Lord, Teach Us To Pray
Luke 11:1 Lexham English Bible
11 And it happened that while he was in a certain place praying, when he stopped a certain one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.”
Understanding how to pray is not something that comes naturally. Ask any new believer in Christ how to pray and often what you will run into is a lot of questions. Many times, we fail to understand that prayer is an intimate conversation between us and Almighty God. When we view human relationships, it is impossible for relationship to be established without communication. Most marriages fall apart because of a lack of communication.
If we desire to know God intimately and grow in our relationship with Him, prayer is of the utmost importance. But what is interesting when you examine the gospels is that the disciples could have asked Jesus to teach them how to do anything, but the one thing they did ask was to teach them how to prayer. The word teach in the Greek is didaskō and it means to teach. Denotes the activity of teaching; especially used for moral instruction. The disciples desired for Jesus to break down for them how to pray effectively and correctly.
Now most likely they had seen throughout their lives the religious leaders of the day praying when they were growing up. But there was something about Jesus’ life and especially His prayer life that drew them to ask this question. One thing we find when we begin to examine the life of Jesus is the prayer was essential and paramount to everything He did. He is fully God and He never stopped being fully God. Jesus has always been with the Father. All things are held together by His mighty power and all things are created through Him (Col 1:16-17). Jesus never stopped being God, but He fully become man.
As a flesh and blood man Jesus did all things by the leading and guidance of The Holy Spirit (Phil 2:5-9). This is why prayer was so essential in the life of Jesus. If Jesus was simply going to do everything as God, He wouldn’t need the empowerment or guidance of The Holy Spirit. There were things Jesus did that revealed that indeed He was God and revealed His deity such as feeding the 5000 or calming the storm. In all of the miracles recorded in the bible it reveals Jesus’ authority over all things. But the greatest thing that reveals Jesus is who He claims to be is the resurrection and the empty tomb. His greatest victory was over sin, death, and the grave and it was the Holy Spirit that raised Christ from the dead (Romans 8:11).
If we desire a effective and dynamic prayer life we must ask the Lord to teach us how to pray. If any man lacks wisdom, they simply need to ask God and He gives wisdom without measure and without limit. But we need to ask. Asking God in prayer unlocks His power and authority into every situation. God desires that we would have a deep and effective prayer life. This is how God accomplishes His will in the earth through the prayers of His people. I would encourage you today to begin to ask The Holy Spirit to teach you how to pray. Begin to ask the Holy Spirit to open your mind and heart to things concerning prayer that you did not see before. God desires to use you and to work through your prayers.
Prayer
Father teach us how to pray. Teach us how to pray in a way that touches your heart and sees your purposes fulfilled in the earth. Father help us to grow deeper in our walk and prayer life with you. Father help us not to focus on the works of the devil, but to have eyes to see what you are doing in this hour. Father help us in our weakness and change the very desires in our hearts to align with your will. May all that we pray be in your will and by your leading. In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen!
Comments