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The Sermon on the Mount is a message that can never be fully explored or appreciated. The concepts are so simple and yet they are extraordinarily profound. Our message today will look at one such idea and its greater biblical context.

“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.” (Matthew 6.5-8). And if one missed the lesson earlier, Jesus stated essentially the same thing in verse thirty-two of the same chapter. “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” (Matthew 6.31-32).

I guess it is hard to get away from the idea that when we pray, we are telling God something. Jesus clearly stated this is not the case. Whatever the purpose of prayer, that is NOT it. Although the word is not used in the Bible, God is omniscient (omnipotent is the only omni word that is explicitly used to describe God; see Psalm 19.6). However, lest the fact of God’s all-knowing trait be missed, we will look at a few of the passages from the Bible that explicitly declare what God knows.

“For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.” (Psalm 1.6).

“The LORD knows the days of the upright, And their inheritance shall be forever.” (Psalm 37.18.

“Would not God search this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart.” (Psalm 44.21).

“The LORD knows the thoughts of man, That they are futile.” (Psalm 94.11).

“The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him.” (Nahum 1.7).

“And He said to them, ‘You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.’” (Luke 16.15).

“Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.’” (2 Timothy 2.2.19).

“…Then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment.” (2 Peter 2.9).

“For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.” (1 John 3.20).

Although prayer serves a valuable purpose in the believer’s life, it is not intended to inform God of something of which He is ignorant. Neither is it intended to display a person’s righteous character to others. Prayer is more personal than that; it is communion with God in its deepest and most personal sense.

Questions:

1. What specific practices of the prayerful hypocrites did Jesus condemn?

2. What is implied by the fact that God knows the heart? How should that affect our prayer life?

3. What comfort do you find in the fact that the Lord knows those who are His? What discomfort ought it to cause those who do not have a relationship with Him?

4. Of what benefit is prayer? It is my considered conclusion that prayer which God does not answer affirmatively can be of the same benefit as prayer which He answers affirmatively? What are your thoughts on this?

"Voice of Inspiration" from Andy Castro

Psalms 91:13