Lord, Teach Me To Pray

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."

Luke 11:1  


Reading Luke 11 this morning verse 1 caught my eye in a way it never has before. I have always enjoyed this verse as I try to imagine what it must have been like for the disciples each day as they waked with Jesus and watched and listened to Him. Like everyone Jesus spoke with, He left them astonished at His teachings as He taught not like the scribes and the pharisee’s but as one with authority.

Luke 11:1 draws a clear distinction between the prayers of John the Baptist and his disciples and those of Jesus. Jesus disciples learned very quickly that He possessed a power completely foreign to them and yet the amazing thing to me as I read Luke 11, not one of the disciples came to Jesus publicly or privately and asked Him to teach them how to do miracles. No one said, “Hey Jesus, could you teach me how to multiply some fish and loaves?” Or, “Jesus, how about showing me how I can raise the dead?” No, the disciples learned very quickly that the source of Jesus power while He walked on this earth was in His prayer life. And that is why they came to Him and asked Jesus to teach them to pray.


Can I ask you a personal question? Do you really know how to pray? Would you say your prayer life is effective or does it feel more like a wish list for God where you think about people, situations or stuff and then you close your eyes and  like playing darts you throw your prayers towards heaven hoping they hit the target. I don’t know about you but often times I feel very inadequate when it comes to prayer and that is  why I appreciate the fact that like the first disciples, we too can come to God and ask Him to teach us how to pray effectively.

I’ve learned from personal experience one of the best ways God teaches me how to pray is when He allows situations in my life that make prayer my only real option. I’ve learned that those prayers I pray in my moments of seemingly desperation have turned out to be my best prayers, as I become totally dependent on God to come through. And He does, always in His perfect time!

Maybe that's what the disciples had in mind all along when they asked Jesus to teach them to pray. Maybe their request was both an invitation for Jesus to  teach them how to pray and as well to put them into real life situations where they would learn to pray. A great reminder for us to invite Jesus to teach us to pray today. Whatever happens, don’t miss your chance to talk with God today! 


 
“Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

Matthew 6:9-13

I LOVE YOU!

Michael Osthimer

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