Today in God's Word—August 2023
East Tallassee Church of Christ
August 4, Luke 11
It’s no coincidence the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray after they saw and heard him pray. All rabbis taught their students to pray. But these followers saw and heard something in Jesus’ prayers that made them want to pray like he did.
Have you ever considered how blessed we are that they asked, Jesus answered and Luke recorded what he said? Words we love, phrases that have comforted untold millions and the clearest instructions anywhere about how we should pray are here in these lines.
The simplicity of the prayer Jesus taught makes
it an ideal pattern to keep in mind as we
compose our own prayers. We should declare
the greatness of God, submit ourselves to his
sovereign rule and express our dependence on
him to provide for our needs. Our lists of needs
and requests fit in right after we exalt him and
humble ourselves. That’s compact and complete. While other passages teach about
prayer and many books have been written on the subject, this model prayer is a concise summary.
Jesus included another point by adding a story to the example prayer. The message of the story is: “Persist! Don’t stop praying!” The story is not saying God is annoyed like the man who finally got up to give his friend bread after repeated requests. Instead, Jesus contrasts the loving Father’s delight in hearing and answering the requests of his children. We keep on asking, seeking and knocking, all the time trusting God’s great love and wisdom to answer by granting what’s best for us.
Have you evaluated your prayer life in light of this teaching? It’s good to know and recite this prayer. But the real gift of it is learning how to pray your own prayers by following this basic template. Think about how these words can help you pray.
God is glorified and your confidence in him grows when you magnify his name! When you do a good job with this part of the prayer, you see God as very big and powerful. You won’t hesitate to ask about big or difficult things when God is magnified in your prayer.
It’s good to remember that he is God in control and you are not. Praying about his kingdom rule reminds you that you want his will to be done in this world and in your life. Come in humble submission to him, surrendering your whole life to his reign.
Don’t forget to ask for what you need. Yes, he already knows, but it’s good for you to ask. It reminds you of your dependence and instills gratitude for what you’ve already received. And don’t be shy about asking again and again. God isn’t hassled by your requests; he’s honored by them.
Have you prayed this way, on purpose, every day, for some period of time? Why not try it
today and this week? It might transform your prayers forever.
From The Abiding Companion: A Friendly Guide for Your Journey Through the New Testament, Copyright © 2010 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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