Lord, Teach Us to Pray—Pt 3
Let’s continue our series, “Lord, teach us to pray.” (Luke 11:1-4)
We first notice that Jesus was “Praying in a certain place.” Luke 11:1
Jesus had entered Bethany. Mary, Martha, and Lazarus lived there. Jesus was probably relaxing in the garden behind Martha’s house. He felt at home here and was comfortable. He spent the night in Bethany before his triumphant entry into Jerusalem.
Most of us have places like this. We often call them “prayer closets.”
My prayer closet is also my home office. We’ve lived in this house for 24 years, and over time, my office has become my prayer space. There is a sense of God’s presence here, and I treasure my moments with Him. In some ways, it has become my Bethel (see Gen 28).
If you don’t have a dedicated space like this, the first step toward building a powerful prayer life is to find your “prayer closet” and visit it daily with God. I also enjoy taking long walks and praying, which is both precious and effective. However, my home office is the place of deep communion and insight through prayer that I cherish the most.
Secondly, they ask Jesus to teach them to pray.
The disciples watched Jesus’ supernatural way of life. However, they asked to learn to pray, not to heal, deliver the oppressed, or how to multiply food!
What was the secret to such miracle power? He was a man of prayer!
Jesus, fully divine and fully human, was a man of prayer. Communion with the Father and reliance on the Holy Spirit were the source of His authority and power.
He dedicated daily time to seek the Father’s will, guidance, and fresh anointing for His ministry.
“So He himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.” Luke 5:16 NKJV
Three prayer principles of Jesus:
- Jesus prioritized prayer over ministry,
- Jesus prayed during moments of decision,
- Jesus prayed to stay focused on His mission.
Jesus prayed to stay close to the Father. We should too!
To prevail in spiritual power, a lifetime of intimacy with God is required!
There are no shortcuts to spiritual vitality — it’s about abiding in Christ every day! Not out of obligation, but from a place of love and longing to be with Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith! Prayer is crucial for living a victorious Christian life.
16th-century reformer Martin Luther said,
“If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the Devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business, I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.” 1
Luther, through prayer, was used by God to heal the sick, cast out demons, and even his friend Melanchthon came back from death after Luther’s prayer.
My prayer is not to manipulate God. Instead, I pray as a son in a right relationship with the Father, trusting what He has said about me through Christ and what He has promised us as His disciples. Clearly stated, God tells us to pray and ask of Him.
Luke 11:2-4 Jesus outlines fundamental principles of prayer, not a specific formula.
Jesus didn’t just give a prayer or a formula; He provided essential principles for prayer. Luke’s gospel primarily encourages the reader to be persistent in prayer.
Because prayer was central to Jesus’ ministry, he wanted it to be a foundation in his disciples’ lives. What we call the “Lord’s Prayer” might better be called the “Disciples’ Prayer,” as it provides an outline or blueprint for prayer.
Luke’s context for “Our Father” differs from Matthew’s, which occurs within three acts of religion (Matt. 6:1-8). Its audience includes “Jewish opponents of Matthew’s community,” who are familiar with prayer practices. Therefore, Matthew corrects their improper prayer habits (Matt. 6:5-7).
In Matthew’s account, Jesus discusses the motivation behind prayer. He teaches us to be cautious about praying just to impress others; instead, we should aim to seek the approval of the Father.
In contrast, Luke’s setting is among a Gentile community, most of whom are unfamiliar with prayer. Therefore, Luke’s primary goal is to teach the Gentiles how to pray, emphasizing a positive (persistent) attitude in prayer.
Prayer Principles from the Lord’s Prayer
- Prayer should begin with praise and worship! “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…” To hallow means to sanctify, to set apart, or to make special.
We should praise and worship the Lord every day of our lives.
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!” Ps. 150:6 NKJV
A prayer that touches the heart of God is a worship-filled prayer! Paul tells us to “pray without ceasing.” One way we do that is by having a heart of worship that constantly releases praise back to the Lord.
As Christians, when we call God Father, we recognize Him as the loving, eternal Creator—omnipotent, all-knowing, and always present. However, not everyone can call God Father; only those who, through Jesus, have entered into a relationship with God and become part of His family.
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” John 1:12 NKJV
Our existence and life in Christ come from the love and goodness of Father God.
“Every good gift, every perfect gift, comes from above. These gifts come down from the Father…” James 1:17 CEB
Our response of love to God is worship, which is the primary element of prayer. Some people overlook this vital aspect of prayer.
Maybe because some lack a relationship with God, prayer is just a way to get help in emergencies. Sure, God wants to assist us in our times of need, but that’s not the only purpose of prayer.
God desires a relationship with us; those who worship Him in Spirit and truth will find the resurrection power of Christ working within them.
23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. John 4:23-24 NKJV
Praise, worship, and thanksgiving bring us into God’s presence. This serves as the foundation for sincere prayer!
4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. 5 For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. Psalm 100:4-5 NKJV
Asking should always be paired with praise and thanksgiving. Consider Phil. 4:6:
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God…” NKJV
2. Prayer should include expectation: “Your Kingdom come. Your will be done.”
In the New Testament, the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven is mentioned about 80 times. Kingdom (basileia) means, first, the authority to rule as a king, and second, the realm over which the reign is exercised.
14 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:14-15 NKJV
Repent, or change your thinking and direction!
Jesus came preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, not only a Gospel of Salvation.
Asking for God’s kingdom (basileia) to come means requesting the King to rule and for His rule to extend over His realm—which, in simple terms, is over our lives and our world. It starts with us—His rule over our lives—His throne established in our hearts. We need to recognize the importance of submitting our will to His.
There is an unseen realm of the kingdom that reveals God’s presence and His rule.
20 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; 21 nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 17:20-21 NKJV
Jesus said the kingdom of God does not appear with visible signs, because the kingdom is inside those who believe. God’s unseen realm surrounds us all—be expectant!
Jesus must first reign in our hearts before God can take full control of our lives! When He does, it becomes clear, and His kingdom is shown through our lives!
Asking for God’s kingdom to come is not a “millennial” prayer focus, longing for the 2nd coming of Christ and the completion of His kingdom on earth.
Rather, we invite our Father, our benevolent King, to reign, and for the realm of his Kingdom to rule NOW!
We eagerly await his promised return, but as we wait, we strive to advance His kingdom and to disciple others in His name!
I’ll cover this more next week, but if prayer is aimed at making God fulfill my desires, it is misguided. Instead, we seek God’s will to be done in our lives, families, and relationships, in line with heaven’s nature.
Since God’s kingdom is near, we should expect it to reign supreme over our lives and remain hopeful that prayers and promises will be fulfilled. This kind of faith grows through committed discipleship and dedicated prayer. Half-hearted prayer will not nurture expectations of a breakthrough!
Jesus said, “But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.” Luke 11:20 NKJV
I’ll discuss “your will be done” next week! This is a crucial part of effective prayer—praying in accordance with the will and purposes of God!
FootNote
1 E.M. Bounds, Power Through Prayer (New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 1982), 58.
