Monday, March 31, 2008

 

Living for God Series

 

Luke 11:1 “Lord, teach us to pray.” 

 

Teach Us to Pray

 

The disciples were men who would have already known much about prayer.  As the disciples came to know Jesus over those years, no doubt they felt inspired by hearing Him as they sat alone and prayed over the issues they faced or their days ahead.   Jesus would commonly ask for the needs of others and thank God for His involvement in their life.   Jesus would pray in the face of evil and for people, as His culture said, who were demon-possessed.   He prayed for the children as their mothers asked Him to, and He asked God to bless them.   As Jesus prayed, they were prayers of courage and strength.  The prayers of their Master were prayers of one who was in strong relationship with God. 

 

When Jesus prayed it was part of his routine, his life.  The scriptures say that He often arose early in the morning “a great while before day.”  (Mark 31:35).   He would continue to be with God as Mark 4:46 says, “all through the night.”    The disciples would find Him in prayer and it seemed as natural to Jesus as breathing.  The prayers of Jesus were never artificial, but as if His heavenly Father was just sitting across from Him.  

 

Jesus prayed as one would talk to his own beloved father.  It is very important that we understand that our relationship with God must be maintained.  God wants to be in relationship with us because He loves us and created us, and we need to honor that.   Jesus prayed in times of difficulty, as when He went to Gethsemane, as it says in Luke 22:44 “being in agony.”   That prayer was a prayer that asked for the necessity of facing his death and for courage to do so.   Jesus prayed much from the cross, asking for forgiveness for those who had brought about His crucifixion and committal of his soul to him.  

 

After hearing Jesus’ prayers, the disciples wanted to learn how to pray as He prayed.   So, they asked the question of Luke 11:1, “Lord, teach us to pray.”   I cannot imagine the great confidence of having Jesus on His knees before this small band of men.   We have the example of our Lord’s Prayer, a prayer that perfectly speaks from our hearts even when we may not understand our own needs.  We can repeat the words of our Lord and Savior as a model of prayer.  

 

Prayer:

Dear God, help me to pray.  Amen.