Dec. 13, 2023

“THE PRINCIPLES OF PRAYER” PART 4

MATTHEW 6:5-15

6. Forgiveness is the Sixth Principal of Prayer.

In Luke 11:4 Jesus says, "And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive everyone that is indebted to us”

"To forgive" means "to put or send away." According to Matt. 6:12, "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." Our prayer is that God will send away from us our sins just as we send away from others their debts to us.

How important is forgiveness? Matt. 7:1-2, "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with What measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”

So just how important is forgiveness?

Luke 7:36-50

Mark 14:38 “Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.”

7. Intercession is the Seventh Principal of Prayer.

Jesus, in this teaching on prayer, uses a word that most people never take into consideration and that is the "us." He says, "Give us our daily bread and forgive us our debt," lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." 

In Isaiah 53:12 God teaches us some of the greatness of Jesus heart.

*He lists for us four things that Jesus did and does.

1. ”He hath poured out his soul unto death"

2. ”He was numbered with the transgressors"

3. ”He bare the sin of many".

4. "He made intercession for the transgressors.”

Romans 8:26 "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

8. The Wisdom of Asking God for Deliverance from Sin is the Eighth Principal of Prayer.

Hebrews 12:1-2 “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

9. Ownership is the Ninth Principle of Prayer.

In Matthew 6:13 Jesus says, "For thine is the Kingdom." God is the Creator and Owner of everything. In Colossians 1:16-17, "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist."

10. The Ability of Power is the Tenth Principal of Prayer.

John 15:5 "I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

For emphasis, let us state it again, "without me ye can do

nothing.”

11. Giving God the Praise Due His Name is the Eleventh

Principal of Prayer.

Matthew 5:13 "and the Glory." For thine is the Glory. As you align your heart, with God's heart, you quickly find out how great and wonderful He really is.

Psalm 150:1-6 "Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.”

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 2:5) Prayer, as a school master, makes us like Christ and teaches us:

1. To have fellowship with God instead of trying to live on our own.

2. To learn humility instead of being arrogant.

3. To deal with our sins now, and to not put it off but to get right with God and to try to stay right.

4. To have the proper priorities of spiritual first, physical last. To be heavenly minded instead of being so fleshly minded we earthly or heavenly good.

5. To learn submission instead of stubbornness.

6. To learn intercession instead of being selfish.

7. To learn dependence instead of having an independent spirit. To learn and develop faith in God and to trust Him.

8. To learn forgiveness instead of judgment.

9. To ask for deliverance from sin instead of being condemned for committing it.

10. God’s ownership, so we are not covetous.

11. God’s enabling power instead of our trumped up hypocrisy.

12. To give God the praise instead of developing our egotistical pride.

 Amos 3:3: "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”

God desires us to walk with Him like Enoch did, and in so doing he became like Him.

Two of the Great Purposes of Prayer are…

1. Fellowship with God - abiding

2. Transformation - gaining His character, becoming like Him.