Class Lesson October 21, 2018

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

We associate one name with the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln: John Wilkes Booth. Most people have forgotten Booth had co-conspirators, but one American family can’t forget. The descendants of Dr. Samuel Mudd are still attempting to clear their family name.

After Booth shot the president, he jumped from the balcony to the stage and broke his leg. He escaped and made it to Dr. Mudd’s farm in Maryland. Dr. Mudd set his leg and allowed Booth to rest. When Mudd learned of the assassination the next day, he alerted the authorities. Unfortunately, Dr. Mudd became a suspect. He was convicted of conspiracy and sentenced to life in prison. President Andrew Johnson later pardoned him, but a question lingered—was Dr. Mudd innocent?

Samuel Mudd’s descendants believe his name (and theirs) has never been cleared. In fact, our language now has a phrase for someone who is unpopular or questionable: “His name is mud (Mudd).”

Our names are important to us. Without question, one name above all others deserves honor: the name of God. Jesus taught us to honor the name of God when we pray.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Matthew 6:9b 

hallowed be your name, ... 

Psalm 96:1-3

1 Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. 3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

Some forms of prayer are easier than others. For example, most of us find it easy to ask for our own needs to be met or to pray for the safety of our kids, but not everyone feels as confident when it comes to offering praise. A church member sheepishly confided to me that praise was the most difficult part of prayer for her. I’m sure she was relieved when I agreed! Unfortunately, praise doesn’t always come easy.

In the Model Prayer, Jesus directs us to place praise at the beginning of our time with God. Jesus could have said much more about the subject, but He chose only one core value of praise: honoring the name of God. These words serve as a model for all future praise.

When Jesus taught us to praise, He did so by exalting God whose name is honored as holy. We are not praying God’s name will be made holy. Instead, our prayers are to acknowledge His name is already holy.

Once we recognize what praise is and begin to practice it, praising God begins to flow more freely. Psalm 96 is a good example of a declaration of praise that exalts God’s name. We exalt His name in three ways.

1. Sing a new song. In the opening verses, we see the exuberance of the psalmist as he praised the Lord. What do I mean by exuberance? The psalmist urged us to “Sing to the LORD a new song.” This is a call for “all the earth” to praise.

2. Praise His name. Praising God entails more than singing. We also “praise his name.” The word “praise” is related to the Hebrew word for kneeling, and not surprisingly, it can be translated as bless, salute, or adore. We also read in the Bible that God blesses His people, which imply bestowing His favor and benefits. We, in turn, bless God because of His greatness, power, and love. We praise and honor His name.

3. Proclaim His salvation. One of the great things God does is reach down and brings us back into a right relationship with Him. He saves us! We honor Him as we declare “his marvelous deeds among all peoples.”

Psalm 96:4-6

4 For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. 6 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary.

It doesn’t take many news shows, violent images of terrorism, or stories about injustice to feel discouraged. Discouragement can lead to a sense of being overwhelmed by the problems surrounding all of us. Fortunately, God has given us a way to remain hopeful despite the bad news everywhere. The path to a healthier soul is praise. Praising God not only honors Him, it lifts our spirits too. When we focus on the One who is greater than all, we gain the right perspective and we lose our discouragement.

• Praise the greatness of God. The psalmist knew God is greater than any of the false gods since they are mere idols, so he focused his praise on the greatness of God. People made these other gods, “but the LORD made the heavens.” How can there be any comparison between the two?

• Praise the beauty of God. “Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.” In the same way, he reminds us to seek the God who is surrounded by such beauty. Splendor is a Hebrew word embodying the concept of someone’s grand appearance. Translated “majesty,” “glory,” or even “honor,” at various places in the Old Testament, the word always describes something of great value. The psalmist was offering an invitation for us to look at God because He is filled with splendor and beauty. In a world of ugliness and broken things, God is splendid.

We pray to the God who is full of majesty, strength, and beauty. He is welcome relief for our weariness. The world is brutal; God is beautiful. The nations are merciless; God is majestic in His mercy. People are full of petty self-interest; God is full of splendor! Seeing God for who He is leads us to praise because no one else is like Him!

If we saw God as small, weak, or unpredictable, our prayers would also be weak. In fact, we probably wouldn’t pray at all. Why would we if God was neither great nor glorious? Fortunately, the psalmist directs us to think much differently about God when we pray. He is powerful and majestic; God is worthy of our honor. 

Psalm 96:7-9

7 Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts. 9 Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth.

How do we respond to the greatness of God? We “ascribe”—we give—to Him the glory and strength His name deserves. We can’t make His name any more glorious or powerful, but we openly acknowledge He is full of glory and strength. He is worthy of worship. He is draped in holy splendor. His greatness should cause us to humble ourselves before Him. “Tremble before him, all the earth.”

As we acknowledge God’s glory, we also bring an offering as a way to honor Him. Consider these ways we are to bring an offering:

• An offering of praise. “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name” (Heb. 13:15).

• An offering of our possessions. “Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops” (Prov. 3:9).

• An offering of our lives. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” (Rom. 12:1).

• An offering of our prayers. We tend to start our prayers with our needs, our concerns, and ourselves. The model Jesus gave us begins with the request that God’s name be honored, but the prayer for God to be honored doesn’t end there; we are to honor God’s name with every single request we make after that!

Even today visitors can see the original steps of the temple mount in Jerusalem, the last steps one used before entering the temple courts. These steps are deliberately irregular in size. The steps continue in a haphazard method to the top. They most likely were engineered to keep a person from rushing thoughtlessly into the presence of God. Staggered steps slowed the pace of a worshiper entering the temple courts, giving him time to reflect on the privilege of entering into God’s presence. In the same way, Jesus’ Model Prayer calls us to focus on God in praise as we begin to honor Him.

LIVE IT OUT

Praise elevates our own awareness of God as few other activities can do. For this reason—and because God deserves it—we should excel in the prayer of praise. Choose one of the following activities:

• Offer praise. Every day this week let a specific praise to God be your first words of the day. 

• List attributes. Make a list of every attribute of God you can think of. Take time this week to praise God using the entire list.

• Evaluate your requests. Write out your prayer requests and evaluate them on whether they are focused on God’s honor or simply on what you want. As needed, adjust the way you pray so you are seeking to honor Him.

How will you seek to honor God with your prayers? One name above all others deserves honor: the name of Jesus Christ. Honor Him through prayer and by sharing Him with others this week.

Hope to see you on Sunday!

In His Love,

David & Susan


Teacher Notes:

Introduction: Billy Graham’s wife, Ruth, wrote a book many years ago titled It’s My Turn. In that book, she told the story of her first encounter with Billy. She was a student at Wheaton College, and he had just transferred to Wheaton from the Florida Bible Institute. During a chapel service, Billy was called on to lead in prayer. Though he and Ruth had not yet been formally introduced, she was impressed by the earnestness and reverence of his prayer. She thought, “He knows who he’s talking to.” The Lord Jesus also knew who He was addressing when He prayed. Thus, He taught His disciples to begin their prayers with the words, “Hallowed be Thy name.” Certainly, we should carry our needs and requests to Him (Philippians 4:6), but at the same time we must remember that He is more than just a friend. He is the God of the universe, and He is worthy of our worship and our reverence.

It is very natural for us to call out to God when we need something. And God certainly invites us to come to Him with our requests and prayers. But do we ever consider what God wants? The first request of Jesus’ Model Prayer is a petition for God’s name to be honored as holy. We are to bring our requests to God and seek an answer that brings honor and glory to Him.

I. Prayer begins with a desire to honor God.

Matthew 6:9b hallowed be your name, ... 

Psalm 96:1-3 

Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise His name; proclaim His salvation day after day. Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples.

How does acknowledging God’s name as holy make a difference when we pray?

What are some challenges you face in trying to keep your praying God-centered and God-honoring rather than self-focused?

There’s a Chinese proverb that states that a thousand miles begins with a single step. But in what direction do you take that first step? It matters how you begin.

Does it matter how you begin a prayer? 

· Yes, it does. 

· The first steps we take in prayer will affect the rest of our prayer. 

· In His Model Prayer, Jesus taught us to begin our prayers with Hallowed be your name. 

· This is the most important part of all our prayers.

· And it may also be the hardest part of the Model Prayer to understand.

What does it mean to hallow something?

· Hallowed comes from the same word from which we get holy. To hallow something means to make it holy or set it apart as holy. To hallow God’s name, then, means to set God’s name apart as holy.

How can I make God’s name any holier than it already is?

· “There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God” (1 Sam. 2:2).

· Hallowed be your name, is not a prayer that God’s name would be more holy, but that His name would be recognized and treated as holy. 

That’s why this request is the very first request in the Model Prayer. 

Everything else we ask in prayer should have as its foundation this thought: Is what I am asking for something that glorifies and honors God?

Think about it…

1. We pray, “Hallowed be your name,” before we pray, “Give us today our daily bread (or other things we need).” God’s name will not be honored and hallowed if we misuse the things He gives us. Why should God give us the things we ask for if we’re only going to use them in a way that does not honor Him? “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures” (Jas. 4:3).

2. We pray, “Hallowed be your name,” before we pray, “Forgive us our debts.” Am I asking for forgiveness simply because I don’t like feeling guilty? Or am I asking for forgiveness because I want to turn from doing what I know displeases Him? Even when we pray for forgiveness, we should be basing that request on a desire that God’s unique character and holiness would be obvious – and that it would be obvious in our lives!

· God’s honor and glory come first. God first, me second. If I make this request first, all my other requests will receive the answer I desire because I am asking for things that will honor Him.

[Matthew 6:9b] When we begin our prayer, Jesus instructed us to honor our Father. In this portion

of His Model Prayer, Jesus showed us how to acknowledge God as Father when we begin to talk

with Him. How we approach our Father makes more of a difference than we may realize at first. It’s tempting to start by telling God everything we need. When we do, our view of Him diminishes to the point we lose sight of the honor He deserves, and our view of ourselves inflates so that we nurture a bloated perspective of our needs and ourselves. Jesus taught us to approach God with a reverent awareness of His holy name. When we focus our attention on God’s name in prayer, we’re drawn to what His name means to us. When we reflect on the meaning of His holy name, the truth about His character, authority, wisdom, and power become more vivid to us. When we meditate on the holiness of His name, we’re moved to honor Him. We begin to grasp how He’s set apart from all His creation. The name of the Lord reminds us that He’s completely different from us. He’s altogether set apart. In other words, He’s holy.

[Psalm 96:1] This psalm offers us some keen insights into how to honor the Lord as holy when we pray. Applying each insight can render a noticeable difference in our prayer lives. Verse 1 prompts us to sit up and take notice of the Lord’s great name by praising Him. We are challenged to express the honor He deserves by singing to Him. God’s people sing a new song. It’s new in that it’s stirred by the fresh work He’s done in our lives. Our new song underscores His gracious ways among us and the incredible changes He has made in us. Along with His people, His creation—all the earth—has been directed to join in the new song of praise. The evidence of His remarkable work around the world and throughout the universe fuels our praise to Him.

[Verses 2-3] As we sing to the Lord, we’re directed to focus our complete attention solely on His wonderful name. When we fix our eyes on Him alone, the features of His perfect power, wisdom, and authority become sharper and clearer to us. When He comes into view in that way, we praise His name with renewed minds and sincere hearts. While we bless His name by singing to God, we also praise Him by talking openly and freely about Him. His salvation provides us with the words to our song and the content of our conversations. When we make His salvation through Christ a part of our daily discourse, we bless His name. Because God has saved us, glorifying Him always remains our primary passion. To glorify God implies that we cast the light on Him and call attention to the weight His name carries in our lives and in the world. When we declare His glory to others, we eagerly put the light on Him so they will turn to Him. We want to proclaim His name to every people group and every nation in the world.

II. God’s spender and majesty call us to honor Him.

Psalm 96:4-6

For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and glory are in His sanctuary.

How can thinking about the nature and character of God affect your praying and help you to pray with a God-focus?

Our lesson says that praising God can lift us out of feelings of discouragement. 

· It doesn’t take many news shows, or stories of injustice to feel discouraged. Discouragement can lead to being overwhelmed by the problems surrounding us. But God has given us a way to remain hopeful despite the bad news everywhere. The path to a healthier soul is praise. Praising God not only honors Him, it lifts our spirits too. When we focus on the One who is greater than all, we gain the right perspective and we lose our discouragement.

Remember the prayer of our childhood: God is good, God is great. 

· This is the point here; the Lord is superior to anything and anyone; there is none like Him and never will be. The Lord makes Himself known in splendor, power, strength, and glorious beauty that are unmatched and unparalleled.

Lastly, let’s look at how we are to respond to the greatness of God.

III. Honor God through our acts of worship.

Psalm 96:7-9

Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering and come into His courts. Worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth.

What are you offering to God as your worship to Him, as a way of giving Him the glory due His name?

What does it mean to ascribe to the Lord? 

· We “ascribe”—we give—to Him the glory and strength His name deserves. 

· We can’t make His name any more glorious or powerful, but we openly acknowledge He is full of glory and strength. He is worthy of worship. He is draped in holy splendor. 

· We respond to His greatness by humbling ourselves before Him. “Tremble before Him, all the earth.”

How can our prayers be offerings that honor God? 

· An offering of praise. 

· An offering of our possessions. 

· An offering of our lives.

· An offering of our prayers. 

We tend to start our prayers with our needs, our concerns, and ourselves. The model Jesus gave us begins with the request that God’s name be honored, but the prayer for God to be honored doesn’t end there; we are to honor God’s name with every single request we make after that!

Everything in our lives is to be an offering that honors the Lord.

[Verse 7] We honor the Lord by offering everything in our lives to Him. When we pray, honoring Him takes center stage. Ascribing involves placing the credit where it belongs. Thus, the psalmist instructed us to give God the credit for who He is and what He is doing in our lives and in our world. God’s people respond to His outstanding work by attributing the glory to Him for His achievement. We applaud Him by giving Him the credit He deserves. Of course, that’s what Jesus taught us as well. In His instruction on prayer, He showed us how to recognize God’s name as holy when we pray. For disciples, therefore, honoring His name as holy becomes our highest priority as we begin in our prayer time. Notice that the challenge to honor the Lord has been given to families instead of nations, tribes, or individuals. The picture painted by the term families brings to mind the unique relationships associated with being sons and daughters, fathers and mothers. We don’t come before His presence as individuals among a crowd of strangers who happen to be with us when we worship. We never want to engage in prayer with a selfish attitude that causes us to lose sight of others while we talk incessantly about our personal issues. Family members share life with each other. When we pray, we honor the Lord as spiritual siblings in Jesus Christ who value the intimate kinship we have with other believers.

[Verse 8] The psalmist repeated the challenge to give God the credit He deserves by glorifying His altogether peerless name. To honor the name of the Lord as holy, the psalmist instructed us to bring an offering to the Lord. Of course, God intends for us to offer something that honors His holy name. When we think about an acceptable offering, we find help in Romans 12:1-2. When we present ourselves as living sacrifices to God, we present Him the offering He deserves. When God’s people worshiped Him at the temple, they passed through the gate and then made their way into the temple courts. Entering His court served as an initial step in approaching Him in worship. For believers today, entering His court implies honoring His name as holy as we begin to pray.

[Verse 9] Like God’s people generations ago, we have been directed to keep the holy name of the Lord in mind when we pray. Accordingly, we present everything in our lives as a tribute of praise to His holy name. Even when we begin to talk with God about what we need, we do not lose sight of the honor that’s due His holy name. Honoring His name as holy has a way of refining the list of needs we bring to God in prayer. It also influences the way we see ourselves in His presence. Instead of treating God like He owes us something, we find ourselves trembling at the reality that we have come into the presence of Almighty God. At the same time, we enjoy the privilege of knowing God intimately as our Father.

LIVE IT OUT

In general, prayer is the act or practice of addressing God. People typically pray because they need something and believe God is able to intervene to provide for the need. The biblical perspective on prayer is much different. In prayer, we come into the presence of the Lord God of heaven and earth. We celebrate and honor Him for who He is. While we are invited to make our requests and petitions known to Him, they are not to be self-focused but God-honoring and God-centered. Our prayers are to be driven by a desire to honor Him, to bring to Him the glory He is due.

Psalm 9:10, "Those who know thy name put their trust in thee." The better we know the name of God, the more we will trust Him. And the more we trust Him, the more risks we will take for the sake of His glory. And the more risks we are willing to take for the sake of His glory, the bolder we will be in our witness, the less dependent we will be on material comforts, and the more readily we will volunteer for active duty on the frontier of life.

Conclusion: Here is the question regarding prayer. Is your concern in prayer how it makes you feel or how it might make God feel? 

The real question is, does God even feel as though we’ve talked to Him? 

When you keep that perspective, it will revolutionize your prayer life!

New 7 Week Series "How to Pray" October 14, 2018

“Teach us to pray.” 

If you could ask Jesus one question, what would it be? 

Twelve disciples walked closely with Jesus. They saw His miracles. They heard His teaching. They observed how He interacted with people. Yet the one thing we know the disciples asked Jesus to specifically teach them about was prayer. It appears that, in all they observed in Jesus, it was His prayer life that seemed to be the “secret.” 

Thankfully for all of us, Jesus taught His disciples how to pray. He gave them, and ultimately us, a model as a part of His Sermon on the Mount. (See Matt. 5–7.) This prayer has inspired Christians for over two thousand years. It is both striking in its simplicity and breathtaking in its scope. It is certainly worth our study, and as we look at the different parts of this prayer, we will draw from other passages that will help illustrate truths from Jesus’ Model Prayer also. 

Prayer changes us as we pray. Isn’t it time we joined the original disciples and ask Jesus to teach us how to pray? After all, prayer moves the Hand that moves the world.

How to Pray 

Session 1 The Object of Our Prayer Matthew 6:9a; Psalm 103:1-5,11-13,19-22 

Session 2 A Prayer of Praise Matthew 6:9b; Psalm 96:1-9 

Session 3 A Prayer of Surrender Matthew 6:10-11a; James 4:6-10,13-17 

Session 4 Praying for Ourselves Matthew 6:11b; Isaiah 38:1-6,15-17 

Session 5 Praying for Others Matthew 6:11b; John 17:11-23 

Session 6 A Prayer of Confession Matthew 6:12-13; Psalm 51:1-7,10-12 

Session 7 A Prayer of Thanksgiving Psalm 138:1-8

The Bible Meets Life 

My parents lived in Alaska for fifty-five years before retiring and moving away, but my dad dreamed every day of going back. So when I visited Anchorage on a mission trip, I called my father to describe how the air felt and how the snow-covered mountains looked that spring morning. I also had seen some of his friends, and hearing about our conversation made his day. I promised to tell him more about the “great land” he loved when I returned from the mission trip, but two days after I arrived home, my dad suddenly died. 

I had hundreds of conversations with my parents telling them about my latest accomplishments and challenges, but I’m thankful my last conversation with my dad was about him. I was reminded that joy comes from focusing attention on those we love. 

Prayer—talking to our heavenly Father—is the same. When we focus only on ourselves, we can miss the joy of seeing the Lord as He is: our Father who deserves love and praise from His children. Jesus taught us to begin our prayers as a family reunion with a loving, heavenly Father.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Matthew 6:9a; Psalm 103:1-5 

Matt. 6:9a “Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, … Ps. 103:1 My soul, bless the Lord, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2 My soul, bless the Lord, and do not forget all his benefits. 3 He forgives all your iniquity; he heals all your diseases. 4 He redeems your life from the Pit; he crowns you with faithful love and compassion. 5 He satisfies you with good things; your youth is renewed like the eagle.

The most famous prayer in history is often referred to as the Lord's Prayer, but it's worth noting that nowhere in the New Testament does the Lord ever actually pray this prayer. And, neither does anyone else. In fact, Jesus didn't say, "Pray this." He said, "Pray like this" (emphasis added). It's far better to call this the Model Prayer and see it as an example of how to pray rather than as a script of what to pray. That's one of the principles of prayer we're going to grasp through this study.

The Model Prayer begins with an appeal to "Our Father." No one ever taught people to pray to God as our Father until Jesus gave us His Model Prayer. Of course, we view God as a Father, but we do so through the lens of two thousand years of Christian teaching. In that sense, we may be in some danger of taking this great truth for granted. By contrast, praying to God as our Father was a refreshing - and perhaps surprising - idea when Jesus mentioned it the first time.

Approaching God as a Father in prayer is a spiritual invitation, but it has an emotional appeal as well. We almost intuitively understand what Jesus meant when He said God is our Father. We know what a good father is. Unfortunately, not everyone has a good earthly father, but almost everyone instinctively knows what a good father should be. God is the ideal, perfect Father - strong, kind, loving, supportive, and helpful - and He wants to hear from us when we pray. That's powerful!

How did you learn to pray?

The words of Jesus regarding the fatherhood of God are strikingly unique, yet they trace roots back to the Old Testament. We find similarities woven through both Testaments. For instance, in Psalm 103, David stirred himself to pray by reflecting on God's beautiful attributes, similar to the ones found in Christ's teaching. 

Scripture consistently guides us to view God as good, and as a result, to know He wants what is best and good for His children. When God's people pray, therefore, we don't cower in fear from a distant, angry judge. Instead, we come to a good Father who has the wisdom to know what's best for us in every circumstance and the power to get it done! You can trust a God like that!

I hope it gives you greater confidence in prayer to know God hears and responds to your prayers as your good Father. The fact He is "in heaven" reminds you He is all-powerful and can do what is best. Isn't this a great place to begin in prayer?

How would you describe prayer to someone who is unfamiliar with the practice? 

Psalm 103:11-13 

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his faithful love toward those who fear him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.

When we walk with God, we should avoid two wrong extremes. One sees God as so strict in His demands for holiness that it is almost impossible to relate to Him on a personal basis. This view sees His holiness as utterly devoid of love. The other extreme, as flawed as the the first, views God's love as so indulgent that He simply ignores our sins. Balance is crucial because God is both holy and loving. God calls us to live holy lives, but He is also loving and merciful to sinners. In prayer, we encounter both aspects of God's nature.

"Prayer is the greatest of all forces, because 

it honors God and brings Him into active aid."

- E. M. Bounds

David penned this psalm out of his own experience. He knew firsthand how merciful God could be toward us when we fail. So, its little wonder King David praised God for His mercy and faithful love.

This passage also reminds us how accessible God is when we call upon Him. We've already noted His love and compassion, but He is also tender in His approach to sinners. God is willing to forgive our sins, casting them "as far as the east is from the west."

Do you see how this knowledge of God impacts our prayer lives? Prayer is grounded in a relationship, and how we view the character of God  impacts how we approach that relationship. Psalm 103 illustrates His character - traits like love, compassion, and forgiveness - with extravagant examples of access to God. 

In verse 13, the psalmist brought us from the heavens back to earth and centered his vision of God much closer to home. He described God as a compassionate Father. He's not far off. He's near to us like a father is to his children. Therefore, when we pray, we have immediate access. The Lord wants us to come to Him. He enjoys our fellowship.

I love it when my grown children come home. It means the world to me to spend time with them. Still, even the best human parents are only imperfect examples of how much God loves us. He is delighted when we pray, because prayer makes it possible for us to linger in His love and His presence - and for Him to linger in ours!

How has God expressed His compassion in your life?

Psalm 103:19-22 

19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. 20 Bless the Lord, all his angels of great strength, who do his word, obedient to his command. 21 Bless the Lord, all his armies, his servants who do his will. 22 Bless the Lord, all his works in all the places where he rules. My soul, bless the Lord!

We pray to God our Father, which speaks to His loving closeness, but let's not forget that our Father is still "the Lord" who hears our prayer from "His throne in heaven." That's an incredibly appropriate place to begin in prayer. We can go right to the top!

David himself was a powerful king who enjoyed the privileges of royalty. In Israel, the king was the final human authority when it came to matters of national concern. Yet in his prayers and in in his psalms, David recognized a King superior to himself, not seated on a throne in Jerusalem but seated on the throne of heaven. That same God hears our prayers, too!

Chairs are sparsely mentioned in the Bible; we see more references to thrones. Thrones were the symbols of power in the near east. In some cultures, the throne was the king's claim to a heavenly power. David knew from experience what it meant for a king to be seated while his subjects stood or bowed in his presence. Israel's king had military, financial, and judicial authority, and just about every other kind of power over the lives in his nation. 

So when King David described God as "the Lord" who "has established His throne in heaven," he was portraying a powerful image. God's powerful authority is clear from the fact He has a throne. This royal portrait of God builds faith for our daily prayer life. Our lives are often filled with difficulties beyond our ability to repair. But when we pray to our Father in heaven, the impossible becomes possible, because God has the authority to do something on our behalf. He is, after all, the King of heaven.

How can we improve our prayer life as a group?

LIVE IT OUT

Since powerful and consistent prayer life has to begin somewhere, shouldn't we begin where Jesus began? Use one or more of these applications to deepen your prayer life this week.

• Focus on the Father. Consider the traits of God as our perfect Father. As you begin each day with prayer, focus on those traits and thank God for being your heavenly Father. 

• Humble yourself. Reflect on the holiness and greatness of God. Humble yourself before Him and acknowledge that He is the Lord who is all-powerful and capable of handling what you bring to Him.

• Pray together. Tell another Christian what you've learned or are practicing in your prayer life as a result of this study. Challenge that person to do the same. Commit yourselves to prayer.

Each day indeed brings multiple opportunities for a family reunion. Through prayer, our heavenly Father speaks to us. And as we grow close to Him and listen, we will long to respond in prayer.

Hope to see you on Sunday!

In His Love,

David & Susan


Teacher's Notes:

How did you learn to pray?

Twelve disciples walked closely with Jesus. They saw His miracles. They heard His teaching. They observed how He interacted with people. Yet the one thing we know the disciples asked Jesus to specifically teach them about was prayer. Jesus considered prayer more important than food. The Bible tells us that Jesus prayed hours before breakfast, rising up a great while before daybreak (Mark 1:35). Jesus would leave great crowds gathered to hear Him preach and go to the wilderness so that He could spend time in prayer (Luke 5). How different our world would be if people were committed to do the same.

And, thankfully for all of us, Jesus taught His disciples how to pray. He gave them, and ultimately us, a model as a part of His Sermon on the Mount. (See Matt. 5–7.) This prayer has inspired Christians for over two thousand years. It is both striking in its simplicity and breathtaking in its scope. 

We are going to be looking at the different parts of this prayer, and we’ll draw from other passages that help illustrate truths from Jesus’ Model Prayer. 

Prayer changes us as we pray and Prayer moves the Hand that moves the world.

My parents lived in Alaska for fifty-five years before retiring and moving away, but my dad dreamed every day of going back. So, when I visited Anchorage on a mission trip, I called my father to describe how the air felt and how the snow-covered mountains looked that spring morning. I also had seen some of his friends, and hearing about our conversation made his day. I promised to tell him more about the “great land” he loved when I returned from the mission trip, but two days after I arrived home, my dad suddenly died. 

I had hundreds of conversations with my parents telling them about my latest accomplishments and challenges, but I’m thankful my last conversation with my dad was about him. I was reminded that joy comes from focusing attention on those we love. 

Prayer—talking to our heavenly Father—is the same. When we focus only on ourselves, we can miss the joy of seeing the Lord as He is: our Father who deserves love and praise from His children. Jesus taught us to begin our prayers as a family reunion with a loving, heavenly Father.

Our conversations are greatly affected by our perception of the other person. Praying to God is similar. Some people approach God with fear and trembling, hoping they utter just the right words. Others look at God as a kindly grandfather or a vending machine who dispenses whatever we want. How we approach God should be based on what He has revealed about Himself. Thankfully, the Bible presents a clear picture of our almighty and loving Father.

When we pray to Him, we should remember who we’re addressing. He gave us life, and He can take it away anytime He chooses. Everything we have, including the air we breathe, comes from Him. When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He taught them first and foremost to remember who God is (Matthew 6:9). In the 103rd Psalm, we see three of His attributes that we should remember when we pray.

I. THE ONE WE PRAY TO DESIRES ONLY GOOD FOR US (Remember His Goodness)

Matthew 6:9a; Psalm 103:1-5 

Matt. 6:9a “Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, … 

Ps. 103:1 My soul, bless the Lord, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. My soul, bless the Lord, and do not forget all His benefits. He forgives all your iniquity; He heals all your diseases. He redeems your life from the Pit; He crowns you with faithful love and compassion. He satisfies you with good things; your youth is renewed like the eagle.

How would you describe prayer to someone who is 

unfamiliar with the practice? 

History’s most famous prayer is called The Lord’s Prayer or the Model Prayer, showing us how to pray. 

• It appeals to our Father, a new concept until the Model Prayer. 
• Approaching God in prayer is a spiritual invitation with an emotional appeal. God is the ideal, perfect Father. He wants to hear from us. 
• Scripture guides us to view God as good. He has the wisdom to know what is best for us. We can trust Him. 
• When we pray, we are like needy children. God is compassionate and responds with love and tenderness.

Our Father wants only good for us. That’s what Jesus wants us to grasp first as He teaches us how to pray. Notice Jesus taught that we should refer to God as “our Father in heaven.” When we talk with our Father “in heaven” in prayer, we’re spending time with the Creator of the universe and the Commander of the heavenly host. While approaching Him in prayer can be daunting, He’s also the perfect “Father” who wants to enjoy an intimate relationship with His children. By instructing His followers to refer to God as “our Father,” Jesus prompted them to approach God with healthy respect nourished by love. While He has complete authority over us, He longs for us to experience the joy and peace that only a relationship with Him can render.

Psalm 103:1. This psalm adds enriching colors to the portrait of our Father that Jesus provided. We learn more about our Father and His goodness to us. At the outset, the psalm brings to mind our need to take a long look in the mirror. By talking to our souls and looking deep within ourselves, we have a chance to see what’s really going on inside us. From there, we have the opportunity to make lasting changes in our lives that will please the Lord. One of the chief ways to make such important spiritual adjustments involves praising the Lord. That’s the idea implied from the call in this verse to bless Him. By fixing our minds and hearts on the holy name of the Lord through praising Him, we’re taking the right path toward renewed spiritual vitality.

Which of the benefits listed in Psalm 103:3-5 

mean the most to you today?

We are to praise the Lord for all the great things He has done for us. The blessing of forgiveness, healing, and life come to us from a God of love, goodness, and righteousness.

Verses 2-3. Praise flows easily from our hearts when we consider the monumental ways in which the Lord has been good to us. However, when we forget about blessing Him and focus on being blessed ourselves, we lose sight of what He has done. By the same token, recalling His remarkable care sets the stage for praising Him. The psalmist pointed to the invaluable actions God has taken for us, referring to them as benefits. Reflecting on them prompts our praise to Him. One of the greatest benefits we enjoy results from what God has done about our greatest problem. Our sin serves as a wall that separates us from our Father. We’re responsible for the wall and the separation. However, we can’t do anything about removing our sin. But God doesn’t allow the wall to remain. Instead of allowing us to languish in our sinful condition, He forgives us by taking away our sin. Diseases of the soul will not have the last word over us. Verses 4-5. But that’s not all He has done for us. He’s paid the price necessary to set us free from death. The Pit symbolizes the abode of the dead and the adversity that goes along with death. From our side of the cross, we know that Jesus paid the price at Calvary. The Lord not only redeems us, He also treats us like royalty by crowning us with the honor of being His children. He’s faithful to us, and He feels our pain and joy with us.

 

II. THE ONE WE PRAY TO IS OUR COMPASSIONATE FATHER (Remember His Grace)

Psalm 103:11-13 

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his faithful love toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.

Why do you think people miss the compassion and love of God described in this passage?

When we walk with God, we should avoid two wrong extremes. 

1. One sees God as so strict in His demands for holiness that it is almost impossible to relate to Him on a personal basis. This view sees His holiness as utterly devoid of love. 
2. The other extreme, as flawed as the first, views God's love as so indulgent that He simply ignores our sins. Balance is crucial because God is both holy and loving. God calls us to live holy lives, but He is also loving and merciful to sinners. In prayer, we encounter both aspects of God's nature.

The Scripture helps us understand the compassion and loving character of our Father. God calls us to live holy lives, but He is also loving and merciful. 

• Fearing God doesn’t mean we cringe in terror. We revere Him and recognize His awesome power. 
• Our response to God is to observe His commandments and His ways. God is willing to forgive our transgressions. 
• Our prayer lives are grounded in a relationship. How we view the character of God impacts how we approach that relationship. 
• God is near to us like a father to his children, so we have immediate access. He is delighted when we pray.

David penned this psalm out of his own experience. He knew firsthand how merciful God could be toward us when we fail. So, its little wonder King David praised God for His mercy and faithful love.

This passage also reminds us how accessible God is when we call upon Him. We've already noted His love and compassion, but He is also tender in His approach to sinners. God is willing to forgive our sins, casting them "as far as the east is from the west."

Do you see how this knowledge of God impacts our prayer lives? 

• Prayer is grounded in a relationship, and how we view the character of God impacts how we approach that relationship. Psalm 103 illustrates His character - traits like love, compassion, and forgiveness - with extravagant examples of access to God. 

In verse 13, the psalmist brought us from the heavens back to earth and centered his vision of God much closer to home. He described God as a compassionate Father. He's not far off. He's near to us like a father is to his children. Therefore, when we pray, we have immediate access. The Lord wants us to come to Him. He enjoys our fellowship.

I love it when my grown children come home. It means the world to me to spend time with them. Still, even the best human parents are only imperfect examples of how much God loves us. He is delighted when we pray, because prayer makes it possible for us to linger in His love and His presence - and for Him to linger in ours!

How has God expressed His compassion in your life?

The Lord acts in love toward His people beyond what they deserve. The faithful love of God is great and incomparable. His unmerited forgiveness is an expression of His great love toward us. The Lord is the perfect heavenly Father to His children.

III. THE ONE WE PRAY TO IS ALMIGHTY GOD (Remember His Greatness)

Psalm 103:19-22 

The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. Bless the Lord, all his angels of great strength, who do his word, obedient to his command. Bless the Lord, all his armies, his servants who do his will. Bless the Lord, all his works in all the places where he rules. My soul, bless the Lord!

God hears us from His heavenly throne. 

• David recognized that God is a King superior to himself and his kingdom. But He is one who hears our prayers. 
• Israel’s king had military authority, financial authority, judicial authority, and authority over every other power. Clearly, the one seated on a throne held this power. 
• When we pray to our Father in heaven, the impossible becomes possible because God has the authority to do something on our behalf. He is the King of heaven. 

How does placing our focus on God

impact our prayer time?

What steps can you take to focus on God’s character intentionally when you pray?

We pray to God our Father, which speaks to His loving closeness, but let's not forget that our Father is still "the Lord" who hears our prayer from "His throne in heaven." That's an incredibly appropriate place to begin in prayer. We can go right to the top! David himself was a powerful king who enjoyed the privileges of royalty. In Israel, the king was the final human authority when it came to matters of national concern. Yet in his prayers and in in his psalms, David recognized a King superior to himself, not seated on a throne in Jerusalem but seated on the throne of heaven. That same God hears our prayers, too!

Verse 19. Our Father will always be Almighty God. We do well to remember God’s majesty as well as His intimacy. For us to have a firm grip on God’s reign, David reminded us of the location of His throne. It is not in the temple in Jerusalem or anywhere on earth. Even powerful earthly rulers have no choice but to live with the reality of death. Death comes one day, and kingdoms will end. In contrast, God is not bound by time or anything that controls us. His throne exists in heaven, above all limitations. He rules without constraints being imposed upon Him. His kingdom isn’t threatened by life and death. It will last forever because it’s established in heaven. 

Verse 20. The psalmist returned to his call to praise the Lord. He challenged his soul to praise the Lord, then he called on angels to bless Him. While their power is remarkable, their absolute willingness to follow the Lord’s leadership is even more striking. They obey Him without fail. His word becomes their command. Accordingly, they welcome the opportunity to praise the Lord. 

Verse 21. When the psalmist turned his attention to the Lord’s armies, he had in mind heavenly messengers. The term “hosts” also has been used to describe this large gathering of angelic servants. The sheer number obviously made them appear as an army. Scripture provides a few vivid examples of the Lord’s armies. The prophet Micaiah described a vision in which he saw the Lord seated on His throne surrounded by His heavenly host (2 Chronicles 18:18). The most well-known New Testament example can be found in the account of Jesus’ birth (Luke 2:13). Like God’s angels, His heavenly armies devote themselves to doing whatever the Lord wants. In keeping with their role in God’s eternal kingdom, the psalmist called on them to bless Him.

Verse 22. The clearest testimonies of God’s sovereign reign come from what He has already done. His works among His people send a distinct signal to the world about His overwhelming and fearsome power. Old Testament accounts of creation, the flood, the miracles in Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, and other miracles only scratch the surface of the works of His boundless authority. Of course, the New Testament accounts of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus speak volumes about the ceaseless and infinite power of God. In response to the psalmist’s reflection on God’s angels, armies, and works, he stepped back and took another long look into his soul. Then he uttered the same command that he gave himself at the outset of this psalm. Bless the Lord! We join him by praising God because He’s our Father.

LIVE IT OUT

Since powerful and consistent prayer life has to begin somewhere, shouldn't we begin where Jesus began? Use one or more of these applications to deepen your prayer life this week.

• Focus on the Father. Consider the traits of God as our perfect Father. As you begin each day with prayer, focus on those traits and thank God for being your heavenly Father. 
• Humble yourself. Reflect on the holiness and greatness of God. Humble yourself before Him and acknowledge that He is the Lord who is all-powerful and capable of handling what you bring to Him.
• Pray together. Tell another Christian what you've learned or are practicing in your prayer life as a result of this study. Challenge that person to do the same. Commit yourselves to prayer.

Each day indeed brings multiple opportunities for a family reunion. Through prayer, our heavenly Father speaks to us. And as we grow close to Him and listen, we will long to respond in prayer.