19-11 Bid Aldus - 5

We pray together and for each other too Matthew 6:9-13 An aspect of the Lord’s Prayer that I have not yet emphasized is its communal nature. Haddon Robinson says: “There is no ‘I’, ‘me’ or ‘mine’ in the Lord’s Prayer; it’s a prayer that is focused on community.” As you walk through this model prayer, you discover that the prayer requests that we tend to make for ourselves find their original intent in togetherness. The “our” aspect Returning to the warnings preceding the prayer, we are reminded that when you pray together it is not to be seen by others, nor is it to employ thoughtless words or phrases. We are ever focused on “Our Father”, who sees in private. Still, I find it remarkable that after encouraging His disciples to go into their prayer closet, that the model prayer is not focused on the individual, but on “us”. This praying together and for one another, then, finds its roots in closet praying. You ought not to pray before other people, if you have not first prayed in private. The early Church understood this and gives us an important example to follow: Acts 1:14 - After Jesus had ascended to heaven the 11 apostles gathered to pray. There were about 120 in all and they prayed for about ten days. Acts 2:42 - After Peter's sermon at Pentecost, and the conversion of 3,000 people, “they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers." Acts 6:6 - When the first deacons were chosen in the early church “they prayed and laid their hands upon them." Acts 12:5, 12 - Herod was holding Peter in prison after killing James the Lord's brother. The response of the church was to get together to pray. The result was that an angel of the Lord released Peter. Acts 20:36 - At his final departure from Asia, Paul met the elders of the Ephesian church and “he knelt down and prayed with them all." The Church came together often for prayer. Fighting individualism So what is the significance of framing the example of prayer with plural personal pronouns? Well, one take-away is that Jesus wouldn’t commend our modern 21st century societal trend toward individualism. We have a “go it alone” and “I got this” attitude that leads us to focus on me. Fact is that this is a rebellion against God’s conclusion and decree in the garden that “it is not good for man to be alone.” Society at large tries to pretend to be in community through smartphones, online gaming, Whatsapp and social media… but they fail. Mankind is more alone today than ever before. We are so self-focused, we don’t truly connect with others. Being socially aware has been replaced by giving to ease your conscience… supporting hungry children in Africa… far, far away from my own circle of living. The Bible does not present this… Jesus models a prayer that connects me with others - through praying together with them or praying for them. Yeah but how? Okay… perhaps we don’t know how. So let’s get really practical. Consider how we can pray the Lord’s Prayer for the people around us… think it through. Our Father Have you stopped and considered that Satan has effectively attacked this cornerstone of the family? So many of us have grown up with dysfunctional fathers, angry father, distant fathers and uninterested fathers that the fatherhood of God is a concept that might be foreign. Do you pray with others and lead them to the Father? Do you pray for others to be able to understand this foundational truth about God? He’s our Father! Our Daily Bread Have you prayed for other’s daily bread? That God would provide for others? Perhaps as you pray for another’s need, you discover God is tugging at your wallet. That you could be someone that God wants to use in providing for someone else’s daily bread. Our Forgiveness In marriage? Do you pray for the marriages represented in our Church? Forgiveness is central to a good marriage. And yet forgiveness is so hard when the person closest to you has hurt you. Temptation Lead Us not into temptation Have you considered praying for the temptations others face? Think about the workplaces we walk into? We all have power-hungry bosses, annoying co-workers, long hours etc., etc. This makes us ripe for temptation. We all surf the same internet and need to be praying for each other. Do you pray that God would lead us not into temptation? And the list goes on… Have you prayed like that lately? Let’s close with Paul’s prayer for the Colossian believers in chapter 1:9-14