In Ephesians 6:18, the Apostle Paul says to pray at all times and on every occasion. The question then is how do we pray? Jesus addresses this topic on the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 6:5-13

Prayer should be to God. (Matthew 6:5-6)

• Don’t pray in front of people using the words “hath, thou, thine, wilt” unless you normally speak in this way.
• There is a difference between praying “in” public versus praying “for” the public. The difference is who are you trying to impress: God or the public?
• I have prayed before the city council and at business mixers, parties, sporting events, etc. I pray to God and disregard what they think.
• You don’t have to pray pretty words or even whole sentences! Your prayer should be to God and from the heart.

Prayer should be sincere. (Matthew 6:7-8)

• A perfect example is listening to someone sing the national anthem. You know those who sing for the country and those who sing for a record deal.
• If the American public can tell the difference between sincerity and fakeness, how much more can our heavenly Father tell the difference?
• The length of the prayer does not matter; it’s the sincerity that counts.
• My prayers are nothing to write home about, but I mean them.
• Start praying from a sincere heart by telling God exactly how you feel. He already knows what you are thinking, so you might as well unload on him. You will probably find it very therapeutic and comforting.

Prayer should be practiced. (Matthew 6:9-13)

• This will take some discipline, so use a reminder. Pray whenever you hear sirens or at a certain time of day. Pray whenever you hear certain songs on radio. Be creative!
• Tell the Lord, “As often as you remind me, I will pray.”
• You may ask, “If the Lord already knows what we are thinking, then why pray?” That would be like me saying, “My wife knows I love her, why should I tell her?” I have a growing relationship with my wife and we communicate daily. We should have a growing relationship with God and we should communicate with him daily.
• The Lord’s Prayer should be a sample not a substitute.

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You have heard do not murder (Matthew 5:21), do not commit adultery (Matthew 5:27), do not divorce (Matthew 5:31), do not break your vows (Matthew 5:33), and that the punishment must match the injury (Matthew 5:38). Jesus is talking about old Mosaic laws that had been twisted by the religious rulers of the day. In Matthew 5:38 Jesus is referring to an Old Testament law that was for those in authority; the religious leaders had taken it and made it good for personal use…thus, justifying revenge. Jesus is not repealing the law he instituted in Leviticus, but he is saying not to take matters into your own hands to get revenge.

Here is what this verse does not talk against:
Christians should be wimps, self-defense is bad, tough business negotiations are bad, or any law enforcement or military is bad (2 Timothy 1:7, Romans 12:19, and Luke 4:29).

Jesus specifically mentions the right cheek in the verse that follows. Considering most people are right-handed, this is referring to a backhanded slap from someone. The idea was when someone hurts or insults you, don’t repay with the same action. However, righting the wrong was okay.

You can right the wrong, but don’t repay with revenge (Matthew 21). How do you right the wrong?

Use the system Jesus taught (Matthew 18:15-19).
Unfortunately, people will insult and hurt us. You can count on that. Here is how you handle insults and hurts:

• First, one-on-one (Matthew 18:15).
• If that person doesn’t respond, then you handle it two-on-one (Matthew 18:16).
• If that person still doesn’t respond, then you handle it church-on-one (Matthew 18:17).

The idea is to save the relationship, not kick them out of the church.

Use the laws of the land (Romans 13:1-5).

• The laws of the land do not stop at the Christian’s doorstep.
• God has placed people in authority and has established laws of the land; Christians are not exempt from using or being punished by the laws of the land (Proverbs 20:26).

Revenge will take away your emotions, time, and energy from the things that are most important in your life.

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REaD Text is the study of the Sermon on the Mount. These are the actual words of Jesus, God on earth. This is the greatest sermon ever preached and it only lasted 10 minutes! The Greek philosophers had come and gone, the religious leaders were teaching earthly, works-based religion. Jesus came and taught how your earthly actions have eternal consequences or blessings.

Salt and Light – At first read it seems very random, but Jesus is brilliant with words. Both salt and light are distinctive, both make a difference, both are meant to be used, and both are instant.

Matthew 5:13-16

Salt = Character, who a person IS.
1 Samuel 16:7 (NLT), But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

• The Lord looks at character, integrity, morals, values, attitude, and the heart.
• Who are you when no one is watching?
• If salt gets mixed with dirt or impurities, it is useless. It really hasn’t lost its salt characteristics, but it has become useless in adding flavor to anything.
• It is much easier to keep your integrity than to gain it back.

Light = Conduct, what a person DOES.
Philippians 2:15 (NLT), so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.

• A light is most effective in darkness.
• Being a godly person at church is nice, not very effective. Be a light in a dark place.
• A light should be used to turn people to Jesus, not blind them. Light shouldn’t scare people or point to us. It is all about showing people Jesus and the difference He can make in their life.
• Your outward conduct should match your inward character.

When our outward conduct matches our inner character; we can turn people to Jesus! That’s what it’s all about!

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When you stand firm in your faith, you are forever changed.
Genesis 22 tells how Abraham’s life was changed by faith. My life has been changed by faith. What about you? Has faith forever changed your life?

You can be forever changed by the body of Christ.
Ephesians 4:16 (NLT), He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

• When you are plugged into the body of Christ, it is wonderful!
• The church is meant to help other members when they are hurting.

You can be forever changed by the power of prayer.
Romans 8:26-27 (NLT), And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.

• When two or more are gathered, God is there. When God’s people pray, he listens.
• You may not know what to pray for, but God knows and listens.
• Pray by faith and trust that the Lord knows the needs.

You can be forever changed by how God was glorified.
John 12:27-28 (NLT), “Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But this is the very reason I came! Father, bring glory to your name.” Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, “I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again.”

• God is to get all the glory no matter the situation or outcome.
• When you follow Jesus, His power is revealed in unbelievable ways.

When you stand firm in the faith, you are forever changed.

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The only place the Bible defines Faith is Hebrews 11:1-40.

If You Feel Like A Hero of the Faith (Hebrews 11:4-35a)

• Enjoy it and don’t feel guilty. Don’t let guilt factor on you.
• Praise God and know that all blessings come from him.
• If you live in fear of the bad things that might happen, you will never live in joy of the good things that are happening (James 1:17).
• Remember Matthew 6:34 and don’t live in fear of it being taken away.

If You Feel Helpless in the Faith (Hebrews 11:35b-39a)

• They were anonymous, unlike the heroes.
• Don’t feel guilty – the Bible says all these people had faith.
• Know salvation and the Christian life is not works-based.
• Faith is not a tool to make things better.
• Your circumstances are not a litmus test of your faith.

Hebrews 11:39b-40 – The difference between us and the people of faith is the cross and what Jesus did for us 2000 years ago.

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