"Lord, Teach Us To Pray"

Luke 11:1 ESV

Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”

Introduction:

The Phrase “Lord, Teach Us To Pray” Implies

a desire to know how to pray

that we need to be taught how to pray

a willingness to be taught how to pray

a realization of the importance of prayer

I’m afraid we all neglect prayer

Not as concerned about it as we should

Don’t pray as much or as often as we should be

It becomes much of a ritual & reciting words and phrases

Don’t always for the things or the people as we ought

Lets consider “Lord, Teach Us To Pray”

1. What Is Prayer?

It Is Not: (a) merely wishing something, (b) Merely Thinking about something, or (c) reciting some memorized lines

It is:

Our means of talking with God (Luke 18:10-14)

The act of communicating the thoughts of man to the infinite mind of God

A way to express our hearts desires to God (Rom. 10:1; Phil. 4:6)

Definitions of Prayer:

“Prayer is the avenue through which one approaches the Almighty”

“Making personal contact with power that transcends time, space, and matter”

“Prayer is the voice of faith” (Thomas Horne)

“Prayer is Correspondence fixed in heaven” (Robert Burns)

“Prayer is so simple: It is like quietly opening the door and slipping into the very presence of God”

2. The Need For Prayer

It is a command of God (1 Thess. 5:17; 1 Tim. 2:8; Luke 18:1; Matt. 6:9-13

Children want to talk with their father

God is concerned about our wants and our needs (Matthew 7:9-11; Luke 12:7)

To find grace to help in time of need (Heb. 4:16)

God is the Almighty (Rev. 4:8)

God is willing to grant us good things (Matt. 7:7-8)

Deut. 6:24

Prayer is an expression of love and adoration

We need forgiveness (Acts 8:22-24)

To follow the example of Christ (1 Peter 2:21)

We must pray as Jesus prayed

Jesus the brightness of the fathers glory – the express image of his person – the one who was With God, Knew God and Was Deity – Needed prayer – How much more do you and I need prayer?

Prayer does good (James 5:16)

Not Because:

It is time to pray

It has become a routine

It makes us feel better

It satisfies our conscience

But because of a need

3. Who Should Pray?

God does not hear sinners

John 9:31

Old Testament passages:

Isa. 59:1-2

Psa. 34:15-16

Psa. 66:18

Prov. 28:9

Children of God have the privilege to pray

God hears the one who is (a) a worshiper of God and (b) Does his will (John 9:31)

God's ears are open to the righteous (1 Pet. 3:12; Psa. 34:15; Prov. 15:29)

The pray of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16)

4. How Should We Pray?

With a prepared mind (Rom. 10:1)

According to God’s will (1 John 5:14)

Ask in faith (Jas. 1:4-6)

With Humility (Matt. 6:5; Luke 18:10-14)

In the name of Christ (Col. 3:17; Acts 4:7)

In Spirit (John 4:24)

5. When Should We Pray?

We should make time for prayer

We shouldn’t just pray if we have time for it

Jesus made time for prayer (Mark 1:35)

We should pray daily

David (Psalm 55:16-17)

Daniel (Daniel 6:10)

We should pray when we are most alert

We should always pray (Luke 18:1; 1 Thess. 5:17; Eph. 6:18)

“Prayer is not an emergency device” - it is not just for times when your get between a rock and a hardplace

6. Where Should We Pray?

Should be a quiet – solitary place

Matt. 6:6

Mark 1:35

Free from distractions

We can pray anywhere

No one can stop you

At home, at work, in car, on bus, on plane – indoors, outdoors, etc.

8. Jesus Prayed!!

After his baptism – Luke 3:21

Rose up early in the morning to pray – Mark 1:35

Prayed all night – on occasions – Luke 6:12

Prayed with his disciples – Luke 9:18; 11:1

Prayed for his disciples – John 17:20-22

Prayed for all believers – John 17:20-22

Prayed in connection with his miracles – John 11:41-43

He prayed for his enemies Luke 23:24

What can we learn from our Lord’s prayer life?

We need to make time for prayer

We need to pray for others

We need to pray in a solitary place

We need to pray for our enemies

We need to pray when we are making big decisions

Conclusion:

We need to study about prayer

We should have the same attitude as those in Luke 11:1 to say “Lord, Teach Us To Pray”