“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.”
Luke 11:1/NIV
Jesus Christ certainly prayed routinely and was a role model for this practice. His disciples watched him pray, and in doing so, their curiosity peaked, which led them to ask Him how they should pray. Matthew and Luke provide accounts of what Jesus taught His disciples, which is also a model for us to follow. This prayer can be spoken as written to state the important elements of which we should pray. There is thought that this prayer is divided into sections that guide us regarding content themes to cover in prayer. Important structure and guidance are provided!
Matthew 6:9-13 (NIV) tells us the teaching Jesus Christ provided His disciples: “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” As we pray, we will bring glory and honor to God; His will should take place; our needs are asked to be provided for; forgiveness; and deliverance from temptations and Satanic influences.
The words and themes in Mathew and Luke tell us what Jesus Christ thought was important. He taught us correct prioritization, which we should consider when praying to God. Jesus put His Heavenly Father at the first of the prayer and indicated a priority should be giving Him glory and honor. Jesus also taught what mattered in God’s eyes and what would be essential for survival and appropriate brotherhood with others. He also stressed the importance of protection from temptations and the evil one that could lead us astray. These are essential aspects for us to remember when praying to God!
Every time I hear or recite the Lord’s prayer, I have fond recollections of what my high school football coaches taught me during my teenage years. Before every football game, our coaches encouraged us to kneel and recite the Lord’s prayer before taking the field. Everyone prayed! What a great way to begin a new and daunting challenge on Friday nights! Forty years later, I can still hear the voices of my teammates and coaches praying the way Jesus taught His disciples. Thank you, coaches, for teaching us athletes important biblical truths that would strengthen us while facing challenging opponents. Thank you, Jesus, for teaching your followers how to pray! Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.
Many blessings to you!
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
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