The Lord's Prayer is one of the most common Scriptures in the world. (Luke 11:1-4) Thousands of people have memorized this prayer and have no idea they are reciting from memory one of the most powerful key's to intimacy with God. There are secrets in this prayer that will unlock a whole new depth to your spiritual life. Jesus teaches in this "prayer" a whole new way of approaching God and living for Him.
One of the first things that we need to be aware of is that to speak of prayer in the ancient world was to talk about your relationship with God. In other words, prayer encompassed all the things you did to interact with God. The thing you did to practice your faith was prayer. So, as we shall see, when the disciples were asking Jesus to teach them to pray, they were not asking Him to make better lists or rituals. What they really wanted was the relationship Jesus had with the Father.
What we call the Lord's Prayer was clearly given as instruction on a believer's relationship with God (prayer) on numerous occasions (with slight differences) to the various groups of disciples throughout Jesus' ministry, as evidenced by its inclusion in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6 and as the answer to a question by the disciples in Luke 11. By far, the more interesting context is in Luke 11. This is how the instructional time in prayer begins in Luke 11:1 --
"It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, 'Lord teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.'"
Jesus was praying and the disciples were watching Him converse with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. What a privilege to see such an incredible sight! Imagine if you had been able to watch and listen to Jesus pray. Wouldn't you have been amazed, humbled, and delighted all at the same time? You would have hung on every word you heard. Wouldn't you have wanted Jesus to guide you into that kind of relationship? Jesus related to God the Father and God the Holy Spirit as a man, the perfect man. He was showing His disciples and us that to relate to God is so far above us and beyond us.
Next week, we will see more about what it was the disciples were really after. I hope this series will be useful and beneficial to you in your spiritual journey. Please email me at info@ptlb.com to let me know how God is working in and through your life. Keep learning and growing in wisdom and in truth; I'm confident that your greatest life is just ahead.
In His service,
Pastor Gil Stieglitz
Go Deep in Prayer and Watch God Work in Your Life.
One of the greatest things Christians can do is talk to their Heavenly Father. It brings answers, it gives peace, it deepens the dialogue between God and ourselves, and it changes us from the inside out. This book celebrates prayer by giving the average Christian great stuff to talk with God about. It is filled with 40 days of simple suggestions of things to pray about God with. When you do, watch out! The more we communicate with God and pray for what we know He wants, the more we understand His heart. Our prayers will be more accurate and potent in asking for His will for our lives. Pray and watch God work. You will be amazed!
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