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MATTHEW 6: 5-8

"WHEN YOU PRAY"

Intro: General principle, "Take heed that you do not your righteousness before men, to be see
       by them."

I. THE CENTRAL POINT OF TEACHING IS EXPOSING TERRIBLE EFFECTS OF SIN ON OUR SOUL (PRIDE).
        A. Sin will follow into the presence of God.
        B. Sin is more than just actions. 
                1. Attitudes.
                2. Pride - state of heart.
                3. Self worship, "Thou shalt have no other gods..."
        C. You can be engaged in highest spiritual activity and still have to battle with sin.
                1. Usually picture sin in the gutter.
                2. Most devout saint on knees - thinking about self.
        D. Point up necessity of new birth.

II. THE FALSE WAY TO PRAY.
        A. The trouble is with the approach.
                1. Concentrating on self.
                2. "Be not as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the
                   synagogues." 
                3. Reason for praying on street corners.
                4. Referring to Paul, "Behold he prayeth..."
        B. The danger of looking at myself.
                1. Desire to be known as man of prayer.
                2. Next step is to desire to be seen by others in act of prayer.
                        a. Some things very subtle.
                        b. Man who wrote book on Sermon on the Mount.
                        c. Possible to so pray in secret that everybody knows it.
                                1. Man at camp meeting. He has his reward.
        C. Aim prayers at men and not God.
                1. "Beautiful prayers."
                2. Preaching a sermon.
        D. Concentrating of length of prayers, "Be not as the heathen using repetitions." Not
           condemning practice of asking again for same thing.
                1. Jesus in Gethsemene.
                2. Paul with thorn in flesh.
                3. Vain repetitions: Ave Maria; Pater Nosters; Glory, glory, glory.
                4. Your Father knows what you have need of. 
        E. "They have their reward."
                1. What did they desire in their prayer?

Ill. THE RIGHT WAY TO PRAY.
        A. Approach again important.
                1. Go in "closet" and shut the door. 
                        a. Inner chamber.
                        b. Secret chamber.
                2. Importance of closed door.
                3. Just realize you are entering into presence of the Father to converse with
                   Him.
        B. First step is exclusion.
                1. Some use this to argue against public prayer services.
                2. Shut out people - then yourself.        C. Second realization.
                1. Who God is; What God is.
                        a. Power - might - glory - My Father.
        D. We must have confidence.
                1. Child-like faith.