Jesus, Teach Us How To Pray
Sermon Notes from Luke 11:1-13
Audio:
Introduction
“The disciples never said, ‘Lord, teach us to preach.’ They never said, ‘Lord, teach us to do miracles.’ They said, ‘Lord, teach us to pray.’ Because they saw that Jesus’ power was in His prayer life.” —Leonard Ravenhill
We all want to be stronger in our prayer life. The people who have the strongest prayer life will confess that prayer is still difficult at times. There are multitudes of books on the subject of prayer, but none can teach us to pray more authoritatively than the King of Kings, the Son of God, the Messiah Jesus Christ. In this text, Luke gives us an inside look at how Jesus taught his disciples to pray. Luke has an emphasis upon prayer, with proportionally more references to that subject than any other Gospel. This emphasis continues in Luke’s second book, Acts, where the early Christian community is frequently presented as being engaged in prayer (see Acts 1:14; 2:42; 4:31; 6:4).
I want Jesus to teach me how to pray! Don’t you? In this text, I want us to ask Jesus to teach us about prayer!
1. TEACH US BY EXAMPLE (Luke 11:1)
Luke 11:1 One day, Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
Jesus Believed in and Practiced Prayer! Luke tells of the prayers of Jesus at his baptism (Luke 3:21), Before the choosing of the 12 disciples (6:12), At the time of Peter’s confession (9:18–20), On the Mount of Transfiguration (9:28, 29), As a motivation for cleansing the temple (19:45, 46), and During his agony in the garden (22:41).
We may wonder, why do these men raised in Judaism not know how to pray? Their parents had surely taught them. They had been in synagogue for many prayer services. Maybe they noticed that Jesus’ prayers are different. They recall John teaching his disciples to pray. No matter how advanced we may be in prayer, we want Jesus to teach us because he is the supreme example.
2. TEACH US WHAT TO SAY (Luke 11:2a)
Luke 11:2a He said to them, “When you pray, say…”
Words do not always come easily in prayer, and we have a desire to pray in an acceptable manner. God does not expect a magnificent speech when we pray, but we want to pray well. Just talk to God!
You will notice this version of the prayer is shorter than the more familiar one given in Matthew 6:9-13. We are going to remain focused on Luke’s version. A couple of observations as we make our way through the Lord’s Prayer:
There is no magic in just repeating the words.
When we feel weak in faith, these words are a lifeline to our broken hearts.
3. TEACH US TO PRAY TO OUR FATHER (Luke 11:2b)
Luke 11:2b “‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.”
This is a prayer of relationship - we are children praying to a loving Holy Father, our Abba - Intimate Relationship.
This is a prayer of acknowledgement - He is holy, and we are sinful.
This is a prayer of submission - ‘your kingdom come’ - not my kingdom! This is a petition for the coming rule of God over all of humankind. Revelation 22:20 “He who testifies to these things says, 'Yes, I am coming soon.'” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”
NIV footnote has the third petition: “may your will be done on earth as it is heaven.”
4. TEACH US TO PRAY FOR OUR PHYSICAL NEEDS (Luke 11:3)
Luke 11:3 Give us each day our daily bread.
This is a prayer of dependence - Many in the first century and today - live each day not knowing where the daily essentials will come.
This is a prayer of wider scope - dependence on God for food, for clothing, for shelter, for health, for everything we need on a daily basis.
5. TEACH US TO PRAY FOR SPIRITUAL NEEDS (Luke 11:4)
Luke 11:4 Forgive us our sins, or we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.
This is a prayer seeking grace - We are conscious of our great sin and need of forgiveness.
This is a prayer offering grace - We are willing to forgive others since we have been forgiven. We must forgive others as we have been forgiven.
This is a prayer for strength, which expresses that we are in need of guidance, strength, and protection. Some see this as testing or trials. The Greek word translated as " temptation" does not always mean “enticement to commit sin.” It can also mean “testing” (as translated in Luke 8:13) or “trials” (as translated in Luke 22:28; James 1:2; 1 Peter 1:6; 2 Peter 2:9).
NIV footnote: “but deliver us from the evil one” - recognizing where temptation can be sourced.
6. TEACH US TO PRAY WITHOUT BOUNDARIES (Luke 11:5-10)
Luke 11:5-8 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity[e] he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.
This teaches praying with persistence. The awakened neighbor meets the need because he knows his breadless friend will not give up pounding on his door! Persistence in prayer is important (compare Luke 18:1–8).
Sanders: “How seldom we pray for the unprecedented, let alone the impossible!” God delights to answer prayers that are based on his promises. Jesus encouraged His disciples to ask as freely for the impossible as the possible.
Wright: What counts is persistence. …he is encouraging a kind of holy boldness, a sharp knocking on the door, an insistent asking, a search that refuses to give up. That’s what our prayer should be like. Prayer is a laying bare of the heart before God. Prayer that is persistent and personal is powerful in God’s eyes. Persistence in prayer is not effective because we somehow wear God down. Persistence in prayer is a test for us, not for him.
Luke 11:9-10 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
7. TEACH US TO PRAY WITH TRUST (Luke 11:11-12)
Luke 11:11-12 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?
This is a prayer of faith in the character/heart of God. God desires to give good gifts to His children.
Barclay: If we do not receive what we pray for, it is not because God grudgingly refuses to give it to us but because He has some better thing for us. There is no such thing as unanswered prayer. The answer given may not be the answer we desired or expected. Even when it is the refusal of our wishes, it is the answer of the love and the wisdom of God.”
It’s difficult to believe God for some things, but if we have faith to know He has our best interest in His heart, we can have great faith that He will move to accomplish that purpose…even when it may not be the answer we are hoping for in our flesh. (Kim Butts)
8. TEACH US TO ASK FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT (Luke 11:13)
Luke 11:13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
The Holy Spirit is - Counselor - Guide - Presence
Jesus does not elaborate here, but he does point to a gift of the Father - the Holy Spirit. This foreshadows Peter’s dramatic sermon in Luke’s second book, Acts, where Peter repeats the promise of “the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). Ephesians 6:18says, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.”
Conclusion
Spurgeon said, “Jesus Christ, our Lord, was the greatest teacher of prayer, not only by His words but by His life. He taught His disciples to pray and showed them how to draw near to the Father.”
When we go to the School of Prayer, we hear from our Teacher Jesus that He believes in prayer, that He has given us a model prayer, that He desires us to ask audaciously, and He teaches us that our Father views us in His good will.
Learning to pray is a central part of being a disciple of Jesus Christ. God is a giving God, but we are to ask in prayer. We do not control our God through prayer; we submit to our Abba Father. It is His Kingdom that must come, His will must be done. If Jesus believed in prayer, so should we!
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Discussion Questions
1. Why do you think the disciples specifically asked Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray”? What does this reveal about their understanding of prayer? Do you think Jesus meant for them to repeat this prayer, use it as a model, or both? How has the Lord’s Prayer impacted your prayer life?
2. Why is it difficult to be persistent in prayer? What challenges do you face in maintaining a consistent prayer life? Have you ever felt a prayer was answered? How did it impact your faith?
3. What is Jesus teaching through the story of the persistent friend knocking at midnight?
4. How can we support each other in our prayer lives within this class? What are some ways we can pray for one another more effectively?
5. It seems that God is not answering our prayers at times. Why is this a challenge for us today?
6. How has your understanding of prayer evolved over time? What steps can you take to deepen your prayer life?
7. Why would we ask God for the Holy Spirit?
8. What else did you want to talk about today?
Resources
Barclay, William. The Daily Bible Study Series: the Gospel of Luke. Westminster, 1954.
Butts, Kim. 20 Guidelines for Effective Prayer.
Crawford, Dan R. Giving Ourselves to Prayer. Prayershop Publishing, 2008.
Culpepper, Alan R. The New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary - The Gospel of Luke: Introduction, Commentary, and Reflections. Abingdon, 2015.
Galloway, Lewis F. Feasting on the Gospels, Luke, Volume 1. Cynthia A Jarvis and E. Elizabeth Johnson. Westminster - John Knox Press, 2014.
Roberts, Michelle Vos. Feasting on the Gospels, Vol.
Swindoll, Charles. New Testament Insights: Insights on Luke. Zondervan, 2015.
Thank you for this article and insights. I pray many more of us learn to ask this same question and learn to pray as Jesus teaches.
Believer can pray for each other more effectively by committing to do it and by praying from His word.
I will pray for you to have holy boldness is speaking and writing to make known the truth of His gospel.