Today's meditation is on the Lord's teaching on prayer from 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!”
These are such awesome verses to think on, for they open to us an understanding of prayer, the Father's heart, and the desire of the Father to give us what we need. The "Our Father" is so much more than just a prayer we say from memory, nor is supposed to just be the words we pray over and over, but rather it is Jesus' statement on how to pray. Praise the Father, acknowledge His goodness, and don't be afraid to ask Him for what You need. Seek His Kingdom, ask to be a part of it.
In Matthew's Gospel chapter 6, verse 10, we have the following addition after the prayer 'Your Kingdom come' - "Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven". I think these are a critical inclusion, as they direct us how to pray, asking the Father to make real here on earth the same things that are real in heaven.
The other thing I like about this meditation, or set of verses, is that they include the other statements Jesus made on prayer. The "Our Father" was just the start of His teaching, and He went on to explain about the effectiveness of persistence in prayer, the encouragement to ask, seek and knock in prayer, and finally the Father's heart toward us His children.
I think it is so encouraging that Jesus, the Son of God, is telling us to pray, helping us to understand how to approach our Father God. Jesus came to reveal the Father, and one of the things He revealed about the Father is that He wants us to pray to Him, to ask Him, to seek Him. He is not waiting in Heaven for our prayers, so that He can disappoint us, but rather He is waiting to give us good things, and the Holy Spirit!
Oh, that we would learn to pray, learn to seek God, learn to turn to Him for all our needs. I am so quick to try and work things out on my own, not wanting to bother the Father, but the Father is not weary of my prayers, is not tired by my persistence, and is happy to have me seek Him. Jesus said that everything He did and every word from His mouth were from the Father (John 12:49 & John 15:10), and for this to be true He had to be in constant communication with the Father. We would do well to follow His example and endeavor to pray to the Father constantly, and continue to listen to what the Father has to say.
Lord, continue to help us learn how to pray, for prayer is the life-blood of our relationship to You.
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