Teach Us to Pray; Daniel 9:1-19, Matt. 6:5-15

We always have much for which to be thankful. The prayer that Jesus gives us here in Matthew is the one we call The Lord's Prayer, but maybe it should be called the "Disciples' Prayer" because it is the one Jesus taught us to pray. His greatest prayer that He prayed on our behalf is perhaps the one recorded in John 17, the true "Lord's Prayer." Jesus taught the prayer recorded here in Matthew at a request from the disciples as He was teaching about prayer. They asked, "Lord, teach us to pray," and this is what He taught them. Colossians 4:2 says, “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving.” Devote is to “give constant attention to, to persevere.” Prayer here refers to intercessory, petitionary prayer, but praise and thanksgiving also ought to be a large part of prayer as well as listening to God, and we see this in Colossians as well as elsewhere in Scripture. Floyd Filson describes prayer as “reverent worship, the expression of adoration, gratitude, praise, petition, and dedication.” We are to keep at it, to persevere in prayer. And because it is easy to become discouraged when our prayers aren’t quickly answered, we are to keep awake with thanksgiving. Our hearts must be awake if our prayers are to have value. Thanksgiving helps keep our hearts awake. Thanksgiving reminds us of what God has done in the past as well as what God is doing right now. There is a difference between perseverance in prayer and the vain repetitions that Jesus criticizes in our Matthew passage. Jesus himself persevered in prayer, praying all night long, and praying repeatedly for his disciples. He tells the parable of the unjust judge, praising the woman’s perseverance, and reminding us that a just God hears and works for us more than an unjust judge for a widow. In contrast, Greeks would say the names of the gods in various ways, hoping to come across the right invocation for their prayers to be heard. Certainly, there are many titles for our God. In our Experiencing God Bible study, we are given a huge list of Biblical names and titles for God, and that list is not comprehensive! Certainly, we can use these many names to praise our Lord, and should, but we don’t have to worry about trying to guess the right name to get God’s attention, because although we address God in different ways, we pray in one name, the name of Jesus. Neither the number of words nor the right combination of words adds value to our prayers; rather, it is our heart attitude and our persistence in praying. The title for God that Jesus emphasizes here is “Father”, specifically, “Our Father,” which reminds us of the corporate nature of prayer. Father is close and personal, and the “our” reminds us that though God is personal, we belong to a body. Even in private prayer, we remember that we are not flying solo. Now, Jesus does encourage private prayer, telling us to go into an inner room where we can shut the door. He criticizes the hypocrites, who pray to get attention. The Jewish practice of prayer for the day was that the Shema was said in the morning upon waking and in the evening. Then, at 9:00am, Noon, and 3:00pm, the Shemoneh Esreh (18 Benedictions) were recited. If at all possible, these were to be said in the temple, but if you couldn’t make it, then you were to pray toward the temple. The hypocrites would purposely not go to the temple, but pray in the highly trafficked areas of town, so that they could be seen praying. If they had really been religious, they would have been in the Temple, because corporate prayer is also important. But prayers offered for human attention and praise of one’s self have no spiritual worth. True prayer is offered in humility. We need both private and public prayer. Both are found and encouraged in Scripture. Daniel’s intercessory prayer that we read this morning was private. Ezra’s and Solomon’s prayers were public. Our Father is close, but the “which art in heaven” reminds us that God is also transcendent. He is the unknowable God who makes Himself known. The next 3 petitions go together. Hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done. The phrase “in earth as it is in heaven” applies to all three. “Hallowed be Thy Name” is to pray, “May we respond in reverent worship, grateful faith and acceptance of how You have revealed Yourself and Your promises.” The “in earth” is important. It isn’t just praying for these petitions to happen soon as the fullness of the kingdom of God is made visible on earth; it is to pray that God’s name is hallowed, God’s will is done, and God’s kingdom comes even in the now. God desires for us to hallow His Name, do His will, and live out His kingdom now, until it is made fully visible at Christ’s return. Remember that Jesus was bodily present with His disciples when He taught this prayer. Jesus prayed for the kingdom constantly and lived it, even though He did not come as King at His first coming. Whenever God’s will is done, God’s kingdom comes. We live the kingdom, when we do the will of God. To persist in praying this prayer is to remember to continuously submit ourselves to God’s will and rule in our lives. “Give us this day our daily bread.” The word translated “daily” is only used in context of the Lord’s Prayer as recorded by Matthew and Luke. This word was coined by the gospel writers. It appears nowhere else except in once instance in any other literature in the tally of a list of produce. The only other time it was used is when some of the Aramean manuscripts of 2 Maccabees was translated into Greek. There it is used to refer to the shewbread in the temple 3 times. Because of the rare use of the word, it is difficult to translate. There have been many different translations of the phrase from the time of the early church fathers. One of the most literal translations is “Give us the bread necessary for our existence.” What is the bread necessary for our existence? Some say it is bread for the coming day. Some say that the coming day refers to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, flowing from the prior two petitions, “Your kingdom come; Your will be done.” Others say it is asking for what is only sufficient, recognizing that the Lord never gives something until it is needed. This is a truth I certainly need to remember when I start to think out of scarcity, instead of recognizing that our God is the God of abundance, and that our God is an “on-time” God. Note too that this is plural prayer, not an individual one. “Give us this day our daily bread.” I think all of these options are worthy of our consideration, so as we pray this petition, we might want to pause and think about the various options and about which option fits our petition and need in that moment we pray it. The next petition is “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Debts is a more accurate translation than “trespasses,” which is made popular by the Book of Common Prayer. Luke uses the word “sins” in his version of Jesus’s prayer. I think the Catholic Church uses “sins”. Every failure to obey God puts us hopelessly in debt. But God forgives us. Unforgiveness doesn’t nullify that God forgave us at the cross, but it does harden us from understanding the depths of that forgiveness and prevents us from receiving that forgiveness. An example is the parable of the unforgiving servant. He really didn’t understand what his master had done for him, and therefore, did not extend forgiveness of a seemingly much lesser debt to his own servant. The unforgiving servant didn’t realize the weight of his debt. An unforgiving spirit interrupts our communion with God. God waits upon our confession and expects us to forgive because we have been forgiven. If we realize the debt from which we have been bailed out, then we will forgive. In verses 14-15, the word here is “trespasses.” “Trespass” is a falling to one side—a deviation from truth or righteousness. Not to forgive is an insult to God. Jesus warns us in these verses that we will never really know what it means to be forgiven if we do not forgive. “And lead us not into temptation,”—The word “into” goes with the verb. The verb itself means to “lead inward”. In other words, temptation comes when we are too inwardly focused. It doesn’t come from the outside. Elsewhere it says in Scripture that we are tempted “when we are drawn away by our own lusts and enticed.” In this petition we are asking God to save us from ourselves. The petition continues, “but deliver us from the Evil One.” The mind is the arena where the “evil one” operates. The concluding phrase isn’t original to the text. It isn’t found in any manuscripts prior to the 2nd century. It’s left out of Luke’s gospel. It is probably a scribal addition of benediction and praise. But it certainly is true that the glorious, powerful, kingdom belongs to God. Hopefully, you can see how this is a model prayer. I also hope that as we pray this prayer shortly, that you will really pray it, not just repeat it, but think about the meaning and power of the words. Are you really submitting yourself to God’s will, and do you want to? Are you seeking God for what is necessary? Do you recognize the depth of God’s forgiveness, and is there someone you need to forgive? Do you recognize the potential for evil within yourself? May we persevere in our prayers, knowing that God’s answers and God’s timing are always right.

Resting in Jesus; Psalm 64, Matthew 11:28-30

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Safe on the High Rock; Psalm 61, Matthew 7:24-29, I Corinthians 3:10-15

See also Romans 6, Matthew 5-7, and Rom. 8:35-38 To listen, click here.

Under the Banner of Truth; I Chron. 18:3-13, Psalm 60, III John

The parallel passage for I Chron. 18 is II Sam. 8:3-14. You may also want to see I Kings 11:15-16. Notice too how in the historic passages, David took the spoils--gold, silver, and bronze--and dedicated them to the Lord. He did not take them for himself or his men. Even though David was not commissioned to build the temple, he collected the materials for the building of the temple. David gives God the glory for his victories. Are our offerings glorifying to God? Do they appropriately represent the victories god has given us? (Note: Though we can never repay God, nor should we try, we can know if we are offering God something worthy or giving God second rate. God's people were judged for not giving to God of their best. Their offering did not reflect what God had done for them. They kept the best for themselves and refused to share.) Remember that generosity is one of the marks of a true disciple. To listen to sermon, click here.

The Supreme Judge; Psalm 58, II Cor. 10:3-6

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Be Gracious to Me, Lord; Psalm 56-57

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Do Not Fret; Psalm 37

Today’s psalm has been a favorite of mine since middle school. It has helped me over the years through bouts of depression. It was interesting to find that my co-leader in Celebrate Recovery had the same favorite psalm for some of the same reasons. Twice the psalmist tells us “Do not fret,” but this isn’t just about general anxiety; it is more specific. “Do not fret because of evildoers.” We are not supposed to be worried and upset at the seeming triumph of evil. Instead, 5 times the psalmist tells us to trust in or wait upon the Lord. To fret is more than just worry or anxiety. It is to become enraged because of allowing worry and anxiety to fester. Dr. Kenneth Bailey often speaks of the need to re-purpose anger into grace. This is the way of God. It is demonstrated by God in the way God deals with God’s people in Exodus and in the prophets. It is the way of Jesus. Jesus turned anger into grace when He turned away from the Pharisees in favor of the company of sinners. Joseph re-purposed anger into grace when he provided for his brothers and fathers. David re-purposed anger into grace when he spared Saul’s life and married Abigail. Sometimes you can genuinely “stick it to the man” by re-purposing your anger into grace by helping other or working for justice. The Bible calls this “heaping coals on your enemy’s head”. Instead of retaliation and retribution, you can take choose a path of integrity, justice, and generosity. Psalm 37 is a wisdom psalm that contrasts the righteous and the wicked, even more specifically--the wealthy wicked and the poor righteous. It calls us to be among the righteous. Like many wisdom psalms, it is an acrostic, where each verse begins with the next successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The source of wisdom is always the Lord and we are to follow the Way of Wisdom, which is Christ. The psalm lists characteristics of the righteous person often using body imagery--a mouth that speaks wisdom, a tongue of justice, a heart that receives God’s law (i.e. Someone who is willing to be taught by God), secure feet (i.e. Knowing where your foundation is). The righteous are characterized by generosity and goodness and are motivated by God’s Spirit and guided by God’s law. The righteous are people of integrity whose future is forever. They live upright and faithfully in this life. In contrast the wicked are described as having a future that is cut off, they are broken, they will come to an end. The wicked will wither while the righteous will prosper. How you live is more important that what you have. The wicked often achieve success through evil schemes, stepping on others on their way up to the top, misusing resources for selfish gain, or running a business unethically. Another reason we ought not envy the prosperity of the wicked is because you never know what is going on inside them. There are a lot of folks who seem to have it together on the outside whose lives are falling apart and empty on the inside. There are a lot of miserable people out there. No it is not the case for everyone; not even the wicked. But we must be careful not to make blanket assumptions and hasty judgments. Don’t sell out to wickedness out of envy. Some of you may know verse 4: “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” “Delight yourself in the Lord” means to pamper yourself in the Lord. When I think of pampering myself, I think of going to the spa to get a massage. Some of you ladies may think of getting your nails done. Some of you men may think of going out on the golf course. Pampering implies enjoyment and relaxation. What if we enjoyed being with God and looked forward to it as much as playing golf or going to the spa. And what’s great is that it doesn’t cost money, nor do you have to wait a long time to do so, though it may take some intentional planning. When we delight ourselves in the Lord, God gives us what our hearts really desire. The inheritance that this world offers, that which the wicked seem to have is only a temporary inheritance. The inheritance of the righteous is an eternal inheritance. Instead of being envious in regard to what we don’t have, we are called to be generous with what we do have. Verse 21 contrasts the wicked, who do not return what they borrow, with the righteous, who show mercy and give. Giving helps us realize and appreciate what we do have. It is a joyful act of worship. How do you feel on 2¢-a-meal Sundays, which is coming up next week, by the way? Or when it comes to raising money for ministries like the Pregnancy Center? You have shown yourselves to be generous, and I think we are generous because we are excited about these ministries, and we enjoy being a part of them. Verses 25-26 are difficult. If David never saw poor people, then he was spending too much time in his palaces. Of course righteous people have had to beg bread and have even starved to death. The answer is that these verses are communal. The righteous community has enough to provide for those in need. If there is a need that we do not meet, then we are at fault. However, we are not held accountable for meeting the needs that we do not know about. There was a man in my first church with whom I had a lot of shared values when it comes to social and economic justice. However, he worked hard to promote social justice through changing the government, whereas I believe it is the calling and responsibility of the people of God to bring justice. Look at the top schools, hospitals, children’s homes and welfare programs of this country. Most were started by churches, and many of the highest quality ones are still run by religious non-profits backed by churches. This is the work of the kingdom of God, and it will always be far more effective than any human government agency. As for the righteous being hungry, even in this condition, the righteous truly are never forsaken by God. Jim and I are reading Tom Doyle’s newest book Killing Christians: Living the Faith Where It’s Not Safe to Believe. The stories in the book show God’s people at points of real need in their lives, but never do they express feeling forsaken by God. And it is often through the righteous community that their needs are met, and indeed, these believers in need are also some of the most selfless, generous people you will ever meet. They hold loosely to the things of this world in exchange for an eternal inheritance, and they delight themselves in God’s presence and in doing God’s kingdom work in this world. Suffering is not in vain and is pretty much a given in this life. It can help us better understand our relationship with God and may even be used to deepen our relationship with God. It may be used to help another person on their spiritual journey. We may never know the why of suffering, but we can know that God doesn’t abandon us or waste our hurts. This psalm is about educational instruction in regard to righteousness as opposed to being a philosophical treatise on the problem of evil. No, life is not fair, but our God is a God of justice, and even more than that, our God is merciful! Despite what is going on around us, God’s justice is certain. The blessedness of the righteous is a given. They are greatly honored. The psalm says the meek will inherit the land, which is probably what Jesus quotes in the beatitudes. Isaiah 65 is another passage where future economic justice and prosperity is promised for God’s people. We are sojourners here, but we are to make the most of our time in the way we live our lives.