THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 11:1-4
“One of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray…” (Luke 11:1)
How long have they been together?
And Jesus has still not taught them to pray?
Prayer is one of the first lessons we usually teach in a disciples class.
Or was Jesus teaching them, but the disciples were not hearing it?
“One day Jesus was praying in a certain place…” (Luke 11:1)
Jesus was teaching by example, by modeling the disciples life.
By watching Jesus, by seeing how He relates to God and others.
In other words, it is not just the ‘red letters’ that we learn.
Jesus modeled this prayer in His actions:
— He related to God as Father
— He honoured God’s Name
— He pursued God’s kingdom
— He trusted God for His daily bread
— He humbled Himself before God for forgiveness (baptized!) even though He didn’t need to
— He forgave those who wronged Him
— He daily relied on God for help against temptation
Just memorizing this prayer is not how we learn to pray.
It is seeing this prayer lived through Jesus, as an example for us.
This week, allow the Spirit of Jesus to shape and direct your heart and life.
Then you will not need to be taught to pray, prayer will flow naturally from you.
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, I desire this kind of relationship too. Teach me to relate to God this way, that I may pray like You did.
Observations/Application
Prayer times.
Meal times are prayer times and may become the formal ways of praying each day.
Before retiring for the day or rising, greeting the Lord may also be great times to include in prayer times.
Prayer times are a great habit – talks with God.
Yet prayer times seem so difficult to share this day especially when asked to pray for an audience.
But
Jesus taught us how to pray – coming to the Father
and asking Him to guide us and feed us with all of the needs for the day.
And love makes it all a possibility to walk in His way.
I need that guidance and assurance this day to walk with Him
with a prayer on my lips. Walking and talking with my Saviour.
Today.
And always.
When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.