Reading the Word

Luke 11:1–4 (ESV)

1 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say:

“Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread,
4 and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.”

Parallel Text: Matthew 6:9-13

Understanding and Applying the Word

Much of Christianity is caught as much as it is taught. The disciples often witnessed Jesus spending time in prayer, so it is no surprise that one of them approached him and asked Jesus to teach the disciples to pray. Jesus’ response is what has become known as “The Lord’s Prayer.” Many believers through the years have memorized this model prayer and repeat it often in their own prayer life. However, did Jesus mean for us to simply memorize and repeat his words? I do not think so.

Rather than a prayer to repeat, Jesus gave his disciples a prayer template. He gave them a sample prayer to use an example for their own prayers. Included in the sample (also recorded in Matthew 6:9-13) is praise and reverence for the Father, an acknowledgement of our reliance on God for all things, seeking forgiveness of sins, and seeking God’s protection from future sin. This template is a good reminder to us of the things that should occupy our prayer lives and serve as a corrective for those of us who tend to treat prayer as simply a time to bring our wish lists to God to fulfill. Asking God for things is not necessarily a bad thing, but we should spend a proportionate amount of time praising God for who he is and what he has done as well as dealing with the sin in our lives.

When we follow Jesus template we are constantly reminded of God’s greatness and our dependence on him. We are reminded of the grace God shows to us each and every day and we are reminded that our relationship with the Father is only made possible through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that makes forgiveness possible. Spend time in prayer and use Jesus’ prayer as a guide as you speak to the Father.

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