Intimacy in Prayer: Embracing God as Our Father
Summary
### Summary
Today, we conclude our five-week series on prayer by delving into Jesus' instructions to His disciples on how to pray, as found in Matthew 6:5-15. Prayer is not a casual activity but a core aspect of our Christian life. Jesus begins by teaching us to address God as "Our Father," a revolutionary concept that emphasizes a close, intimate relationship with God, unlike the distant, transactional relationships seen in other religions and cultures. This approach to God as a loving Father changes the dynamics of our prayer life, making it more personal and heartfelt.
Jesus' model prayer, often called the Lord's Prayer, starts with adoration: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name." This sets the tone for reverence and worship. It then moves to submission to God's will: "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." This teaches us to align our desires with God's purposes. The prayer also includes a petition for daily needs: "Give us today our daily bread," highlighting our dependence on God for sustenance. It continues with a plea for forgiveness: "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors," reminding us of the importance of forgiving others as we seek God's forgiveness. Finally, it asks for guidance and protection: "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."
The sermon also touched on the often-overlooked practice of fasting, which deepens our relationship with God, seeks spiritual breakthroughs, expresses repentance, and practices self-discipline. Fasting, like prayer, is a way to draw closer to God and align our lives with His will.
### Key Takeaways
1. Intimacy with God as Our Father: Jesus introduced a revolutionary way to address God—as our Father. This signifies a close, intimate relationship rather than a distant, transactional one. It emphasizes that God is not just a deity to be appeased but a loving Father who desires a personal relationship with us. This changes the way we approach prayer, making it more heartfelt and genuine. [07:11]
2. Aligning Our Will with God's Will: The phrase "Your kingdom come, your will be done" teaches us to align our desires and plans with God's purposes. It challenges us to surrender our own ambitions and seek God's will in our lives. This alignment is not about passivity but about actively pursuing God's kingdom and His righteousness in all that we do. [10:38]
3. Dependence on God for Daily Needs: Asking for "daily bread" reminds us of our dependence on God for our everyday needs. In a world where self-sufficiency is often glorified, this petition teaches us to rely on God daily. It echoes the wisdom of Proverbs 30:8-9, which warns against the dangers of both wealth and poverty, urging us to seek just enough to keep us reliant on God. [14:13]
4. The Importance of Forgiveness: Forgiving others as we seek God's forgiveness is a central theme in the Lord's Prayer. It challenges us to let go of grudges and extend grace, just as we have received grace from God. This act of forgiveness is not just a command but a reflection of God's own forgiveness towards us, emphasizing the transformative power of grace in our lives. [27:00]
5. The Role of Fasting in Spiritual Growth: Fasting is a powerful, yet often neglected, spiritual discipline that deepens our relationship with God. It can be used to seek spiritual breakthroughs, express repentance, and practice self-discipline. Fasting shifts our focus from physical needs to spiritual growth, helping us to draw closer to God and align our lives with His will. [21:25]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[01:49] - Recap of Previous Sermons on Prayer
[03:23] - Jesus Teaches How to Pray
[05:08] - Addressing God as Father
[07:11] - The Revolutionary Concept of God as Father
[09:07] - Intimacy with God
[10:38] - Aligning Our Will with God's Will
[12:25] - Dependence on God for Daily Needs
[14:13] - The Significance of Daily Bread
[16:03] - Proverbs 30:8-9 and Dependence on God
[18:06] - The Practice of Fasting
[19:49] - Historical Context of Fasting
[21:25] - Types of Fasting
[22:59] - Seeking Spiritual Breakthroughs
[24:53] - Practicing Self-Discipline
[27:00] - The Importance of Forgiveness
[30:54] - Hallowed Be Thy Name
[32:51] - The Lord's Prayer as a Model for Life
[34:44] - Treating God as a Father, Not a Landlord
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
- Matthew 6:5-15
- Proverbs 30:8-9
#### Observation Questions
1. What does Jesus instruct His disciples to avoid when praying, according to Matthew 6:5-8? [03:23]
2. How does Jesus suggest we address God in prayer, and why was this considered revolutionary? [05:08]
3. What are the four types of prayer mentioned in the sermon, and what does the acronym "ACTS" stand for? [01:49]
4. According to Proverbs 30:8-9, what is the writer's request regarding wealth and poverty, and why? [14:13]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why is addressing God as "Our Father" significant in transforming our prayer life from a transactional to a relational approach? [07:11]
2. How does the phrase "Your kingdom come, your will be done" challenge us to align our personal desires with God's purposes? [10:38]
3. What does the petition for "daily bread" teach us about our dependence on God, especially in the context of modern self-sufficiency? [14:13]
4. How does the act of forgiving others as we seek God's forgiveness reflect the transformative power of grace in our lives? [27:00]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your current prayer life. How can you cultivate a more intimate relationship with God by addressing Him as "Our Father"? [07:11]
2. Think about a specific area in your life where you struggle to align your will with God's will. What steps can you take to surrender this area to Him? [10:38]
3. In what ways can you practice daily dependence on God for your needs, rather than relying solely on your own efforts and resources? [14:13]
4. Is there someone in your life you need to forgive? How can you take a tangible step towards extending forgiveness to that person this week? [27:00]
5. Have you ever practiced fasting as a spiritual discipline? If not, what is one way you can incorporate fasting into your spiritual routine to seek a deeper relationship with God? [21:25]
6. How can you ensure that your acts of prayer and fasting are genuine expressions of faith rather than attempts to manipulate God into granting your desires? [24:53]
7. Reflect on a recent situation where you treated God more like a landlord than a loving Father. How can you change your approach to prayer to reflect a more genuine, heartfelt relationship with Him? [34:44]
Devotional
Day 1: Intimacy with God as Our Father
Jesus introduced a revolutionary way to address God—as our Father. This signifies a close, intimate relationship rather than a distant, transactional one. It emphasizes that God is not just a deity to be appeased but a loving Father who desires a personal relationship with us. This changes the way we approach prayer, making it more heartfelt and genuine. When we call God "Our Father," we are reminded of His love, care, and desire for a personal connection with us. This intimacy transforms our prayer life, making it a time of genuine communication and relationship-building with God. [07:11]
Isaiah 64:8 (ESV): "But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand."
Reflection: How does viewing God as a loving Father change the way you approach Him in prayer today? Can you take a moment to speak to Him as you would to a caring parent?
Day 2: Aligning Our Will with God's Will
The phrase "Your kingdom come, your will be done" teaches us to align our desires and plans with God's purposes. It challenges us to surrender our own ambitions and seek God's will in our lives. This alignment is not about passivity but about actively pursuing God's kingdom and His righteousness in all that we do. By praying for God's will to be done, we are committing ourselves to live in a way that reflects His values and priorities, trusting that His plans are ultimately for our good and His glory. [10:38]
Proverbs 19:21 (ESV): "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself holding back from surrendering to Jesus? What would surrendering this area to Him actually look like in terms of daily habits?
Day 3: Dependence on God for Daily Needs
Asking for "daily bread" reminds us of our dependence on God for our everyday needs. In a world where self-sufficiency is often glorified, this petition teaches us to rely on God daily. It echoes the wisdom of Proverbs 30:8-9, which warns against the dangers of both wealth and poverty, urging us to seek just enough to keep us reliant on God. This daily dependence fosters a continual relationship with God, where we trust Him to provide for our needs and sustain us each day. [14:13]
Proverbs 30:8-9 (ESV): "Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, 'Who is the Lord?' or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God."
Reflection: In what ways can you practice relying on God for your daily needs today? How can you remind yourself of His provision throughout your day?
Day 4: The Importance of Forgiveness
Forgiving others as we seek God's forgiveness is a central theme in the Lord's Prayer. It challenges us to let go of grudges and extend grace, just as we have received grace from God. This act of forgiveness is not just a command but a reflection of God's own forgiveness towards us, emphasizing the transformative power of grace in our lives. By forgiving others, we mirror the forgiveness we have received from God, fostering healing and reconciliation in our relationships. [27:00]
Colossians 3:13 (ESV): "Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive."
Reflection: Think of someone in your life you need to forgive. Can you ask God to help you begin to extend His love and forgiveness to them today?
Day 5: The Role of Fasting in Spiritual Growth
Fasting is a powerful, yet often neglected, spiritual discipline that deepens our relationship with God. It can be used to seek spiritual breakthroughs, express repentance, and practice self-discipline. Fasting shifts our focus from physical needs to spiritual growth, helping us to draw closer to God and align our lives with His will. By setting aside time to fast, we create space to hear from God more clearly and to seek His guidance and strength in our lives. [21:25]
Joel 2:12-13 (ESV): "Yet even now," declares the Lord, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments." Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.
Reflection: What is one specific area in your life where you need a spiritual breakthrough? Can you commit to a period of fasting and prayer to seek God's guidance and strength in this area?
Quotes
1. "Prayer should never be our last resource, but always our first. However, we, during our days, we always see this as, amen. Can you guys hear me? Am I going through? Okay. Well, if you're here in person, yeah, but online, thumbs up if you're online, even though our host is sitting here looking at me this morning. So, now I can't hear myself. Okay, one, two, three, one, two, three. There we go. Don't worry, I'll edit this part out later on." [01:49] (42 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "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 others. Truly, I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and you will see your Father who is unseen. Then your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." [03:23] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Jesus says, no, no, no, your relationship to God is a relationship of father to son. Which means that no matter what the son does, he will always be the son of his father. Now I know in our broken world, there's tons of people who say, I don't know, I don't know, of broken, torn relationships between parents, father and son, mom and daughter. That's understandable. But it was not meant to be so. And Jesus here wants to bring his listeners, his disciples, in to say, you know what? This is the new way. This is the way that you now address God. He's not distant. He's not far. He is your father." [07:11] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "Every child has access to their dad. All the formalities get put aside. Just imagine for one second, the king of England, right? Okay, his sons are grown now, but when they were kids, imagine walking to the king's chamber in the middle of the night and say, hey, dad, I want a glass of water. Could you get away with that? Nope, not one of us. But his sons can, because everybody else knows the king of England as their king, but the sons know him as their father. So when Jesus starts off by saying this, he's saying, approach God as a loving father, meaning a fellowship." [10:38] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "Give us today our daily bread, dependence on God for our daily needs. When Jesus taught this prayer to his disciples, food was a luxury. It wasn't as common as we have today. This past week, I drove by a fast food place, the big sign, we're open 24 hours. I thought, who would want to eat this garbage at 2, 3 o'clock in the morning? Guess what? There must be people out there because they're open 24 hours. And all you need is a credit card with about 10 bucks limit. You're good to go. We have food banks. We have pantries. We have all kinds of things. Today for us, food is something, especially in the first world, something that we don't even think about. But back then, it was something so fought for. It was something that we needed. It was something so necessary for life that Jesus, when he instructs his disciples, he says, pray that God will grant you, that God will give you daily food. Not weekly, not monthly, not annually, but every day." [12:25] (84 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
6. "When we rely on God for our food, that means we rely on God for everything, for all our necessities. While we're talking about food, and I know it's getting late, so people are starting to get hungry, but let me talk, and as I mentioned a couple of Sundays ago, I've been going around this for some time, but today is the day. While we're talking about food, while we're talking on dependency on God, we should also talk about fasting. Now, when I sent out the survey this last month, the number one answer was, how often do you fast? Number one answer, never. Don't have to single yourself out this morning, but by far, right? Others, rarely. Others, occasionally. But the number one, by far, never. Don't worry, I answer never too, so I'm not pointing the fingers at anybody here this morning." [18:06] (61 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
7. "Forgive our debts, or other translations will say, or other versions of the prayer will say, our trespasses. Whatever one you want to use, that's fine. As we also forgive those who are indebted to us. Have you ever thought about these words? Because if you have, us Christians should be the most loving and forgiving people around. But wait a minute, if I forgive that person, they're not going to pay for it. Probably not. They will pay eventually. But when you say, I forgive, and when we pray this, God forgive us the way we forgive others. Man, that's a tough place to be in, isn't it? So God forgive me, but I will not forgive him. Or her." [24:53] (67 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
8. "When we do the Lord's prayer, we ought to know that we ought to forgive. Easy, isn't it? Check. Amen. Let's bow our heads. Let's pray. Let's get out of here. We're done. Awesome. Is it? That's something that many of us struggle in life. But you know what? That's an area that Jesus wants to work in you as well. How can I do that? Start by having a healthy prayer life. Acts. Adoration. Confession. Of your own sins. Thanksgiving. Supplication. And another part that I was not able to touch this morning due to time, but hallowed be thy name. You know what that means? That means holy, holy, holy. That means I adore you because you are my God. And everything I do, in all that I do, I want to worship you." [30:54] (67 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
9. "The worst thing that you can do this morning is treat God as a landlord. I prayed, God, answer. I fasted, God, chop, chop. I gave a lot of money this month. God, where's my blessing? Where is it? And we think that we're treating God as a landlord where he says, I am your father. That no matter what you do, I will always love you. And what we do to him is just the reflection of his love towards us. Plain and simple. That we can say, Lord, we are here because of your unconditional love. When we look at the cross, all I see is joy. The death, the suffering, but the resurrection and the ascension of Jesus to rescue us from eternal damnation so that we could be with the Father." [34:44] (76 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
Chatbot
-
I'm an AI bot trained only on this specific sermon. Do you have any questions about it?