Command #3 – Pray

This blog post is a transcript of a teaching that someone made about Step #9 in our discipleship process, Steps 7-14 are the Eight Commands of Masih, which is a simple way of understanding what Hazoor Isa al Masih desires for His disciples. Click here to return to the previous teaching.

Aslammu Alaikum, my friends.

Today, I want to share the third command of Hazrat Isa al-Masih. It is about prayer. The previous two commands were about how to begin our relationship with Hazrat Isa al-Masih through repentance, faith, and baptism. In this lesson, we begin learning how to grow in our walk with Hazrat Isa al-Masih. To grow as followers of Hazrat Isa al-Masih, we must pray and study the Injeel Sharif. The fourth command will be about studying the Injeel Sharif.

Before we study about prayer, let us review the ways that Hazrat Isa al-Masih is unique. First, the birth of Hazrat Isa al-Masih was unique. Many prophets prophesied the birth of Hazrat Isa al-Masih. Angels also came and told Hazrat Miriam (PBUH) and others about His birth. Hazrat Isa al-Masih was born of a virgin. He came into the world to save us from our sins through His death on the cross. Did any other prophet have a birth that special? Hazrat Isa al-Masih healed the sick and raised the dead. By His miracles, Hazrat Isa al-Masih showed His love towards sinners. He has such great authority and power that He can forgive sins and perceive our secret thoughts. Can any other prophet work so many miracles? Hazrat Isa al-Masih said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to God the Father except through me.” If we want to enter a relationship with God, then we must hear and obey the teaching of Hazrat Isa al-Masih.

So, Hazrat Isa al-Masih had a special birth, performed great miracles, and had a great teaching. But these are not the most special things about His life. The most special thing is that Hazrat Isa al-Masih gave His life on a cross for the forgiveness of our sins. He was buried and, three days later, He came back to life. He came out of His grave and ascended to heaven! Now Hazrat Isa al-Masih sits in heaven and will return on the day of judgement.

Because Hazrat Isa al-Masih is so great, we must be careful to obey His commands. He told His disciples, “If you love me, you will keep my commands” (John 14:15). While there are many commands of Hazrat Isa al-Masih, these lessons focus on some of the most important. These commands are to repent and believe, take baptism, pray, study the Bible, go and make disciples, love, take the Lord’s supper, and give.

Today’s lesson on prayer comes from Matthew 6:5-15 in the Injeel Sharif. This passage is how Hazrat Isa al-Masih taught His disciples to pray.

“Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 When you pray, don’t babble like the Gentiles, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words. 8 Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him.

“Therefore, you should pray like this:

Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy.

Your kingdom come. 

Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread. 

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. 

“For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well.    But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offenses.”

What do we learn about God from this teaching? First, we see that Khudawand Isa al-Masih taught us to pray to God as our Father. It is a very special thing to call God our Father! He is the best Father we could ever hope for, since He is all-loving and all-powerful. Our heavenly Father loves us better than any earthly father could ever love his children. 

Sometimes there is a misunderstanding about the term “Father” for God. Some people have twisted this word and tried to use it as proof that followers of Khudawand Isa al-Masih believe that God took a wife and had children. This idea is blasphemy! No follower of Khudawand Isa al-Masih believes that God took a wife, nor do we believe that God has ever had physical children. As we saw in Khudawand Isa al-Masih’s unique birth, He was the spiritual Son of God, not a physical Son of God. Here, the word “Father” for God does not refer to God being a physical father to anyone. Instead, it means that God loves His people as a father loves their children. Except, God loves His people even better than any early father ever could, since earthly fathers are full of sin. As a loving Father, God delights to forgive our sins and to provide our needs. Because He is a good Father, we can come to Him in prayer.

What else do we learn about God from this teaching? We see that He hates hypocrisy. He hates hypocrisy because hypocrites try to show people that they are good, while having hearts that are far away from God. God does not delight in religion that is practiced in this way. Instead, God desires people who love Him from their hearts. Therefore, we must be transformed inwardly to be close to God. Hypocrisy blocks people from being able to be close to God. Unfortunately, it is common that many religious leaders are hypocrites. They try to show others that they are spiritual, while their hearts are far from God. These kinds of people cannot help others come close to God. 

What do we learn about people in this teaching? We hear about two types of misguided prayer from two kinds of people. First, the hypocrite prays to show his religion to people rather than to God. As Khudawand Isa al-Masih said, hypocrites “love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people.” If someone prays more to be seen by people than to be close to God, how can they really be close to God? Instead, as Hazrat Isa al-Masih taught, it is better to go into a private room, close the door, and pray to God in secret. Then, we will find the real reward of prayer, which is a relationship with God.

The second kind of misguided prayer are those who babble and think they will be heard by their many words. Khudawand Isa al-Masih was talking about people who used special prayers that they thought had power, because they were the right words for prayers. Many people learn to pray special prayers, in languages that they do not understand, thinking that is what God wants in prayer. But, if our God is our heavenly Father, why would He want His children to babble at Him in languages they do not understand? This is not the right kind of prayer. Instead, we should share our hearts with God and pray to Him as our heavenly Father. He wants to hear the voices of His children!

So, how should we pray today? We should pray by simply talking to our heavenly Father, as Khudawand Isa al-Masih taught. Share the needs that are in your life with Him because He cares for you. Ask Him to help you with your specific needs. Like a father who takes care of the needs of His children, God wants to take care of you. 

Many people ask, “How often should we pray?” Khudawand Isa al-Masih did not give us any specific command on how often to pray. Instead, He focused on our relationship with God. The purpose of prayer is to be close to God. How often does a child want to talk to a loving father? This is how often we should desire to pray. To begin, try beginning and ending your days in prayer. Also, pray whenever a need or worry comes to your mind. 

Khudawand Isa al-Masih taught that there is no special place we must pray and that there are no specific times we must pray. He gave no specific rituals for prayer. However, this model prayer is a helpful prayer for many people. If you do not know how to pray, begin with the model prayer of Khudawand Isa al-Masih, then pray in your own words, in your own language. Please pray this prayer with me again. I will pray one line, then you repeat after me. After this prayer, simply pray aloud to your heavenly Father in your own words.

Our Father in heaven, Your name be honored as holy. (pause)

Your kingdom come. (pause)

Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (pause)

Give us today our daily bread. (pause)

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. (pause)

And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. (pause)

Amen.

Click here to keep learning how to follow Hazoor Isa al-Masih