Outline.
Lesson 24. (Instruction to Prayer, and a Defense of Reformed Doctrine, Blessed are the Poor in Spirit)

Opening Psalm. 

Psalm 122:1-2, 6
I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. Our feet shall stand Within thy gates, O Jerusalem. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: They shall prosper that love thee.

Indeed the people of God are glad when they are called to worship God, this is the purpose of our regeneration. The first life we are born to corruption and the love of the world. The second life we are born of the Holy Spirit unto the worship of God.

Opening prayer, 

Our Father which art in heaven, holy and reverend is thy name, thy glory is higher than the highest heavens, and thy praise greater than all the earth, who can search out the wonders of thy majesty, or who by wisdom can know the tenth part of thy glory, yea though as thy people we desire to know thee, yet according to our frailty and thy greatness we cannot fully grasp or comprehend the greatness of thy splendor. Therefore, O Lord, we beseech thee to have mercy on us who are thy people and have a delight to know thee, even the true God declared in thy word. For if we stretch out our hands to a foreign God and pray towards an unknown God wilt not thou search it out? For thou knowest the secrets of the heart. Take pity upon us then O Lord, forgive our sins and bear with our weakness, as thou hast ever done. Lead thy flock into green pastures, grant us a clean conscience by the sacrifice of the true shepherd, sanctify us by the washing of the word. Let the word pierce into our very heart and soul and take away the enmity and malice of Sin. Help us by the living and powerful Spirit to mortify the deeds of the flesh and to pray in an acceptable manner. Then as the scripture saith, shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem (even thy church O God) be acceptable and pleasing as in the days of old and as in former years. For we are now in these days tossed by the harsh winds of apostasy, and we have no formal or local place of worship. We know that thou seest the soul and are pleased with obedience rather than sacrifice, and yet as it pleases thee, raise up thy church, convert men to thy name, and build us up according to the promise of the gospel that all nations shall come before thee and worship. Even let it be so Lord. Let all men bow down before thee and worship thee with songs and adoration. And let it come to pass through Jesus Christ whose name alone is Salvation, who is our Sovereign Lord, our governor, provider, our mediator and the author and finisher of our faith. We ask for a pure heart, zealous affections and a will to do thy commandments in His holy name, Amen. 

Lesson:
Christ taught us that prayer of his, as a directory what to ask.

Intro.
The willingness of God to give to His people, and our redemption from sin an exhortation to pray. 
“Ask and it shall be given to you.” Matt. 7:7

To whom it is given must be explained. 
We use Matthew 7 as a foundational statement exhorting us to pray as in the manner of Matthew 6, which being the subject of discourse requires us to return to Matthew 5 to understand the full context of prayer and who they are who are exhorted to the work. 

Context of the sermon on the mount in which the Lord’s prayer is contained.

The duty of the minister is to strike at the root. To uncover men’s sins, to open to them their misery, that they might clearly see the remedy. That is why we’re going to explore the context of the Lord’s prayer beginning with the opening of the sermon in which it is contained. cTo do this we have to recall to mind when the law was given to the people at the first. See how these are all connected? Prayer, the law, knowledge of misery, hope of salvation, sincerity and godliness of life! Except we understand it as a whole, we understand nothing. 

The first sermon on the mount was the law. 
The law was given with thunder at the mount by the hand of Moses, the prophet of the Lord. But now we have here the gospel proclaimed with great peace and liberty upon a mount by the hand of the Lord of the prophets. The law was given with this threat: Cursed is he that continues not in all things…
The gospel which is the beginning of the preaching ministry of Christ begins with, “blessed are the poor in spirit”

Moses by the law taught us to fear. Christ by the gospel teaches us to believe.
(Thomas Watson quote) 

1. Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are those broken by the law. 
Subsequent App. i.If we are broken at the first, we will continually be broken and contrite on account of Sin. (Richard Rogers ch. 2)
ii. Are we perfect? Do we not still disobey? Then we still have need of daily humiliation, mortification, and prayer for forgiveness. Our transgressions against God remind us of our original sin, and humble us. 
iii. And the Lord saith, blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
The law commands us what we ought to do. The gospel sets forth the free mercy, grace and forgiveness of Christ.
iv. Therefore we are encouraged by this doctrine to pray and except we be poor in spirit we cannot pray.
v. Those who are brought to a knowledge of their sin and redemption are encouraged and commanded by God in all solemnity to pray, to pray fervently, unceasingly, and with courage and hope.
Psalm 81:8-10, Malachi 3:10,
“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven unto you, and pour you out such a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.“

2. A description of those to whom this blessing belongs. 
Those who are poor in spirit and broken by the law, understand how the law operates, and interpret it by the spirit and principle of it and not by the bare commandment. Therefore being born of the Holy Spirit of God they live in obedience to God’s commandments, able to keep it from the heart.

Matthew 5.

Concluding application. 

If those who are poor in spirit and pure in heart are those encouraged to pray to God,
i. The prayers of the greater part of the world even the church are an abomination to Him.
ii. We who are broken for sin have encouragement that our prayers are heard through the mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ. “Ask and it shall be given to you.” 
iii. Those who have the mark of a Christian (poverty of spirit) are God’s sons indeed, and since the Father gave His only begotten Son for our transgressions when we were under sin, how much more will He give us all things who now seek to live for His glory and do those things that please Him?
iv. By nature we are unable to be thankful as we ought and pray as we are commanded, therefore this word is necessary for us, “Ask and it shall be given to you.”

Closing prayer, 
Heavenly Father, thou who art holy and righteous, and unable to look upon wickedness without abhorrence and indignation. We confess our sins before thee both that we have fallen in our first father Adam and have become polluted by the guilt of his sin, and also brought upon ourselves a sinful nature incapable of loving thee, and besides all this we commit new transgressions daily, and have need of the forgiveness of sins through Christ. We confess this our sin, because we know that to be ignorant of our original sin or to deny it is all the same as to hide it, and cover over it with our own works of righteousness, and therefore there can be no forgiveness for them who do not conform to this word. Teach us then O Lord by thy word and by thy ministers to confess our sin rightly, that we might truly be forgiven, for we have erred from thy ways and our own conscience testifies against us daily that we cannot be accepted in our own righteousness. We thank thee therefore for thy law which shows us our odiousness but especially for the gospel which is the end of the law, even the free forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ. We thank thee for showing us the way of salvation, for the rest of the world is swallowed up in the gross ignorance of idolatry and heresy. Therefore they cannot pray as they ought but all their prayers are abomination in thy sight. Therefore if we are called and commanded to pray before you as it saith in the word, “Ask and it shall be given to you” help us ask, teach us what to ask for, teach us to pray that thy people might be whole and perfect, obedient servants who are ashamed of nothing at the last day. Give us confidence in thy word to believe and obey it that in all things thou and thou alone might receive praise, honor and glory and thy people might be glorified with thee and through on that day. For we know there is no glory but thine. Give us a heart to know and love thee and a will to do thee service. Cause us to know thy will in thy word and give us ability and readiness to do it. Let thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, let us thy people be ready and obedient like the angels, ever quick to serve thee and do thy will. Continue to provide and take care of thy people, guide us through life which is full of afflictions and discomfort, lift up the hearts of the downcast, heal us by the light of the word, sanctify us by the blood of the cross, and cause us to hope in thee, and not to despair. We know things in this life are contrary and backwards on account of Sin and yet we are confident through thy word that all things that come to pass are according to thy will and for our benefit. Seal this precious truth deep in our hearts that in the time of sorrow and trial we might know it and have great peace and joy in thee despite all the evils in the world. And cause us to hope for the sake of the final day, when all tears shall be wiped away from our eyes, and we shall be risen with thee in glory, for that is our only desire. To be with thee and worship thee forever. Prepare us for that day by thy word, and lead us to everlasting glory by Jesus Christ who is our great shepherd, in whose holy name we pray, Amen. 

YouTube Audio: https://youtu.be/NCMqbYBxslc