May I Pray to the Father and Not to Me

Summary

The sermon explores the teachings of Jesus on prayer from the Sermon on the Mount, emphasizing praying to the Father sincerely rather than for show or self-glorification. It highlights the dangers of hypocritical prayer, the importance of humility, and the need to exclude self from righteousness. The preacher reflects on personal shortcomings in prayer and encourages private, heartfelt communication with God, modeled after Jesus' own prayer life. Public prayer is affirmed as appropriate when done with the right heart and intention.