Pouring Out Our Hearts in Prayer

Matthew 6:7-8

St. John’s United Church of Christ
Greeley, Colorado
March 10, 2024
Rev. Juvenal Cervantes

I cannot think of a series of sermon that has been more impactful to me than The Lord’s Prayer, truly, the manual for Christian living.

Today we continue our focus on prayer. There are many hurdles and barriers to prayer. God is the creator and I am not, and that is intimidating.

How do you have a conversation with someone like that?

Some of us are introverts, we withdraw into a corner of a room, read the room and keep to ourselves.

Other of us are extraverts, there is no stranger in the world. We enter the room and the room and I are one, feeling comfortable in every setting.

When we interact with God, what do you say to him. What kind of posture do you adopt to your redeemer?

I want to share with us three ideas when it comes to prayer: 1) a posture to avoid, 2) a posture to take and 3) an example.

A posture to avoid.

Communicating with God is not just about words. It is not just about tone. It is not just about body language, as much as this convey in communication.

I love reminding us that communication theory suggests that we speak in five different ways.

1.     We speak with our body; our body is always saying something about us.

2.     We speak with our face. For news of the heart look at the face of the person.

3.     We speak with our eyes. Our eyes can speak words that our tongue will never pronounce. We can hug someone with our eyes and we can also murder someone with our eyes.

4.     We speak with our tone of voice. A word that is emphasized or a sound that that is expressed clearly expressed more than what we say.

5.     We speak with words. Our choice of words reveals our heart, mind and soul.

Jesus teaches us the proper verbal posture to adopt. Consider Matthew 6:7-8,

“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.”

Jesus is clear: Don’t pile up words upon words, don’t babble. Don’t measure the success, quality of prayer, by the amount of words you utter. Additionally, it is not the amount of time you spend in prayer that is the sole quality of your prayer.

Jesus also give us a qualifier: don’t be like the pagans who engage in repetition prayer.

The prayers of the pagan were laced with manipulation, bribery, and flattery. The gods of ancient world were not inclined to care for people. They were capricious, cruel, self-absorbed.

In Greek myth Zeus had tendencies to become some sort of animal, get a young maiden pregnant and abandon her. Then his wife, Hera, the queen of the gods would harass the mother and the child and turned the child the child into a hero and Zeus would take his hands off.

We learn in the Epic of Gilgamesh that god’s do not like human beings. They saw human being as infestation.

Therefore, when pagans prayed to Zeus they used flowery language such as “father of lighting…”

May friends, you don’t have to con God into liking you.

God already loves you, he likes you. The attributes we use when we address God remind us how it comforts us and encourages us. For example, when we say God is sovereign.

We are people on the go. We pride ourselves on getting to the point. We text and the shorter the text the better. How do we pray like pagans?

Here are some of the way we pray like pagans:

1.     “God, I gave to church, I’ve been generous, take this concern away from me…”

2.     “God, if you will let me pass this test, I promise to improve my behavior…”

3.     “God, if you promise to get us through, I promise to go to church…”

4.     “Be with mom, dad who has a twists ankle, be with my cat that struggles with rabies…”

Verbal posture we’re supposed to take.

Verbal communication is complex. The English language does not make it easy to communicate. For instance, we have three words that sound exactly the same: to, too, and two.

Communication, needs, information. Exchange of information and ideas.

Verse eight highlights the importance of trust, and implicit understanding that God will do what he said he will do. We can give him our deepest, darkest, and troubling things.

We’re encouraged to exercise humble boldness, and bold humility.

God desires to pour out blessings on people.

Additionally, we need change our approach to prayer from demand into requests. How much are we telling God what to do?

Jesus goes against sin, earth and evil and conquers. Because of his humiliation, we can come boldly before God.

The example.

Mark 14:32-42

And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.”

And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour?

Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

In verse 39 we do find Jesus engaging in repetition, saying the same words, but not babbling. He said, “My soul is sorrowful,” this is the only thing he can pray, he was consumed, death was imminent.

In verse 36 we see boldness in Jesus’ prayer. He said, “Remove this cup from me.” In this expression we see humility as he said, “Your will be done, not mine.” This was not a demand, but a confession.

May our attitude in prayer be laced with confidence, boldness, and humility as we come before the Father.

Let us pray.

“Lord, thank you for not just telling us to pray, but teaching us how. We confess we have not seen you as we should, and therefore, have not prayed as we should. Give us a deep desire to come boldly before your throne to receive mercy when we need it most. Lord Jesus, we need your mercy. Lord Jesus, we need you.”