Sincere Hearts; Gospel-Centered Prayers

 

 

Title: Sincere Hearts; Gospel-Centered Prayers

Text: Matthew 6:5-15

Tone: Instructive, reflective, and spiritually awakening.

Target: Christians who seek to align their prayer life with the will of God

Task: Help the congregation understand the depth and purpose of prayer as modeled by Jesus, moving from mechanical prayer to genuine, heart-centered communion with God.

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Teach (Opening Illustration):

Imagine a child excitedly writing a letter to their parent. The child carefully selects their words, not out of fear, but out of love and eagerness to share their heart. Upon receiving the letter, the parent is not focused on grammar or perfect structure but on the relationship and the love expressed. In the same way, God longs for His children to come to Him in prayer, not out of ritual or performance, but from a place of sincerity and love.

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Truth (Body of Sermon):

1. Prayer Is Personal, Not Public Performance (Matthew 6:5-6)

Explanation:
Jesus begins by warning His disciples not to pray like the hypocrites who love to stand in public places, seeking the praise of others. He contrasts this with praying in secret, where God sees the heart. Jesus begins by warning against the kind of prayer that is focused on performance, meant to impress others. He says that the hypocrites love to stand and pray in public places to be seen by others. Their reward is the attention they receive from people, not from God.

Ø  The word Hypocrite means stage player, actor, or pretender. 

Ø  The question do you pray more in public than in private?

Ø  Do others hear your prayers more than God? Jesus is not prohibiting public prayer but pretentious prayers.  Prayer begins in the secret place.  It is difficult to occupy yourself with the thoughts of others when you alone. 

 

• Key Point: Prayer is not about public recognition or eloquence, but about sincerity before God. True prayer flows from a private and personal relationship with the Father, who sees what is done secretly and rewards what is genuine.
• Illustration: Think of a celebrity on social media who broadcasts their charitable deeds, contrasting with someone who helps others quietly, without seeking recognition. Which one reflects a genuine heart?
• Application: Direct prayers to God and seek His face, not people's temporal praise.

2. Prayer Is Not About Repetition but Relationship (Matthew 6:7-8)

Explanation:
Jesus then warns against "heaping up empty phrases" as the Gentiles do, believing their many words will make them heard. He reassures us that God already knows what we need before we even ask. Jesus also warns against "heaping up empty phrases" like the Gentiles, who thought that many words would ensure they were heard. This kind of prayer assumes that God is distant and uncaring, requiring coaxing or persuasion.

Ø  Heaping up empty phrases Greek word meaning stage player, actor, pretender.

 

• Key Point: We are not trying to manipulate God or convince Him with many words. He already knows what we need before we ask Him. Prayer is about connection, not convincing.

• Illustration: Imagine a child constantly asking their parent the same question over and over, not realizing the parent already knows and has a plan to meet that need. How much more does God, who is all-knowing and loving, understand what you need?
• Application: Depend on God’s Providence, not your persuasion

3. Prayer is Worship and Sanctifying  (Matthew 6:9-13)

Explanation:
Jesus provides the perfect model for prayer, known as the Lord’s Prayer, which gives us a framework for how to pray. This prayer covers adoration, submission, petition, and confession, perfectly balancing the worship of God and dependence on Him.

I. Adoration: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name (v. 9)

• Theology: Address is essential to rest of the prayer,
• Father of Creation (originator of life, giver of life, sustainer of life)
• Father of Covenant (originator of redemption and salvation)
• Father of Christ (given him a name above everyname, king of kings, lord of lords, all authority)
• Father through the Holy Spirit (through the Spirit of Adoption, we cry Abba Father Rom 8.15)
• Application: Begin your prayers with worship. Before asking anything, remind yourself of who God is—your Father, who is both loving and sovereign.

II. Submission: Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven (v. 10)

• Theology: Think of the book of revelation, when Christ returns and consummates the kingdom of God, the new heavens and new earth.  The sin nature destroyed and death is no more.  Just as God’s will is fulfilled in heaven, we long for it be done on earth.  God’s sovereign transformative reign is the greatest good.
• Application: Prayer isn’t about getting God to do what you want but aligning your heart with what He wants. Regularly submit your plans, hopes, and desires to His will, trusting that His plans are far better than yours.

III. Petition: Give us this day our daily bread (v. 11)

• Illustration: A child depends on their parents for daily needs, trusting they will provide. This line teaches us to rely on God for all our needs—physical, emotional, and spiritual.
• Application: Ask God daily for what you need, trusting Him to provide, even for the smallest things. Learn to depend on Him moment by moment, knowing He is your provider.

IV. Confession: Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors (v. 12)

• Illustration: Imagine carrying a heavy weight around with you all day, then finally being able to lay it down. That’s what happens when we confess our sins to God—He lifts the burden from our hearts. Furthermore removing the hinderances that keep us from living as kingdom citizens. 
• Application: Make confession a regular part of your prayer life. Ask God for forgiveness and extend that same forgiveness to others. True prayer requires a heart free from resentment and bitterness.

v. Protection: And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (v. 13)

• Illustration: Think of someone walking through a minefield, needing a guide to show them the safe way through. In prayer, we ask God to guide us and protect us from falling into sin.  I

Ø  People spend thousands of money on insurance to be protected from possible wreaks and health issues. 

Ø  Satan is a lion, a deceiver, and powerful. 

Ø  Deceived mankind in the ideal state – the garden of Eden. 

• Application: Ask God to guard your heart and mind, protecting you from temptation and the schemes of the enemy. Recognize your need for God’s protection in every area of life, every day of your life. 

4. Prayer is founded upon forgiveness (Matthew 6:14-15)

Explanation:
Jesus concludes by emphasizing forgiveness, connecting our ability to receive forgiveness from God with our willingness to forgive others. Jesus warns against the sin of unforgiveness.  The basis of our forgiveness is afforded by the shed blood of Christ – the Gospel. The forgiven forgives!   This statement does not mean that God’s perfect holy forgiveness is contingent upon ours.  The question is, do we forgive by the standard given in scripture?  We may show forgiveness outwardly, but our hearts may harbor bitterness.  This principle shows that no one can forgive the way God does, reveals that we are poor in spirit, and says that we should mourn over our unforgiveness and thirst for righteousness, even in our acts of forgiveness.  

• Key Point: Prayer is deeply connected to forgiveness. A heart that seeks forgiveness from God must also extend forgiveness to others. This is the will of God to forgive sins and why he sent his Son to die on the cross.  No one truly forgives by the standard that God does.  Our prayer is not founded upon our forgiving others but God forgiving us. 
• Illustration: The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant in Matthew 18:21-35 teaches that sin is beyond our capacity to repay and more significant than any offense we have suffered. In the parable, a king forgives a servant's enormous debt, but the servant refuses to show mercy to a fellow servant who owes him a much smaller amount. The lesson is about the importance of forgiving others as God has forgiven us. 
• Application: Remember the Gospel when you pray. 

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Tie Up (Closing the Sermon with the Opening Illustration):

Let’s return to the illustration of the child writing the letter. The beauty of that letter wasn’t in the precision or the length, but in the love that motivated it. The child did not have to pretend to be someone they weren’t nor persuade their parent with pages of words.  The child wrote from the heart.  God wants your heart, not just your words. Words that flow from a heart of worship and gratitude.  He values honesty, humility, and sincerity in your prayers because you are his children.  Just like the parent who treasures the child’s note, God treasures every prayer that flows from a heart that truly seeks Him.  The reason our prayers are heard is afforded to us through Christ Jesus, who gave us the right to be called children of God. 

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Take Away (Application):

1. Approach God as Your Loving Father: Through His Son
Remember that God is your father because of your union with Christ when you pray. He knows your needs. Start your prayers by acknowledging His holiness, sovereignty, and your relationship with Him.

2. Align Your Desires with His Will: Through His Word
Prayer is about aligning your heart with God’s purpose, not manipulating Him to get what you want. Be willing to submit your plans to Him, trusting His perfect will for your life.

3. Keep Forgiveness at the Center of Your Prayers: Through His Spirit
Unforgiveness is not consistent with the fruit of the Spirit and can grieve Him. If you have been forgiven, you must forgive! Otherwise, your relationship with God will suffer. 

4. Pray with Sincerity of Heart: Through the Gospel
The gospel message is based solely on the forgiveness of sins through Christ's death and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  The heart of the believer must always remember this.  

 

Prepared and Preached by Reese Pickard

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