Learning to Pray – Luke 11:1-13

I am convinced that most of us struggle with prayer because we don’t think we can simply talk to God from our hearts, without some special form of speech.  We find ourselves leaning on stock phrases we have heard others use, and this keeps us from genuinely opening up with what is going on with us and with what we want to say to Him.  The simplicity of the Lord’s Prayer is startling, and Jesus’ explanation of how much God wants to hear from us is encouraging.

Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” And he said to them, “When you pray, say:

   “Father, hallowed be your name.  Your kingdom come.  Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.  And lead us not into temptation.”

And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”  (Luke 11:1-13 ESV)

Jesus prayed…a lot.  And his disciples noted this and wanted instruction.  He basically told them two things about praying:

1) It should be focused on God and His kingdom first, then our needs, our relationship to Him and our holiness.  When we have a kingdom orientation it leads to a focus on what is most important.  Wanting His name to be hallowed (honored) is a desire for all the world to acknowledge Him, and wanting His kingdom to come says we submit to His kingship and long for that complete display of His rule over all the earth.

2) God wants to answer our prayers.  Even though a friend might not answer us out of friendship, God wants to and will answer our every request because He loves us as His children.  Jesus doesn’t have to say that God won’t give us something that isn’t good for us (kids always want candy above nutrition).  But Jesus needs us to know that God is for us and wants to give us the good things He has, especially the Holy Spirit, who is the implementer of God’s kingdom program on earth.