Last week, I purposed to preach verses 9 and 10 of Matthew 6.
! However, I only managed to cover the first two intended points which we saw in verse 9, which were pray like Jesus, our Father in heaven.
And secondly, pray like Jesus, hallowed be your name.
So, our text this morning again, once again, is Matthew chapter 6, verse 9 and verse 10, with an emphasis on verse 10.
In order for us to gain the broader context of Jesus' teaching on prayer, we're going to read, though, a larger portion of Matthew 6.
I'll begin in verse 5 and read through verse 13.
Before I lead us in a reading, let me remind you, beloved, that this is God's word to us.
It was written for His glory and our good.
And we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and obey its commands.
Jesus said,
And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners that they may be seen by others.
Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do,
for they think that they will be heard for their many words.
Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
Pray then like this.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Last week I posited many people pray.
Look at a moment of crisis in our community or our broader nation.
And so many run to prayer.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you as commonly said.
But we must understand that not all prayer is the same.
Many pray to gods that are not gods at all.
And it is very possible, even very plausible, to pray to the right God, but to pray wrongly.
I then showed you that the Scripture has much to say about prayers offered in vain.
In fact, I gave you 12 examples, which I don't think was exhaustive at all.
But here's a few of them, such as,
God does not answer the prayer of those who have personal and selfish motives.
James chapter 4 and verse 3, James writes,
You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly to spend it on your passions.
And God does not answer the prayer of those who remain in sin.
Isaiah chapter 59 and verse 2,
But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God,
and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.
So we must be concerned about praying to the right God,
but also praying to the right God rightly.
I would encourage you, if you weren't here last week,
to go and listen to those other things the Scripture has to say concerning wrong prayer.
So a careful consideration of how we ought to pray is of great importance for us.
In this text, Jesus is modeling a pattern for us to pray by.
Note that He does not say, pray this.
He says, pray then like this.
He's showing us.
He's informing us about how our prayers should be formed.
What should be motivating our praying.
And He begins, our first point last week,
was saying, pray this way.
Our Father in Heaven.
So we should pray like Jesus.
Our Father in Heaven.
Jesus tells us that our prayers should begin with the recognition that God is our Father.
And so this becomes the beginning point for God to hear our prayers and to answer our prayers
is that He is in fact our Father.
That you have been adopted into His family by grace alone,
through faith alone,
in Christ alone.
That you have seen that there's no amount of labor on your part in keeping the laws.
Previously sung songs stated so well that could ever have earned us a place in God's family.
But rather because of the perfect Son.
The second Adam.
The one who came and lived a sinless life
and grants us that sinless life by faith in Him.
That we can call God our Father.
We want to cry out to God and ask things of Him.
Flee to Him in Christ.
When we call God our Father,
we are recognizing His boundless mercy and grace to us
in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
So having been found in Christ,
adopted into His family,
we begin our prayers recognizing this.
Starting with the confidence of saying,
this God of heaven and earth is my dad.
And so I can ask things of Him.
This is a profound title to utter to God in our prayers.
And it is the absolute basis for our confidence in approaching Him.
Jesus also teaches us that we are to pray not only our Father,
but our Father in heaven.
And I believe we're to do this lest we become too chummy
with the One who created heaven and earth and all that is in them.
We're meant to remember who this Father is.
Lest we forget that He is God and we are not.
We should be careful that we do not become overly casual in our prayer.
We ought to approach God with boldness as His children,
but also with reverence and awe.
I also pointed out that Jesus in teaching us how to pray
tells us that we should begin our prayers with our Father.
He uses a plural pronoun there.
And we could be very quick to say,
this is just an instruction for corporate prayer,
how we should pray then together.
And I do think it informs our corporate praying.
But just before that,
even in the text I read for us this morning,
Jesus has been talking about private prayer.
So I think He means for us in the opening of our praying
to recognize that God has saved a people.
He has a people.
And we collectively have a Father.
That we are a family.
Both local and global
and throughout all of redemptive history.
That we are a people for God's possession.
So we should pray like Jesus,
our Father in heaven.
The second point from last week was,
we should pray like Jesus,
hallowed be Your name.
So the first petition of Jesus' model prayer for us
is not for Himself.
It's not aimed at Him in any way whatsoever.
But that God's name would be hallowed.
This is not a word that we use in our day.
But to hallow something
is to honor it as holy.
It's to put it in its proper place as holy.
So Jesus asks,
first and foremost,
that God's glory would be known
in the world.
Beloved,
if only we would begin our prayers in this way,
I believe that we would pray much differently.
If our prayers began with,
how is God praised
in what I'm going to now ask of Him?
Our minds should go immediately
to the prayer of Jesus
in the Garden of Gethsemane,
anticipating the great physical suffering,
but more than that,
I believe the great spiritual suffering
that He was going to experience.
The text says for us
that He was sweating blood.
Any of us will ever be
in that depth of anguish
in our lives,
that we sweat blood.
And He said,
if there's any way,
God of Heaven,
my Father,
for this cup to pass from me,
let it pass from me.
Spare me from the suffering
I'm about to experience.
But yet,
not my will,
but Yours be done.
Jesus in one of His darkest moments
had this attitude
as He came to prayer.
How is it that God's name
will be best praised in the world?
I concluded last week
with an exercise,
which I want to repeat it.
I'm going to repeat it verbatim
from last week.
Because my time was running short
and notes were long,
I actually skipped to the bottom
of notes
to have you take a moment
to consider
how it is that you pray.
To just take a moment
with me to consider
your prayer life.
And I want us to do this
and then we'll get to
the second two points
from verse 10.
So,
think with me
for a moment
about the specific things
that you tend to pray for.
Maybe it's possible
that you can recall some
over the past week.
Maybe this morning
or even yesterday
you prayed.
If not,
think in generalities.
What types of things
do you tend to pray for?
If we could
take a summary
of your prayer life
and jot down
some basic notes,
summary statements
of what you tend
to pray for,
what would those
things tend
to be?
Now,
I hope you have
some semblance
in your head
of what that would look like.
So,
let me ask this.
if all of your prayers
were to be answered,
what would the outcome
be?
What would the outcome
be?
Would you be living
in greater ease?
Would you have
more money,
more success
at work,
more free time,
fewer relational
challenges,
better health?
None of these things
are bad things.
None of them
are things that we
couldn't ask God
for.
But would that
be the end result?
Would that be all
that would happen
if your prayers
were all answered?
Or,
would God be
more known
and worshipped
by you,
your family,
your neighbors,
your classmates,
and your coworkers?
Jesus aims
his prayer
at the glory
of God,
and so
should we.
You see,
beloved,
God has many
good purposes
in the world.
He desires
that your marriage
and your parenting
and your schooling
and your employment
go well with you
and for you.
He desires
that we
don't have to
battle with
sickness
and depression.
He cares
about the
health
of our
relationships
and the unity
of our
church.
These things
are important
to our
God.
He is our
Father and He
cares about
the very
minutia
of our
days.
He desires
that we would
walk well
in this world,
but this
is to
fulfill
a greater
purpose.
His purposes
are to
fulfill
a greater
purpose,
an overarching
purpose,
an all
encompassing
purpose.
purpose,
that His
name
would be
praised
amongst
all
peoples,
that His
glory
would be
known
and
shared
everywhere.
Psalm 67
verses 1
through 3
say this,
May God
be gracious
to us
and bless
us and
make His
face to
shine upon
us.
Wonderful
prayer.
Why?
How
does Psalm
67
come up
underneath
what Jesus
is teaching
us to pray
here?
Here's this
prayer for
us.
May God
be gracious
to us
and bless
us and
make His
face to
shine upon
us.
Verse 2,
that your
way may
be known
on earth,
your saving
power amongst
all
nations.
Let the
peoples praise
you, O
God.
Let all
the peoples
praise you.
Hallowed
be
your name.
This should
be the
driving
force
of our
lives.
If we are
disciples of
Jesus Christ,
we must
see how
Jesus
walked.
We're to be
following in
His
way.
And He
placed the
glory of
God above
all else,
as should
we.
And Jesus'
next two
model petitions
are an
expansion of
this very
idea of
hallowed be
your name.
And so
third, we
see in the
beginning of
verse 10
that we
should pray
like Jesus,
your kingdom
come.
Pray like
Jesus,
your kingdom
come.
Jesus began
His earthly
ministry
preaching about
the arrival
of the
kingdom.
We can read
of Matthew
chapter 4
and verse 17
before the
Sermon on
the Mount
is recorded
by Matthew.
From that
time,
Jesus began
to preach
saying,
this is the
beginning of
His ministry,
and here is
the theme
of His
sermons.
Repent
for the
kingdom of
heaven
is at
hand.
Repent
for the
kingdom of
heaven
is at
hand.
When we
speak of
the kingdom
of heaven
or the
kingdom
of God,
we are
speaking of
God's
good rule
and His
praise being
established
on the
earth.
And when we
talk about
this,
there is
both a
here and
a here-to-come
aspect of
God's
kingdom.
For
example,
Psalm 103
verse 19
reads,
the Lord
has
established
His throne
in the
heavens
and His
kingdom
rules
over all.
And so,
God reigns.
He is
sovereign over
all things
that are
happening in
the world.
And yet,
He is
patiently
allowing
the rejection
of His
reign
as He
works His
mercy
and grace
toward
mankind.
He is
graciously
allowing all
of the
rebellion
that's
happening in
the world
about Him
as He's
patiently
awaiting the
bringing about
of His
praise.
2 Peter 3
9 speaks
of God's
patience in
bringing all
those that
would belong
to Him
to repentance.
God's
purpose is
that people
from every
tribe,
nation,
and tongue
be praisers
of His
glorious
grace
and mercy.
Jesus,
speaking to
His disciples
in some of
His last
days,
we can read
in Matthew
chapter 24,
tells them
about things
that will
come.
And in
verse 14,
He says,
and this
gospel of
the kingdom,
this good
news of
grace and
mercy towards
mankind,
will be
proclaimed
throughout the
whole world
as a
testimony to
all nations
and then
the end
will come.
A gospel
proclamation
is aimed
at bringing
about the
consummation
of the
kingdom
of God,
a people
living
gratefully
under
His rule
and giving
Him all
the glory
that is due
Him.
This is
the very
reason
that God
called
a people.
And I
find too
often as
God's
church that
we are
just too
content
with the
state of
the world
in which
we live.
We would
have things
be a little
better for
our sake.
But we're
not nearly
as concerned
as we
ought to
be about
people coming
under the
good rule
of God,
Christ,
our Savior,
and our
King.
That we
are not
so concerned
as we
should be
about our
neighbor and
our co-worker
and the
person checking
us out at
the grocery
store.
We just
don't seem
to care
that our
God would
be known
amongst
all peoples.
We seem
just a little
too satisfied
to gather
together and
theorize
about this
God and
not then go
out and tell
our neighbor
about Him.
to not be
mobilized
for the
purpose,
this grand
purpose of
His name
being praised
amongst
all
peoples.
I want
to show
you how
aimed
God is
at His
own glory
because if
we as
people are
to be
concerned
about the
things that
He's
concerned
about,
this is
the thing.
The overarching,
the large
purpose,
which all
of the
purposes
serve.
And I
want to
show you
this from
the Old
Testament
book of
Isaiah.
So if
you'll turn
with me
please to
Isaiah and
we'll begin
in chapter
43.
While you're
doing that,
I'm going to
do something
off script.
get to
Isaiah 43.
In some
recent days
across the
past couple
of months,
a pastor
of a
large
megachurch
in our
area
has said
that in
order to
bring people
to faith
in Christ,
we should,
unhitch
Jesus
from the
Old
Testament.
And this
is a
deeply
concerning
thing
that he
is saying.
Now I
believe that
this man
is a
brother,
and I
believe that
we should
be in
prayer for
him,
and for
those under
his
leadership.
I also
believe we
should warn
those who
are under
his
leadership.
If you
don't know
who I'm
talking
about,
you can
ask me
later,
and I
will
tell you.
He has
said we
should
unhitch
the Old
Testament
from Jesus
because
people have
a problem
with the
God of
the Old
Testament,
or they
might see
some
inconsistencies
in the
Old
Testament,
and therefore
we shouldn't
be so
concerned
about that.
I think
the motivation
is good.
I think
what he's
saying is
let's be
concerned
primarily.
Let's
invest our
faith primarily
in the
fact that
Jesus was
a real
man.
He was
in fact
the Son
of God.
He did
die,
and he
was
raised.
I get
that,
and I
think
there's
some
good
intention
in that,
but
Romans
10-17,
faith
comes
by
hearing
and
hearing
from
the
word
of
Christ.
What is
the word
of
Christ
but the
scripture?
What was
the Bible
of Jesus'
day?
If we
want to
just look
to the
New
Testament,
or look
just to
the red
letters
as some
would say,
the words
of Jesus,
he was
constantly
using the
Bible
of his
day,
which we
call
our
Old
Testament.
He was
constantly
looking to
it.
When people
have a
problem
with the
Old
Testament,
the answer
is not
to disregard
the Old
Testament,
the answer
is to
explain
the Old
Testament,
to be a
student of
the Scripture
and to help
others come
to understand
the Scripture.
The greater
portion,
the first
two-thirds
of our
Bibles
are precious
to us.
And they
speak of
a God
who is
full of
grace and
mercy,
steadfast love
to his
people.
It's an
astounding
work and
should never
be disconnected
from the
personal work
of Jesus
Christ.
All that's
promised in
the Old
Testament
finds its
yes in
Jesus,
finds its
affirmation in
Jesus.
So should we
want to know
the promises
of God
that find
their yes
in Jesus?
And the
answer is
absolutely
we should.
What a
dangerous thing
to say
that we
could just
disregard,
disconnect,
unhitch it.
What a
dangerous,
dangerous place
to be.
So let's
look in the
book of
Isaiah
chapter 43.
I want to
show you
that God
called a
people and
is calling
a people.
We are
part of
that people
if we
are part
of the
church
for
his
glory.
This is
the purpose,
the overarching
purpose,
that his
name would
be hallowed,
that his
kingdom would
come,
that his
will would
be done.
Hear that
as I'm
talking about
God's
glory.
So Isaiah
chapter 43
beginning in
verse 1,
I'll read
through 7.
But now
thus says
the Lord,
he who
created you,
O Jacob,
he who
formed you,
O Israel,
fear not,
for I have
redeemed you.
I have
called you
by my
name.
You are
mine.
When you
pass through
the waters,
I will be
with you,
and through
the rivers,
they shall
not overwhelm
you.
When you
walk through
fire,
you shall
not be
burned,
and the
flames shall
not consume
you.
For I
am the
Lord,
your God,
the Holy
One of
Israel,
your Savior.
I give
Egypt as
your ransom,
Cush and
Saba in
exchange for
you.
Because you
are precious
in my eyes
and honored,
and I
love you,
I give
men in
return for
you,
peoples in
exchange for
your life.
Fear not,
for I am
with you.
I will bring
your offspring
from the east,
and from the
west I will
gather you.
I will say
to the north,
give up,
and to the south,
do not withhold.
Bring my
sons from
afar,
and my
daughters from
the end of
the earth.
That's the
nations,
everyone.
That's us,
right?
Being included
in spiritual
Israel.
Verse 7,
everyone who
is called by
my name,
whom I
created for
my glory,
whom I
formed
and made.
So you
see some of
the purposes,
all of the
goodness to
this people
being worked
out.
God will
be with
us.
God will
be our
protector.
He's going
to sustain
us.
But why?
His glory.
This great
purpose.
His glory.
Look on later
in Isaiah
chapter 43,
verse 20
and 21.
Here God
says,
the wild
beasts will
honor me,
the jackals
and the
ostriches.
For I
give water
in the
wilderness,
rivers in
the desert
to give
drink to
my chosen
people,
the people
whom I
formed for
myself,
that they
might declare
my praise.
Again,
a people
for the
praise of
God.
Turn a little
bit to Isaiah
chapter 44
and verse
23.
Sing,
O heavens,
for the
Lord has
done it.
Shout,
O depths
of the
earth.
Break
forth into
singing,
O mountains,
O forest,
and every
tree in
it.
For the
Lord has
redeemed
Jacob and
will be
glorified in
Israel.
The Lord
will be
glorified
because He
has redeemed
a people
for His
possession.
And those
of us
who have
been saved
by grace
through faith
in Christ
are those
who are
meant to
sing the
praise of
His name.
And we
want that
to be,
we ought
to want
that to
be a
song that
gets louder
and louder
and take
places in
languages other
than English
and is sung
by people who
don't look
like us,
who don't
gather the
same way we
gather.
We should
desire this
because our
God is
worthy of
all praise.
One more
reference from
Isaiah.
Chapter 48
verses 9
through 11.
In verse 9
He talks about
deferring His
anger.
So this is
anger against
His people.
Wicked
people.
He says,
For my
name's sake
I defer
my anger.
For the
sake of
my praise
I restrain
it for you
that I may
not cut
you off.
Behold,
I have
refined
you but
not a
silver.
I have
tried you
in the
furnace of
affliction.
For my
own
sake,
for my
own sake
I do it.
for how
should my
name be
profaned.
My glory
I will
not give
to another.
Even the
suffering of
God's
people,
the working
of righteousness
in us
is aimed
at this
higher purpose.
You pick up
the gospel of
Jesus Christ
and begin to
apply it to
your own
living.
It is so
good that it
brings about
betterment
of us.
Walking in
the light
is so
much better
than walking
in the
dark.
Our
relationships
with
creation
and with
each other
being redeemed
is such
a good
thing.
It is so
good but
it is not
high enough.
Your pursuit
of holiness
is not
ultimately
about you,
it is
ultimately
about the
glory of
God.
So we are
to pray
like Jesus.
Your kingdom
come.
Your kingdom
come.
And I think
even sometimes
in our longing
for a better
place,
we don't
aim high
enough.
If you
could even
just dip
your toe
in the
water of
our modern
politics,
you will
find yourself
wherever you
are on the
political
spectrum so
incredibly
frustrated.
The state
of our
nation
right now,
the way
that those
who are
meant to
lead us
act like
children
in their
leadership
of us.
We should
want that
to improve
but if we
don't go
above that
then we
aim too
low.
We want
a kingdom,
a theocracy
ruled by
an almighty
God who
never fails
in the way
that he
leads.
We want
God's praise
and his
rule
everywhere
in the
world
and we
want to
see that
full
consummation
of the
kingdom
come.
So we
pray like
Jesus,
your kingdom
come.
Fourthly,
we pray like
Jesus,
your will
be done
on earth
as it
is in
heaven.
And this
is just
elaborating
once again
on this.
I think
the thing
of note
here is
that this
is an
ask of
obedience.
So that
we would
praise the
name of
God,
hallowed
be your
name,
your
kingdom
come,
and that
we would
be obedient
to God.
More
specifically,
that we
would be
arranging
ourselves
as God's
people
underneath
his
reign
for
his
glory.
Let me
show you
this from
1 Peter
chapter 2.
Peter
writes,
but you,
you may be
familiar with
this text,
are a
chosen race.
A royal
priesthood,
a holy
nation,
a people
for his
own
possession.
It would
seem
that Peter
is very
familiar with
his Old
Testament.
He is
almost
directly
citing from
the book
of Hosea
here.
Almost
word for
word citing
from the
book of
Hosea.
We would
be this
people,
that what,
verse 9,
we may
proclaim
the excellencies
of him
who called
you out of
darkness
into his
marvelous
light.
God's
redeemed
people
praising
his name,
giving him
glory as
we should.
Verse 10,
once you
were not
a people,
but now
you are
God's
people.
Once you
had not
received
mercy,
but now
you have
received
mercy.
Again,
Hosea.
Verse 11,
beloved,
I urge
you as
sojourners
and exiles
living in a
place that's
not our
home.
Sojourners
and exiles
to abstain
from the
passions
of the
flesh
which wage
war
against
your soul.
So as
these people
called apart
for this
praise,
living as
strangers
in a
land,
Peter says,
abstain
from the
passions
of the
flesh
which wage
war
against
your
soul.
And then
he says,
why?
Keep your
conduct
among the
Gentiles.
Peter here is
writing to a
largely Jewish
population
church.
So those
outside of
that,
the Gentiles
honorable,
so that when
they speak
against you
as evildoers,
they may
see your
good deeds
and glorify
God on
the day
of
visitation.
That we
would be a
people set
apart in
language as
well as
in activity.
That God's
will being
done on
the earth
starts with
us,
his church,
submitting
ourselves to
his lordship
over our
lives,
recognizing
him as
our good
king,
our father
in
heaven.
A desire
for God's
name to
be honored
amongst
all people
should
drive
everything
that we
do.
It should
be the
undercurrent
that carries
everything
that we
do
along.
And I
think we
should ask
the question
of the
homes we
buy,
and the
people that
we marry,
and our
choices to
have children,
and where we
decide to
go to
school,
and what
we major
in,
and what
job we
take.
I think we
should ask
the question
of all
of these
things,
how does
this bring
God glory?
How am I
meant to
walk in
the simple
and the
seemingly
mundane
things of
my life
for the
sake of
his name?
Students,
how do you
go to
class to
the glory
of God?
Those in
the full-time
workforce,
how do you
get in there
and grind
day in
and day
out to
the glory
of God?
Stay at
home moms,
how do you
do it?
How do you
work day
in and day
out?
Raising
little ones,
those of
you who
homeschool,
trying to
train them
to the
glory of
God,
how do
we get
in every
single
thing?
How do
we take
vacations
to the
glory of
God?
And I
fear that
we do
far too
much
without
giving
any
thought
to the
glory of
God,
whatsoever.
And in
our
praying,
we rush
right to
the
God do
for me
part of
our
praying.
And we're
not at
all concerned
about how
those prayers
answered would
affect the
fame of
His
name.
This is
the purpose
of God
in the
world,
and it
should be
ours
too.
It should
inform
every
fiber
of our
being.
Every
part of
us
should
be
aimed
at the
glory
of God.
And so
we're to
pray like
Jesus,
our
Father in
heaven,
hallowed be
your name,
your kingdom
come,
your will be
done on
earth as
it is in
heaven.
Now,
beloved,
let's be
very clear.
God does
not need
your prayers.
God will
have
His glory.
He will
act.
He will
accomplish
His fame
spreading
across
the earth.
Acts 17,
24 and
25,
says,
The God
who made
the world
and everything
in it,
being Lord
of heaven
and earth,
does not
live in
temples
made by
man,
nor is
He served
by human
hands as
though He
needed
anything,
since He
Himself
gives to
all mankind
life and
breath
and
everything.
But here's
the incredible
thing that
God does.
God could
save the
world.
God could
have His
praise apart
from the
church.
But He
graciously
invites us
into His
work in
the world.
He draws
us into
His work
in the
world because
it's in
His working
in the
world that
we experience
life with
Him.
Not as
this obscure
philosophical
God,
but as
a God
who is
at work
in the
world,
accomplishing
His goals
even now.
And we're
invited to
be the
means to
be used
by Him
to that
great end.
And I
can promise
you this,
if you decide
to sit on
your hands,
He will
use someone
else to
do this
work.
He will.
If our
church decides
to,
He will
go to
another
church.
He will
accomplish
His fame
in this
place and
to the
ends of
the earth.
I hope
we're not
a church
that sits
idly by
when we
could be
finding ourselves
right in the
middle of the
will of God,
His fame being
spread where
we are and
beyond.
He graciously
invites us.
He beckons
us to lose
our lives
that we
might gain
them,
to sacrifice
everything for
the sake of
knowing Him
more,
to count it
all rubbish
as Paul
did.
And,
He graciously
invites us
into prayer.
We get to
participate in
His working
to the ends
of the earth
in prayer,
to our
neighbor and
beyond and
beyond,
that we would
plead,
God's name be
hallowed,
His kingdom
come,
His will be
done,
and God
picks up
the prayers
of His
people and
He uses
them mightily
in His
purpose.
And,
being drawn
into prayer
conforms
our wills
to His.
So,
even when we
don't feel
this,
we don't
always feel
the prayer
of Matthew
chapter 6,
we should
approach prayer
in this way.
and you
can pray
in the way,
God,
help me,
help me to
see You
as my
Father.
Because,
sometimes I
don't see
You as
my Father.
Sometimes I
see You as
distant and
obscure,
and I want
to have a
fatherly
relationship
with You.
Father,
help me,
because I've
sinned and I
feel guilty
before You.
Help me to
place my
confidence in
the perfect
work of
Jesus Christ
and boldly
approach You
clinging to
the cross.
Father,
help me to
reverence Your
name in my
life the way
I should,
so that others
would reverence
Your name
in theirs.
Help me to
so value
what You've
done for me
that I want
to praise You
with every fiber
of my being
and I want
everyone else
to do
the same.
Help me to be
so unsatisfied
with the state
of this world
that I am
just longing
for Your
kingdom to
be consummated.
I want
Jesus'
return more
than I want
anything else
and I know
He won't come
back until the
Gospels are
claimed to the
very ends
of the earth
and let's
get busy.
Right?
You can pray
through this
in this way
even when
you don't
feel this
way.
that Your
will would
be aligned
with the
will of
the Father.
And so
we should
pray like
Jesus
instructs us
to pray.
In closing
I want to
read the
John Owen
quote.
Not John
Owen's
as I said
earlier.
The John
Owen quote
which is on
your bulletin
if you have
one.
Puritan
pastor and
author John
Owen.
He said
if I have
observed
anything
by experience
it is
this
and man
may take
the measure
of his
growth
and decay
in grace
according to
his thoughts
and meditations
upon the
person of
Christ
and the
glory of
Christ's
kingdom
and of
his love.
Let's
pray together.