Pastor Tim Binion Selections from “The Sermon on the Mount”. The “Sermon of Sermons, preached by The Preacher of Preachers”, on the subject of prayer. The Bible is the ONLY faithful source of information and instruction on how to pray properly and effectively. The “Sermon on the Mount” includes what is sometimes referred to as “The Lord’s Prayer, or rather, the Model Prayer. It is NOT a prayer to be “repeated”, but is an example – the framework – upon which effective prayers can be built. It emphasized the priorities of both God, and of men. God is to be the focus of our prayers. It is “His Name”, “His Kingdom”, and “His Will”. Only then follows the needs of our lives. His will is done on Heaven and on Earth and we are to be about doing His will on Earth. We are saved to give Him honor and glory. It is not “what we say”, but “what we DO that hallows, or makes holy, and glorifies God on the Earth. God’s Program. God’s Purpose. God’s Provision. God’s Pardon. God’s Protection. God’s Preeminence. These are the essential elements of The Model Prayer. We are to approach God with reverence, respect, awe, honor and glory, adoration, worship, and in humility, bowing down before Him. We must have a “right” attitude in order to worship God in prayer. We must guard against being too rigid and structured in our prayer-life that we leave God out! We must draw back from ourselves in order to be drawn to God. If there is a problem with our prayer-life, it is with US not HIM. Only God is worthy of our adoration and affection and prayers. It is essential that we have a personal relationship with God in order to pray effectively – this requires that we be “born again”. It is not enough just to know ABOUT God, we must KNOW God. Finally, we must be obedient to Him when He speaks to us and answers our prayers.
