Teach Us To Pray!

This morning I have been reading out of Luke 11, and it is Jesus' teaching on prayer.  Here are the verses - Luke 11:1-13 NIV:

[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.” 

[2] 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] Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation. ' ” 

[5] 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 he will surely get up and give you as much as you need. 

[9] “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. 

[11] “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? [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!” 

After reading these, I remembered that I had a couple of reflections in particular on these verses and I wanted to revisit them.  Here is the first of two:

https://amomentwithgod-srh.blogspot.com/2014/07/lord-teach-us-to-pray.html

and the second:

https://amomentwithgod-srh.blogspot.com/2014/07/approaching-father-with-shameless.html

Both were helpful to me this morning in reminding me of how the Father loves us, and encourages us to approach Him in our need.  I am refreshed in my heart, for often in the midst of my need I forget to step back and look up?  My need causes me to focus on myself, and Jesus is inviting us to focus on the Father, as He did.

At the very beginning in verse 1, Jesus finished praying, and my belief is that what He teaches next is directly related to His approach to the Father, as one who is presently operating as fully man.  Sometimes, we forget that Jesus was operating as we do, emptied of His Divinity, so as one who was fully man, and thus while we can only achieve some of what He did, His approach is repeatable by us.  We know that He was very focused on perfect obedience to the Father in all He said and did, and this teaching is essentially directly from the Father.  

Jesus is saying, 'this is how I approach the Father, I don't doubt, I don't fear, I come to Him in my need, knowing that He will provide exactly what I need, whether it is significant, or bread for a friend. He opens the door every time I knock, every time I ask, He provides, every time I seek Him, He reveals Himself and His ways.'  

Jesus is encouraging us that this access to the Father is available to us as well. We just need to remember and turn to Him, and ask, seek, and knock.  

Finally, the greatest need we have is for the Holy Spirit, and He is promised by Jesus, and the Father.  We just need to ask - see verse 13.

Lord, I know I need to look to You, to Your guidance, to You for provision, to You for direction, to You for perspective.  Help me Holy Spirit!

Amen!