Week 7 - Hypocrites and Hustlers Part 2

Text: Matthew 6:5-18
MT 6:5 "And 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 men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
MT 6:9 "This, then, is how you should pray:
" `Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
MT 6:10 your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
MT 6:11 Give us today our daily bread.
MT 6:12 Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
MT 6:13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one. '
MT 6:14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
MT 6:16 "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

I have a 3 year old son. Every morning he comes into my room to wake me up. He asks me for his breakfast, and he asks me for something to drink, and then he asks me to turn on his favorite movie. Every morning, the same thing, in the same sequence, and in the same manner. And you know what, I never get tired of it.

I know what he is going to ask for, I know that I could very easily have everything ready for him before he even gets up. I know that it is within my power to make everything he wants happen for him. But that's not the point. His need is not what makes the time so great and rewarding. It's the fact that he asks. That's how we start our day. We talk. We communicate. He acknowledges his dependences on me and I respond by acknowledging my love for him. If I simply got up and had everything waiting for him with no dialogue, then I am not his provider, I am his maid. But we talk about it. He knows sometimes he has to wait for the response. He can find out if something other than what he asked for is going to happen.

You see the asking is what builds the relationship, not the need.

So that's why we ask anyway.

Things to do and think about:

1. Try to pray for as long as possible without asking God for anything. Then, when you do ask, consider what things are you asking Him for?
2. Try writing a prayer and then reading to God. How is this different than your usual prayer life?
3. Try praying for different lengths throughout the day. What happens? Do you prefer at one time or several times?
4. As you pray, consider how aware you are of God's presence. Is He real in that moment?