Luke 11:1 - Lord, Teach Us To Pray.
Luke 11:1 (NKJV) Now it came to pass, as He
was praying in a certain place, when He ceased,
that one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord,
teach us to pray, as John also taught his
disciples."
INTRODUCTION
The Purpose of Prayer; When a person is born
again from above, the life of the Son of God is
born in him, and he can either starve or nourish
that life. Prayer is the way that the life of God
in us is nourished. [In His Time; My Utmost For
His Highest]
COMMENTARY PEARL
The hearts of the listening disciples were
deeply moved. They had marked how often He spent
long hours in solitude in communion with His
Father. as He returned from the hours of prayer
that closed the toilsome day, they marked the
look of peace upon His face, the sense of
refreshment that seemed to pervade His presence. It was
from hours spent with God that He came forth,
morning by morning, to bring the light of heaven to
men. The disciples had come to connect His hours
of prayer with the power of His words and
works. Now, as they listened to His supplication,
their hearts were awed and humbled. As He ceased
praying, it was with a conviction of their own deep
need that they exclaimed, Lord, teach us to
pray. Luke 11:1. MB102-103
COMMENTARY
One afternoon, I walked and talked with
Jesus about a friend who seemed super-stuck in a
spiritual rut. I'd prayed for her for years, but my
prayers seemed to miss the mark, and her outlook
only grew more negative. That day, I felt
desperate on her behalf. "Teach me to pray," I said to
Jesus. "Show me the root problem."
Jesus answered by placing this thought in
my mind: This is a spiritual battle. Pray
against jealousy and unforgiveness in her heart. I
knew my friend's painful history with a couple of
individuals, so this insight made complete sense. It
changed the way I prayed for her from that point
on.
Rather than offering generic requests
such as "change her" and "work in her heart," I
began doing strategic battle on her behalf by
asking Jesus to transform her by renewing her mind
(Romans 12:2). I asked Him to shine His light into
her thoughts and to dispel the darkness by
revealing those that weren't aligned with His truth. I
prayed that she would begin to live by the Holy
Spirit so that He could produce His good fruit in
her life (Galatians 5:22-25).
I didn't see instant answers, but I
gained confidence to believe my prayers now hit the
mark. I trusted that Jesus would bring about a
good outcome in His time and in His way. Grace
Fox
Faith Step: Go for a leisurely walk and
talk with Jesus as you would a good friend. Ask
Him to teach you how to pray for a loved one
who's hurting. [Mornings With Jesus 2024
Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY
Matthew 6:9-13 - The Lord's Prayer - part 1
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2005/20051205-1009.html
Matthew 6:9-13 - The Lord's Prayer - part 2
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2005/20051207-1002.html
Matthew 6:9-13 - The Lord's Prayer - part 3
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2005/20051209-0822.html
Matthew 6:9-13 - The Lord's Prayer - part 4
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2005/20051212-1024.html
Matthew 6:9-13 - The Lord's Prayer - part 5
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2005/20051214-0918.html
Matthew 6:9-13 - The Lord's Prayer - part 6
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2005/20051216-1048.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
https://abible.com/links/