"Teach Us to Pray"

Luke 11:1-13 (NKJV)

Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”

² So He said to them, “When you pray, say:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
³ Give us day by day our daily bread.
⁴ And forgive us our sins,
For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.”

⁵ And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; ⁶ for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; ⁷ and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’? ⁸ I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.

⁹ “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. ¹¹ If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? ¹² Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? ¹³ If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

 

Do you have difficulty praying?

Is your prayer life inconsistent?

Are there ever days you miss fervently praying to God?

Do you ever have a hard time finding the right words to say in your private prayers?

Do you feel belittled by seeking out resources for praying, such as prayer books?

    If you say “Yes” to one or more of these questions, you are not alone. Matter of fact: I’m with you on all of these questions. I’m constantly in need of finding help to pray, people to pray with, the right words in both private and public prayer.

    If you’re in this spot, consider the verses from Luke 11. The disciples yearn for Jesus to teach them to pray, just like John the Baptist’s disciples taught. They recognized they couldn’t be on their own for this important activity. Just like them, we all need help.

Check out the three examples:

·                The model prayer (v. 2-4) – An example of praying with the right mindset.

·                The Friend coming at midnight (v. 5-8) – check out this friend’s persistence. Basically, don’t      give up!

·                Ask, Seek, Knock (v. 9-13) – reminds us of another verse, “You have not because you ask      not” (James 4:2). The simple, sincere inquiry is key.

Just a few scribbles from this evening. Blessings in Jesus Christ!