Term 2 – Week 05
Big Idea – Followers of Jesus always pray to God with a humble heart
Matthew 6:5-8
Outcomes
- To know that it is our heart attitude behind our prayers that matters to God, not the appearance of holiness and our many words
- To understand that prayer helps us to live God’s way in this world
Implications
- Belief – Help the children grasp that prayer is an expectation for the follower of Jesus.
- Behaviour – Teach the kids Teaspoon prayer (Thank you, Sorry, Please). This model of prayer corrects our attitude and teaches us to pray with a humble heart.
Introduction
Matthew 6:5-6 provides Jesus’ followers with a model of how to approach God in prayer and where to focus our attention. Prayer is an expectation for those who live in God’s kingdom. It’s talking to God and communing with him not a means to increasing our reputation, but rather, it’s an expression of our dependence upon Him for life and godliness. What matters to God is our heart attitude towards him. He wants us to pray to him with a humble heart.[1]
First, Jesus teaches his followers what not to do: When you pray, do not be like those who only pretend to be holy (v.5a). He condemns the act of praying in order to be noticed by people. It’s not a disapproval of public prayer but a condemnation of the attitude behind ostentatious prayer which is focussed on the people around them rather than on God, for they want to be seen by other people.
Second, Jesus teaches his followers what to do: A) When you pray, go into your room. Close the door and pray to your Father, who can’t be seen (v.6). When we pray, we need to be mindful of God’s character and his attributes. Our attention is to be on Him and not on the people around us as a means to impress them and appear more holy. Followers of Jesus must pray, but it must be to God and for God alone. B) When you pray, do not keep talking on and on. That is what ungodly people (Gentiles) do (v.7). Jesus says, there is no reward or gain in praying long, meaningless prayers to God. Don’t be like them he says, because it’s the heart attitude to God. Followers of Jesus are to come to God with humility and simplicity for your Father knows what you need even before you ask him (v.8).
Note: Prayer assumes a relationship with God, and our dependence on Jesus for our salvation, something that those outside Christ cannot have.
[1] Humility – it’s the opposite of pride and arrogance. It’s recognising our subservience to God the King and our need to depend on him.
Memory Verse
Matthew 22:37- 40 (NIrV)
Jesus replied, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your mind.’ This is the first and most important commandment. And the second is like it. ‘Love your neighbour as you love yourself.’ Everything that is written in the Law and the Prophets is based on these two commandments.”
Songs
Living 4 Jesus – Quizworx – YouTube
Leaders PDF
This has been put together using purchased external material and therefore this resource may only be used by Dundonald Church. For more information please contact kids@dundonald.org
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