I might start by recalling some past experiences of Lent. Perhaps how the gorgeous secretary in my first office job suddenly looked plain during Lent when she gave up cosmetics. I might ask how many still give up something for Lent; if so, what?

That could lead into some assumptions that we operate under.

For example, that self-deprivation is good for us. Biblical warriors were expected to abstain from sex before a battle, to conserve their energies. That assumption foiled King David's scheme to disguise his adultery with Bathsheba. Do some sports teams still require abstention? Current sports connections always provoke interest.

Or that suffering strengthens us. If I could find or make them, I would display some whips, scourges, or a cat-of-nine-tails. I might describe Martin Luther's self-flagellation in pursuit of faith. Or the British Navy's practice of flogging its sailors to build discipline.

Or fasting – for Fridays, in Roman Catholic tradition, or for the month of Ramadan, in Islam. That would let me tie in God's attitude toward rituals of all kinds – and the prophetic rebuttal to fasting, in Isaiah 58 or Micah 6.

So what does God expects of us, as we prepare for whatever it is that's coming?

Anyone who has tried to train a pet will identify with a story about the pet's bewilderment as it tries to understand our intentions

Reprise the prophets' response.

Jesus gives another response – a model prayer based on the Kaddish from the Talmud:
"Our Parent which art in heaven, be gracious to us, O Lord, our God; hallowed be thy name, and let the remembrance of thee be glorified in heaven above and in the earth here below. Let thy kingdom reign over us now and forever. The holy men of old said, Remit and forgive unto all men whatsoever they have done against me. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil thing. For thine is the kingdom, and thou shalt reign in glory for ever and for evermore."

Jesus offers it as a template for personal prayer: praise, confession, absolution, petition, praise.

A Catholic friend practised “Hail Mary's” on long drives. Repeating familiar phrases freed his mind to meditate at deeper levels. Similarly, the mantras of Buddhist monks, the chanting of pilgrims to Taize or Iona.

The prayer Jesus taught is not the be-all-and-end-all of prayers. It's a way of getting deeper into real prayer.

I would refer to verses 15-18 only if I wished to illustrate Matthew's recurring bias for judgement and punishment.

JIm's full List of suggestions for preaching these stories