Pray Like This
Pastor Tan Thai · Feb 26, 2012
This sermon expounds Matthew 6:5-13, where Jesus teaches believers to avoid praying like hypocrites or pagans, and instead follow the model prayer He provided. The Lord's Prayer covers four main sections: addressing God, prioritizing His name, kingdom, and will, petitioning for personal needs, and affirming His sovereign rule.
The sermon opens by emphasizing the vital importance of prayer in the Christian life — prayer is not merely asking for what one wants, but is the essential breath of faith. The pastor notes that Matthew 6:5-13 is the only passage in which Jesus clearly and specifically teaches both the content and manner of prayer, making it an especially significant passage for every believer.
The first section addresses two approaches to prayer that Jesus warns against. First, believers must not pray like hypocrites — those who give, pray, and fast only to be seen and praised by others. Right actions with wrong motives earn only human approval, not a reward from God. Second, believers must not pray like pagans — using meaningless repetition under the assumption that many words guarantee an answer. True prayer reflects the relationship and heart posture of the believer toward God, not merely ritual or habit.
The second section presents the model prayer Jesus gave His disciples. The first priority in prayer is not personal needs but three kingdom concerns: the hallowing of the Father's name, the coming of His kingdom, and the doing of His will on earth as in heaven. This calls believers to live in a way that honors God's reputation, to work toward the expansion of His reign, and to submit their own desires to His purposes.
Once proper priorities are established, Jesus teaches three legitimate petitions: daily material provision, forgiveness of sins paired with a heart willing to forgive others, and strength from the Holy Spirit to overcome temptation and escape evil. The pastor warns the congregation of the real danger of the devil, drawing on 1 Peter 5:8 and Jude 1:9, and emphasizing that no believer can stand on their own without God's protection and covering.
The sermon closes by affirming that the kingdom, power, and glory all belong to God alone. This is the declaration every believer must hold throughout daily life: every achievement, possession, and relationship is a gift of grace, not the fruit of personal effort. The ultimate purpose of the Christian life is to bring glory to God in all things.