TEACH US TO PRAY!

TEACH US TO PRAY!

Luke 11:1-9

11:1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

3 Give us day by day our daily bread.

4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;

6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?

7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.

8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.

9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

           Jesus prayed often in as quiet and solitary place as He could find. In almost every case he was interrupted by some pressing need. Now, however, the disciples tap him on the shoulder and ask: “Hey, could you teach me how to do that?” The kind of praying that Jesus did was attractive because it was earnest but simple. If it gave solace to the Master perhaps it would also comfort them.

           Jesus responded with a pattern for prayer. First it is essential to acknowledge the place and person of God. This is heaven’s God and he is “hallowed.” It is the Greek hagiazo which means to be holy or sanctified. Never forget that you are talking to God! Next it is essential to yield to His will and then to make your personal and practical requests. Never miss an opportunity to ask forgiveness and protection from evil. This is the essence of the model prayer.

           Jesus took advantage of a teaching moment. He said that prayer was like asking help from a friend. Although it may be late and inconvenient to do so, a friend will be inclined to give you what you need. The focus is on the relationship and its benefits rather than the urgent need for bread. Always cultivate a friendly relationship with God. You never know when you may really need Him!

           The need for quiet and solitude while praying could easily be observed by watching Jesus. Get away from people! Remove yourself from as many distractions as possible. Get up into a high mountain or find a peaceful garden or hide in a closet if need be – but get alone so you can commune with God.

The words to the old Negro spiritual come to mind…

My Lord, He calls me,
He calls me by the thunder;
The trumpet sounds within my soul,
I ain’t got long to stay here.

Steal away, steal away, steal away to Jesus!
Steal away, steal away home,
I ain’t got long to stay here.

Dear Lord, let me steal away to a quiet place and be at peace. AMEN