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Published: Jan. 24, 2023, 8 a.m.

Welcome to Day 2109 of\xa0 Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Sermon on the Mount 7 \u2013 A Christian\u2019s Prayer: Not Mechanical, But Thoughtful \u2013 Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message \u2013 06/27/2021 Sermon on the Mount \u2013 A Christian\u2019s Prayer: Not Mechanical, But Thoughtful Matthew 6:7-15\xa0 Today\u2019s Scripture is found on page 1504 of the pew Bible. I am displaying two versions of this passage on the overhead.\xa0 Read along with me in your pew Bible or on the right-hand column from the overhead. 7\xa0And when you pray, do not keep on babbling\xa0like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.\xa08\xa0Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need\xa0before you ask him. 9\xa0\u201cThis, then, is how you should pray: \u201c\u2018Our Father\xa0in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10\xa0your kingdom\xa0come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11\xa0Give us today our daily bread. 12\xa0And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13\xa0And lead us not into temptation,[a] but deliver us from the evil one.[b]\u2019 14\xa0For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.\xa015\xa0But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Hypocrisy is not the only sin to avoid in prayer, so is endless babbling\xa0like pagans (Non-Jews).\xa0 For they think they will be heard because of their many words. Hypocrisy is the folly of the Pharisees, and repetitive babbling is the folly of the pagans. Hypocrisy is a misuse of the purpose of prayer (diverting it from the glory of God to the glory of self); babbling on is a misuse of the very nature of prayer (degrading it from a real and personal approach to God into a mere repeating of words with no substantive meaning). \xa0 Again, we see that the method of Jesus is to paint a vivid contrast between two alternatives to indicate his way more plainly. First, regarding the practice of piety in general, he has contrasted the pharisaic way (flamboyant and selfish) with the Christian way (secret and godly). In particular, now regarding the practice of prayer, he contrasts the pagan way of empty babbling with the Christian way of meaningful communion with God. Jesus is always calling his followers to something higher than the attainments of those around them, whether religious people or secular people. He emphasizes that Christian right living is more excellent (because it\u2019s inward), Christian love broader (because it\u2019s inclusive of enemies), and Christian prayer more profound (because it\u2019s sincere and thoughtful) than anything to be found in the non-Christian community.\xa0 Last week we learned about the Pharisee\u2019s way of prayer and its issues. Today let us consider the following:

1. The pagan way of prayer

I am displaying both versions on the overhead as an example of how your Bible study can be more effective.\xa0 Comparing...