Luke 11

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.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: “ ‘Father, hallowed be Your Name, Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We need to learn from the Master when it comes to prayer.  Here, Jesus teaches us how to pray, and sets up a pattern for our prayers that will help keep our hearts and minds focused on God and His will.  Remember that there is not a “one size fits all” script or formula for prayer.  Prayer is intimate, personal communication between us and God.  However, Jesus’ response to His disciples’ request offers us some insight into what prayer should look like:  

1. We should praise God, Our Heavenly Father, first and foremost, and thank Him for all that He has done for us! “Praise the Lord.  Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever” (Psalms 106:1).

2. Our desire should be for His kingdom to come here to earth.  “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17).  

3. “Your will be done” (Matthew 6:10).  We should not be asking God to bless our plans if they go against His will for our lives.  We are here to serve Him and to work with His goals in mind.  At Ridgeview Church in Valley Center, CA it was always said that “God’s ways are not only right, but they are also good for you!”

4. We should request “our daily bread,”  which will remind us that God supplies for our physical and spiritual needs one day at a time.  “Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them.  And how much more valuable you are than birds!” (Luke 12:24).

5. We must ask for forgiveness when we sin, but we also need to remember to forgive anyone who has wronged us in the past:  “Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32).

6. We need to pray for protection against Satan and temptation.  This is a very important request, because only He has the power to help us overcome temptation and sin.  “Since He Himself has gone through suffering and testing, He is able to help us when we are being tested” (Hebrews 2:18).  

With these points in mind, read Matthew 6:9-13 during a quiet time in your day today.  Even though the words are so familiar to most of us, God will likely reveal something new based on an experience or problem you are currently facing.