Praying for a Change - 6/9/2024 Sunday Sermon

The Tabernacle Today

Praying for a Change

Matthew chapter 6 has more occurrences of the word reward than any other chapter in the Bible. After using it twice in chapter 5, reward occurs 7 times in chapter 6. God wants to reward believers as they live for Him!

Prayer and fasting that does not impress God V. 5, 16

If our motivation for praying and fasting is to impress other people, it doesn’t impress God, because it means our prayers aren’t really about God but about us.

Individual praying and fasting God will reward V. 6, 17-18

When you pray here in verse 6 is in the singular – when you as an individual pray.

Prayer is heartfelt conversation with the God you love and trust. It is both a listening to God speak through His word and Holy Spirit, and a speaking to Him that shows we value our relationship with Him above all others.

When you said, “Seek my face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, O LORD, I will seek.” -Psalm 27:8 (NKJV)

Fasting is when people miss one or more consecutive meals. In the Bible there were 2 main times they fasted – when they were mourning and when they had a spiritual burden and needed to focus their prayers.

“As soon as I heard these words (about Jerusalem’s troubles) I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of Heaven.” -Nehemiah 1:4

I believe Jesus is speaking about eternal reward, the reward He will give to prayer room warriors like James Betterton at the Bema seat of Christ. But I also believe prayer brings immediate rewards to believers as well.

Three things prayer changes:

Prayer changes YOU as you spend time with the God you love and trust and grow in your relationship with Him!

“I am the vine, you are the branches. Whover abides in Me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” -Jn. 15:5

“Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” -Jesus in Matthew 11:28

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. -Phil. 4:6-7

Prayer changes your PERSPECTIVE on what you want to happen, and confidence God will answer in the best way possible.

“Whenever God says ‘no,’ it’s for a greater ‘yes!” -Beth Moore

Prayer changes your SITUATION and gives you resolve to courageously act.

“Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” -Esther to Mordecai in Esther 4:16

God uses prayer to spiritually FORM me! God uses prayer to CONFORM me to His will! God uses prayer to TRANSFORM situations!

Corporate praying and fasting God will reward V. 7-8

When you pray here in verse 7 is in the plural – when multiple believers pray together corporately.

When you pray with other believers, don’t pray meaningless ‘prayer platitudes’ and don’t pray too long before you let the next person pray.

When individual Christians who pray regularly alone get together and pray – God moves in POWER!