The Prayer That Turned The World Upside Down - Session 1 - Introduction

The Church of Divine Guidance Sunday Morning Adult Bible Study Group studying the book Prayer That Turned The World Upside Down: The Lord's Prayer as a Manifesto for Revolution by R. Albert Mohler, The President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

The Lord’s Prayer is the most powerful prayer in the Bible, taught by Jesus to those closest to him. We desperately need to relearn its power and practice.

The opening words of the Lord’s Prayer have become so familiar that we often speak them without a thought, sometimes without any awareness that we are speaking at all. But to the disciples who first heard these words from Jesus, the prayer was a thunderbolt, a radical new way to pray that changed them and the course of history.

Far from a safe series of comforting words, the Lord’s Prayer makes extraordinary claims, topples every earthly power, and announces God’s reign over all things in heaven and on earth. Study along with us by getting a copy of the book by clicking this LINK or the image of the book at the end of the study notes.

INTRODUCTION

Matthew 6:5-13 NIV  “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 others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.  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.  And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.  Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.   “This, then, is how you should pray:  “ ‘Our Father in heaven,  hallowed be your name,   your kingdom come,  your will be done,  on earth as it is in heaven.   Give us today our daily bread.   And forgive us our debts,  as we also have forgiven our debtors.   And lead us not into temptation,   but deliver us from the evil one.   ’

Our author, R. Albert Mohler, Jr. says, and I agree that we Christians are longing for the Kingdom of God as described in the Bible to come.

The kingdom of God is synonymous with the kingdom of heaven. The concept of the kingdom of God takes on various shades of meaning in different passages of Scripture.

Broadly speaking, the kingdom of God is the rule of an eternal, sovereign God over all the universe. Several passages of Scripture show that God is the undeniable Monarch of all creation: “The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all” (Psalm 103:19). And, as King Nebuchadnezzar declared, “His kingdom is an eternal kingdom” (Daniel 4:3). Every authority that exists has been established by God (Romans 13:1). So, in one sense, the kingdom of God incorporates everything that is.

More narrowly, the kingdom of God is a spiritual rule over the hearts and lives of those who willingly submit to God’s authority. Those who defy God’s authority and refuse to submit to Him are not part of the kingdom of God; in contrast, those who acknowledge the lordship of Christ and gladly surrender to God’s rule in their hearts are part of the kingdom of God. In this sense, the kingdom of God is spiritual—Jesus said His kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36), and He preached that repentance is necessary to be a part of the kingdom of God (Matthew 4:17). That the kingdom of God can be equated with the sphere of salvation is evident in John 3:5–7, where Jesus says the kingdom of God must be entered into by being born again. See also 1 Corinthians 6:9.

There is another sense in which the kingdom of God is used in Scripture: the literal rule of Christ on the earth during the millennium. Daniel said that “the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed” (Daniel 2:44; cf. 7:13–14), and many of the other prophets predicted the same thing (e.g., Obadiah 1:21; Habakkuk 2:14; Micah 4:2; Zechariah 14:9). Some theologians refer to the future, open manifestation of the kingdom of God as the “kingdom of glory” and the present, hidden manifestation of the kingdom of God as the “kingdom of grace.” But both manifestations are connected; Christ has set up His spiritual reign in the church on earth, and He will one day set up His physical reign in Jerusalem.

The kingdom of God has several aspects. The Lord is the Sovereign of the universe, and so in that sense His kingdom is universal (1 Timothy 6:15). At the same time, the kingdom of God involves repentance and the new birth, as God rules in the hearts of His children in this world in preparation for the next. The work begun on earth will find its consummation in heaven (see Philippians 1:6).

Because we are looking for that Kingdom, we yearn for radical change, for things to be made right. We rightly long to see righteousness and truth and justice prevail. We are actually desperate for what no earthly revolution can produce. We long for the kingdom of God and for Jesus as King of kings and Lord of lords. We are looking for a kingdom that will never end and a King whose rule is perfect.

That's why we pray the prayer that Jesus taught His disciples because, in Mr. Mohler’s opinion it is a cry for a revolution.  That God’s kingdom come and His will be done as opposed to what's happening now.  That's why he says that the Lord’s Prayer turns the world upside down. 

However he says that the church especially those who identify themselves as evangelicals have given up on this prayer and prayer in general. That's what is so good about up concentrating on prayer last year and into this year. He says that we aren't as desperate today as in the past. Because we are incredibly distracted and busy, which states of mind that are enemies of prayer.  Last year we talked about stopping time and creating a God space so that we could stop our busyness and hear from God.   Plus in his opinion they don't know how to pray. I really think that, because of our work last year do know how to pray. But it is always good to review, because we sometimes forget and become lazy. That's why Peter said.

I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.
2 Peter 1:13-15 NIV

An important point Mohler makes in the introduction to the book is that it's important to stay focused and remove distractions when we pray, we can do that when we create our God space. The example is the advice that Martin Luther gave to his barber on how to pray. He said;

“So, as a diligent and good barber, you must keep your thoughts, senses, and eyes precisely on the hair and scissors or razor and not forget where you trimmed or shaved, for,  if you want to talk a lot or become distracted thinking about something else, you might well cut someone’s nose or mouth or even his throat.”

The point was point we need to resist distractions in prayer. A distracted barber is a dangerous barber. “How much more does a prayer need to have the undivided attention of the whole heart alone, if it is to be a good pray-er!”

When you pray the Lord’s Prayer, like following the pastor when he says repeat after me or at Christ Church every Sunday or here several years ago at the opening of service is it just done without thinking or meaning?  I’ve even been in services where the person leading actually forgets part of it.

Many evangel sense something similar occurring in their prayer life. They can go through the motions say all the right words, and even lead a congregation or group in prayer without remembering a single word they have said or even understanding what they just prayed for.

PRAYER IN WORLD RELIGIONS AND IN EVANGELICALISM

Every major religion has prayer of some kind.  In Christianity there are different traditions of prayer.  Roman Catholicism’s prayer practices, very much influenced by the monastic tradition and Catholic teachings. Incorporate physical elements like prayer beads and formulaic prayers (e.g., “Hail Mary, full of grace”). Historic Protestantism made prayer into a central theological concern.  in the context of Christian worship. Their aim was to regulate prayer by Scripture.  They demanded that prayer be both scriptural and intelligible.  Later, the Anglican Church produced a prayer tradition that is now established in what we know as the Book of Common Prayer. These prayers seem exceedingly formal to many modern evangelicals.  Prayer is also very much a part of our evangelical tradition and our piety. Evangelicals Are recognized for a populist approach to prayer. We encourage all saints (that is, all believers) to pray in private and in public. We regularly organize large prayer meetings and even arrange prayer marathons, which systematize a steady stream of prayer over lengthy periods of time for a single issue. We even teach the youngest among us to pray. But do we teach them well?

           

Try Writing Out Your Prayers

By Rick Warren

           

“The Lord gave me this answer: ‘Write down clearly on tablets what I reveal to you, so that it can be read at a glance’” (Habakkuk 2:2 GNT).

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f you want to hear God speak, you need to withdraw to a quiet place, wait patiently and expectantly, ask God to give you a picture of what he wants to say to you, and then write down God’s responses to your questions.

           

In the book of Habakkuk, the Lord commands the author to “write down clearly on tablets what I reveal to you, so that it can be read at a glance” (Habakkuk 2:2 GNT).

           

That’s how we got the book of Habakkuk. In chapter one, Habakkuk wrote down what he said to God. And in chapter two, he wrote down what God said back to him.

           

That’s also how we got the book of Psalms; many of those psalms came directly from David’s quiet time. David meditated on the first five books of the Bible, the Torah, and then he wrote down his thoughts, and they’re called psalms. In many of the psalms, he starts out with what he’s feeling and then ends up with what God says.

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f your prayer life is stuck in a rut, and you tend to pray the same things over and over —“God, be with this person” or “Bless this food to the nourishment of our bodies” — then here’s what you need to do: Start writing out your prayers.

           

“What? You mean I don’t have to say them?” That’s right! Writing them down is a prayer. God can hear it in your thoughts. Just write it down.

           

Is it okay to write out a prayer and then read it? Of course it is. When you’re writing it, you’re praying. When you’re reading it, you’re praying.

           

This is called the spiritual habit of journaling, and it’s one that all Christians should understand and practice.

           

A journal is not a diary. A diary is about the things you did. A journal is about the lessons you learned — the mistakes you made and what God has taught you from those things.

PRAYER: THE BAROMETER OF THEOLOGICAL CONVICTION

The first thing Jesus taught his disciples about prayer was how not to pray. The Lord’s Prayer must be seen not only as a model of what prayer is, but also as a model of what prayer is not. Jesus provided the Lord’s Prayer within the context of the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5–7).

Most commentators have seen in it an exposition of Christian ethics. Sort of setting forth of a "golden rule" for all men to live by. How to live a life that is dedicated to and pleasing to God, free from hypocrisy, full of love and grace, full of wisdom and discernment.

The first thing Jesus taught his disciples about prayer was how not to pray.

“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 others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.  And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.  Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Matthew 6:5, 7-8 NIV

The philosopher Roger Scruton who, even before converting to atheism and joining the Church of England, argued that what people truly believe about God is reflected in their worship and prayer.  In other words, what we believe about God is revealed most truly not in what we say about him but in how we approach him—in prayer in worship. It is one thing to hear a person state what he believes, but it's another thing to listen to him pray. pray, so we believe.
        
 We learn a great deal about someone by what they ask others to pray for. Just consider what we learn about the Apostle Paul’s priorities and character from his prayer requests found all throughout Scripture. For instance, in 2 Thessalonians 3:1–5, Paul’s primary prayer was that the gospel advance throughout the world and that the Thessalonians would be deeply impressed with the “love of God” and the “steadfastness of Christ.”

2 Corinthians 3:1-5 NIV Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.  Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.

Clearly, Paul’s primary concerns were eternal matters and the kingdom of God.
        
In short, prayer discloses much about us. It discloses our assumptions and convictions. It discloses our view of God and of ourselves.  It discloses our priorities and our assumptions about God’s priorities. It discloses our doctrines of God, man, sin, redemption, the world, and a host of other theological matters. If we really want to know what a person believes, we should listen to them pray.
                  

THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS FOR PRAYER

Biblical scholars and pastors from almost every Christian denomination or tradition agree on this much: Christians are called to pray. Yet prayer raises a host of theological issues. What are we trying to do in prayer? Are we trying to convince God to do what he otherwise would not be inclined to do? Are we trying to negotiate with God—even to manipulate him? Are we trying to inform God of what he does not know?
        

The primary theological foundation for prayer is the fact that there is one true and living God who has revealed himself to us:
        
 I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. Who is like me? Let Him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen. Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any. (Isa. 44:6–8)

This God has made us in his image (Gen. 1:26–27), thus we have the spiritual and rational capacity to pray.

First, prayer is not a matter of creative self-expression.

Second, prayer is not an act of therapy. We should not seek some sort of curative kickback when we pray.

Third, prayer is not an act of manipulation or persuasion. We are not simply trying to find the right formula or secret code to force God to answer our prayer as we want it to be answered. Nor are we trying to persuade or bargain with God as if he were one of his creations. Prayer is not persuasion. Prayer is about God’s will being done—not our own.

Fourth, prayer is not a news report to the Creator. God knows everything perfectly. This is what Christians mean by saying we worship God as omniscient—he is all-knowing. We must resist the temptation to use prayer as a way of alerting God to what he otherwise does not or would not know. Not only does God know everything—past, present, and future—heaven knows our hearts and minds better than we know ourselves.

Finally, prayer is not an act of bargaining. We have all heard prayers that sound like a negotiation meeting: “Lord, I will work on this sin if you will help me with this blessing. Also, I will try to do this for you, if you promise to do that for me.” This type of prayer reveals huge theological misunderstandings. Prayer does not inform God of what he does not know, nor does it get him to do what he is reluctant to do. Prayer does not change God; it changes us.