This text is not everything about the subject, or the last word on the subject, but it is foundational to the subject. This message does not include all the issues that this particular text addresses, but this is biblically based instruction on this subject from this text of scripture.
Here in this text Jesus starts by addressing two of the great problems we encounter in prayer, and then also gives the antidote to it. In vs.5-6 He speaks about being hypocritical and in vs.7-8 about being superstitious. After that He gives us a pattern for prayer, so we understand that we must avoid taking this pattern and using it in a hypocritical or superstitious way.
Thank Him for what you have before you ask Him for what you need
Tell Him what you have done wrong before you ask Him to make it right
Praise Him for who He is no matter what He does
Vs.14-15 – forgiven people become forgiving people – Jesus is saying that unforgiveness messes up your prayer life, that asking without giving is hypocritical. Yet we must also realize that this is a generic statement; it is about holding something against someone right now or just being a generally unforgiving person, this is what causes us to be hypocritical. It would be superstitious to think we need to search out all of our past unforgiveness or God won’t answer our prayers. That would go against what we know about God’s forgiveness. We should not be hypocritical or superstitious. We are not trying to find prayers that “work” we are praying to God because He IS God and through Christ He has done the most important work.
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