SCRIPTURE
PASSAGES:
Matthew 6: 5-13 & Luke 18:9-14
INTRODUCTION:
Prayer
brings transformation but Prayer with transformation is effective as the Bible
Say. A transformed person can pray and bring transformation to a community /
state / country. Today I want to encourage you to be transformed in the presence
of God and Transform the world around you. You can be the agent of
transformation or spent your life idol as mere Christian.
THE PASSAGES
Matthew 6: 5-13 (NASB),5 “When you pray, you are
not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the
synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I
say to you, they have their reward in full. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your inner room,
close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who
sees what is done in secret
will reward you.7 “And when you are praying, do not use
meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be
heard for their many words. 8 So do not be like them; for your Father knows
what you need before you ask Him.
9 “Pray,
then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 ‘Your
kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. 11 ‘Give
us this day our daily bread. 12 ‘And forgive us our
debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 ‘And do
not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and
the glory forever. Amen.’]
Luke 18:9-14 (NASB), 9 And He also told this
parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed
others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the
temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and was
praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people:
swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I pay
tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing some distance
away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his
breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went
to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself
will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Matthew
5-7 is called as the sermon on the mountain, We have no idea how long the
sermon went on or how many people were attending in exact numbers. This sermon
is the longest sermon recorded in the gospel concealed of three chapters. These
chapters contain highest spiritual and moral lessons for anyone who lives
anywhere in the world at any time.
PRAYER: We need to have a
different understanding or interpretation about prayer at this time. When we use
the word “prayer” it immediately reminds of asking something to God for our
need or someone’s need. Prayer is beyond that! Prayer makes us to realize we
are inferior to God and we are in need of His help, it also based on the
relationship. Prayer is communication based on the relationship we have with
God. Old Testament understanding of God is different from the Father identified
by Jesus. The LORD is gracious and
merciful; Slow to anger and great in loving kindness (Ps. 145:7) we see it through
Jesus.
The
kind of dad we have makes difference in our understanding of “God as Father.”
My dad was strict in every aspects, my daughter on the other hand drags
attention and demands her place as my child. In Prayer we claim our right as
children of God, not always begging for mercy / things before God. My God is
the owner of the universe I being His child must claim everything my father
possesses.
TRANSFORMATION: it is explained
as “Remarkable change in form, nature or appearance. For example sugar turns
into cotton candy – worm turns into butterfly. These are examples for transformation
– a change in nature/appearance or essence.
Transformation
in Christian understanding in “Inner
change” or “change of heart.”
Paul identified this as “New Creation in
Christ” (2 Cor. 5:17). Even though the Old Testament had this idea of inner
transformation, the New Testament emphasizes it further.
Ps 66:18, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:”
John 9:31, “We know that God does not listen to sinners”
Catholics have “Prayer for Transformation” as a part of service in most cases.
“PRAYER TRANSFORMS US BUT GOD WANTS A
TRANSFORMED PRAYER.”
The passages identify contrast in the mindset of prayer. The first
is the prayer of a hypocrite and the second part identifies the prayer of a
righteous (Transformed person).
1.
PRAYER OF A HYPOCRITE (MAT 6:5-8)
In both these cases Jesus identify the “Pharisees” who by
themselves called as righteous people but there was no inner transformation so
that Jesus called them “The hypocrites.” Outside looks pretty good but the inside
is full of dirt and deceit. Jesus expects the contrary in prayer – no matter
how you look outside Jesus expects purity in the heart. The hypocritical prayer
is self centered which has following aspects…
a. Expectation to pray in the
public (either temple or street)
b. Wanted to get public
attention
c. Wanted to show polished long
prayer & Repetitions.
All the above were good, but something
essential is missing that is “GOD” we see the similar case when Pharisee prayed
in the synagogue (Luke 18:10ff)
2.
PRAYER
OF A TRANSFORMED (RIGHTEOUS) PERSON (MAT 6:9-13)
This prayer has the intention to exalt God and humble selfishness.
This prayer doesn’t boast – gives importance to the inner man. I see the
following nature as Jesus taught the prayer to the disciples,
a.
Exalts God (Hallowed by
thy name)
b.
Expects His Kingdom
(Thy Kingdom Come)
c.
Content in God’s
Provision (Give us the daily bread)
d.
Extends Forgiveness
(Forgive us – we forgive others)
e.
Expels Temptations
(Deliver us from Evil One)
The prayer of the tax collector was
similar to the second prayer, which Jesus approved at the end of the passage. God
wants to hear a transformed prayer to change the world.
CONCLUSION:
We are all the agents of transformation
to the areas we placed – Matt 5:13-16, “There is no use of Salt and light if
they don’t serve the purpose for which we use them.”
A transformed person can transform the world – If there is no inner
transformation in us, we cannot expect transformation outside through us. Only
a tuned guitar tunes other, an un-tuned guitar can never help us tune a guitar
so also the transformation serves in transforming others.
The experience in “Bulb Factory” a raw material goes through a
transforming process, once it goes through that – it lights up the world and
the shape never changes again.
David wanted to have this transformation as he sinned against the
Lord so that he prays to the Lord, “Create in me a clean heart, O
God, and
renew a right spirit within me!” (Psalm 51: 10). You can pray to the Lord to transform right now to
be the agent of transformation to your community. May God enable to achieve it
as you go through the transforming process. Amen!
