Lord, Teach Us To Pray

Lord, Teach Us To Pray: Have you ever observed that the only thing the first disciples of Jesus are recorded to have asked Jesus to teach them is, "Lord, teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1)? There is no record of any disciple asking Jesus to teach them to lead, or to counsel, or to heal, or to cast out demons, or to preach. They may have asked him, but there is no record of them doing so. Why? Perhaps it is because they could see that Jesus’ leading, counselling, healing, deliverance and preaching ministry emerged out of his relationship with his "Father." And they could see that the key to that relationship was prayer. Jesus, after all, was always slipping away to pray (Luke 5:16). "Lord, teach us to pray." I understand the disciples’ request to mean more than, "Jesus, teach us some new spiritual technique that will help us stay awake and make us feel our prayers matter." I believe their request meant, "Jesus, teach us how to relate to the one you call ‘Father’ the way you do." This was their greatest need and it is ours too. I have never met a Christian who doesn’t struggle with prayer. For me it is the hardest discipline to develop and maintain. It is the one practice I long for the most and the one I find the easiest to avoid. As we begin a new teaching series on the Lord’s Prayer, I hope you will join with me in united voice, "Lord, teach us to pray."