, we demonstrate our faith in His ability to meet our needs and our willingness to wait for His perfect timing. This approach fosters a deeper trust in God's character and His plans for our lives. [30:22]

Luke 18:1-8 (ESV): "And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, 'In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, "Give me justice against my adversary."'"

Reflection: What is one area in your life where you need to persist in prayer, trusting in God's timing and provision?


Day 5: A Spirit of Praise and Wonder
Understanding our relationship with God leads to a spirit of praise and wonder. Recognizing that everything we receive is a gift from God fosters gratitude and adoration, transforming our prayer life into one of joy and thanksgiving. As we align ourselves with God's will and experience His presence, our prayers become an expression of our awe and appreciation for His goodness and grace. This perspective shifts our focus from what we lack to the abundance of blessings we have received from our loving Father. [26:06]

Psalm 103:1-5 (ESV): "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."

Reflection: How can you incorporate more praise and gratitude into your daily prayers, acknowledging God's gifts and presence in your life?

Quotes

When you approach anyone, whether you know it or not, in most the time we don't know it, you make implicit assumptions about the basis on which you're approaching that person. When you approach anyone for an exchange, anyone for an interaction, anyone for a give-and-take, you have to have some basis on which you're approaching that person. [06:37]

Jesus Christ is showing us here that fundamentally there are only two basic ways you go to God. Now, when we think about this, this is the same two basic ways we deal with each other. And even though, and I'm sure afterwards when we have a question-and-answer time, some of you're going to come down and talk to me about gradations. [08:26]

You can have a business relationship with somebody or let's call a family relationship with somebody. In a business relationship, the basis is I have something for you. That's the basis, what I have for you. In a family relationship, the basis is what I am to you. In a business relationship, the basis is performance. [08:56]

The way the business paradigm is supposed to work is if you perform okay, you'll be accepted. The way the family paradigm supposed to work is since you're accepted, you should perform. Two completely different paradigms, two completely different ways of doing things. Now, Jesus says you can either approach God on a business basis or on a family basis. [12:26]

Jesus is giving you a test to see on what basis you go to God. He says you will babble, your words will be, you babble and your words will be many. Now, these are kind of interesting, these two. You know, in the old King James Bible, it says they heap up empty phrases and they think they will be heard for their vain repetitions. [13:14]

If you get angry, you feel like God is not coming through and I deserve because I've been a good person, I've been paying the rent. Or if you get guilty, you feel like I guess I've been letting down, I haven't been paying the rent. But in either case, you prove that you're a boarder, not a child. [14:40]

A Christian is someone who says God come into my life, be my father. I am not worthy of your favor, but Jesus Christ lived the life I should have lived and died the death I should have died. And as a result of, on the basis of what he has done, be my father. Those are two different paradigms. [15:27]

The Fatherhood of God, your understanding that you are an adopted child of God, is the very essence of what it means to be a Christian. Listen, John chapter one verse 12 says as many as received Jesus and who believed on his name, he gave authority to become children of God. What does it mean to be a Christian? [18:58]

Adoption is not a change in nature or behavior, not at right at first, right? If you adopt an unruly child and you love and discipline that child properly, the child's behavior will change, but not at first. But the minute you adopt a child, the essential change is not one of behavior or nature, it's a status change. [19:54]

You must saturate yourself with the fact that you have been legally adopted by God's act, not by your act, that he is committed to you as he is to his own natural son. When Jesus starts the Lord's Prayer, our Father, he says you've got to get that out every time you have any dealing with God at all. [22:35]

Jesus Christ throughout, not only here but everywhere else, says that it's the job of the Christian to bug God for your needs. He says in Luke 11, you can read there's a parable there and he tells us be persistent, and the word persistent is a Greek word that should be translated shameless, impertinent. [30:22]

The only person that dares to wake a king up at 3:00 a.m. for a glass of water is a child. What would be impertinent and what would be rude and what would be shameless and overly aggressive demandingness in anybody else is natural and normal and acceptable behavior for a little child toward his parent. [31:59]

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Transcript
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