Matthew 6:5-8 Prayer
Posted on September 5th, 2007 by Reformed Pope into the Uncategorized, Reading Matthew categorySam just shared some great thoughts on the Lord's Prayer, but I thought I would take a stab at it as well. I'm actually backing up a couple of verses and starting at Matthew 6:5 where Jesus gives a few more directions on how to pray. On a quick, semi-related side note, Craig linked to a great article on how Christians are taught to approach the Bible, it's rather fascinating…check it out.
Anyway, Matthew 6:5 says:
And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
Anyone that has spent time in these MFI related megachurches will know what this is all about. My experience was that anytime there was a special prayer meeting someone would set up a microphone and people would take turns yelling prayers into it…lets pause and read Matthew 6:7
And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
…so people would yell prayers into a microphone in front of everyone else, and let me tell you, the louder you were, the more passionate you were, and the longer your prayer the better a reception you would receive. People would say things like "Great Prayer" or "I was really moved by your words"…quite ridiculous in my book. This sort of praying leads to the creation of standard filler prayers such as:
Requesting a "Hedge of Protection", "Rivers of whatever (love, mercy, joy, etc)", the word "More", said over and over and over…I'm actually struggling to come up with more of these meaningless filler prayers…help me out…
For those of you who have been watching Big Brother 8 (greatest show on tv during the summer, btw) Jameka and Amber have given us plenty of those prayers…Amber even went so far as to say "God bless you God" on multiple occasions (I tend to think that God will bless God if God wants God to be blessed…but maybe He needs Amber to remind Him…I don't know.)
Another story I heard was, during the send off party for SPES and Family someone prayed that God would "give them Dove Eyes"…seriously, Dove Eyes…it's actually a reference from the Song of Solomon, but I'd say it is right up there with some of the best meaningless filler I have ever heard. Now that I think about it, the send off party may have been for Gareth Gilpin and family I don't recall…I guess we should check in on them both and see whose eyes most resemble that of a Dove…side story: Gareth was my first small group leader at CBC. I was an 8th grade homeschooler trying to fit in and he made me feel very comfortable. Thank you Gareth, I've always liked you.
To get back on track, Jesus gives us fairly clear instructions on how to pray and it looks like this:
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:6)
(sarcasm alert) I interpret this scripture to say: "Pray in your room and God will reward you with Dove Eyes. Anyhow, this post is already long enough…we'll save the Lord's Prayer for later.
God bless you God.
RSS feed for posts
September 5th, 2007 at 6:46 pm
How my gosh where do you come up with these insights! Thanks for the laugh. I do remember a filler prayer “Lord protect us from the firey farts of the ememy”.
September 5th, 2007 at 7:14 pm
I could never figure figure out the flock of goats for hair…amoung other things.
September 5th, 2007 at 7:14 pm
Well RP, I guess that’s better than asking God to give them “walleye vision” (remember “Wash Out” on the movie Hot Shots)?
Or maybe the pray-er asked God to give them ‘dove eyes’ because they have walleye vision? Hmmm …
September 10th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
I can still remember WC shouting into the mike (on 76th & Glisan) that God was going to judge San Fransisco for all the gay stuff….that has got to be nearly a 1/4 century ago. It has not happened! Really useful prayers. He just forgot to read the verse after John 3:16. “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through Him.”
September 11th, 2007 at 3:40 am
whatHEsaid said:
Perhaps.
Or, maybe it’s just that he hadn’t forget to read these verses:
Or, this one:
-joebib
September 11th, 2007 at 8:13 am
Joebib,
Don’t get me wrong, I do think homosexuality is a sinful lifestyle. What I find wrong in the previous post was that it was presented as an ‘immenent’ warning from God. It clearly (at this point) was not. If he really thought San Fransisco was ‘in for it’, why preach to us in Portland? Shouldn’t he have gone to San Fransisco to warn them? How about asking for intercession in case there were 10 righteous there? I think it was ‘grandstanding in the flesh’ to appear as an O.T. prophet.
September 11th, 2007 at 9:43 pm
I Cor. 6:11 And such were some of you (fornicators, idolaters, adulters, effeminate, homosexuals, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, swindlers) but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God. I think you could have put me in some of the paraentheses. Why do we take homosexual and add bold face text.
To me it’s like the pastors that only hold sexual immorality as the sin that disqualifies them from leadership, but they never take into account the other qualifications of an elder.
September 12th, 2007 at 2:57 am
whatHEsaid — Point taken, and thanks for the clarification. I agree with you, as well as what said “prophet’s” attitude should have been more like. I don’t recall that service, but if the WC in question was the son of IC, and MC was his sister, then, yeah, he probably was grandstanding.
annaL — Excellent point. I feel the same way, especially in regard to covetousness, which if that disqualification were really followed, we would certainly see a lot less of the current cadre of SPs and elders in most local LCs today, and truth be known, probably 95% of the ones with a television/radio ministry, IMO.
FWIW, KM once told me in his study that when he was a student at ORU — he worked in the main office just outside of OR’s personal office — that a missionary came in one day asking for funds from OR himself to feed the poor in some 3rd World country or another. OR told him he just couldn’t possibly help him with any money at all, as funds were tight. KM said the missionary slowly looked around the opulent office, expensive paintings, and fancy furniture. Then his eyes fell upon the shiney 24K solid gold doorknobs, and he pointed at one and said, “Give me just one of those doorknobs, and I’ll feed the poor for a year!”
He was politely shown the door.
-joebib
September 12th, 2007 at 5:14 am
Joebib,
Later on, I got to spend some time at ‘Zion Faith Assembly’ in Spokane. WC was the pastor. Looking back on it now, he was one of the most controlling people I have seen in my time with the Lord. I wonder where he is now? I tried to get involved in the music ministry there, but I was rebuffed do to the lack of time I could commit to practice. (it would have been endless) It makes me laugh now. When I take a musical instrument to a house church meeting, most are thrilled to have music, and I don’t even have to commit to 2 years of ridgid training, sign legal documents etc..:)
October 2nd, 2007 at 4:12 am
whatHEsaid –
So then, is this in fact the same WC who was the son of BT elder IC?
If so, I remember a sermon he preached once at old BT on “Hope Pictures On The Walls Of Your Heart.” It was really excellent, and has helped me in my prayer life to this day.
Too bad he went off on the SP power trip.
-joe