Opened Scriptures Bible Studies

Practical guidelines for prayer from Jesus. Matthew 6:8-10  Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.  9)  After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.  10)  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. We have been studying through the gospel of Matthew together.  I trust that this study is a source of much blessing, joy and encouragement for you as much as it is for me. Matthew writes to a predominantly Jewish audience and emphasized Jesus Christ as Israel's King and Messiah. As we study the book of Matthew, we are hearing from our King about His kingdom rule and reign. We are learning about the moral law of God being the standard for all the world as the will of the Father is done on earth, as it is in heaven. In our last post we took a bit more time to think about hallowing the name of our Father and how this should impact ...

Thinking more about the pattern for our prayers that Jesus gave us. Matthew 6:9-10  After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.  10)  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Our Lord Jesus Christ gave us a pattern to help us when we pray to the Father in heaven. The phrase "After this manner" means this is a form for our prayers, and not the very words that we pray. The longest prayer of Jesus that is recorded for us is found in John chapter 17 and it does not use any phrasing that we find in the "Lord's Prayer." I grew up in a church where the congregation prayed the Lord's prayer every service and it became monotonous, like a vain repetition. Simply repeating the Lord's prayer when we pray is not what Jesus intended. Jesus gave to us a pattern or format to give us spiritual structure when we pray. He expects us to use our mind and soul by praying with words that conform to His per...

Jesus began Matthew 6 by exposing religious hypocrisy and showing us the best way to give our offerings. Jesus reminded us that God always looks on our heart. Giving our tithes and offerings to the Lord is meant to be an act of worship but it is polluted if we call attention to our giving. Praying to our Father in heaven is also meant to be an act of worship and communion but if we pridefully pray then our praying is perverted. Thus, Jesus showed us the right way to pray by teaching that our Father in heaven knows about all of our burdens, needs and concerns before we ever ask Him in prayer. Pray for His kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth. Matthew 6:9-10  After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.  10)  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.  Our first thought when we are praying should be remembering that God is our audience. We are not just speaking words into the air. We are sp...

Jesus gave positive and negative instruction about how to pray rightly. Matthew 6:5-8  And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.  6)  But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.  7)  But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.  8)  Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him Jesus exposed the hypocritical prayer pattern of the Pharisees and scribes. He also gave clear negative and positive instructions to His disciples about how to pray. For negative examples, Jesus said we must not pray...

Jesus exposed the hypocrisy of Pharisees when they prayed. Matthew 6:5  And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.  Jesus addressed the Pharisees hypocrisy in prayer. They forgot that prayer is a holy activity not to be taken lightly.  When a follower of Jesus Christ prays, he or she has come into the presence of God. Prayer is an intimate time between a redeemed child of God and a gracious heavenly Father. However, the Pharisees turned it into a way of receiving praise of men instead of praise from God. The man after God's own heart shows us a right attitude for prayer. Psalm 55:16-17  As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.  17)  Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.  This is a psalm of King David a...