Teach Us to Pray - Part 2

Recap

Luke 11:1 NKJV

1 Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”

It is quite important to see what is happening right in this verse that they came to him, and said “Teach us to pray”. Meaning, prayer can be taught.

Notice his disciples saw him pray, and asked him to “teach them to pray”, so, they saw him pray, hence, they asked him to teach them to pray.

So, there is the observation in prayer, and the teaching in prayer, both must be there.

There is practically in prayer, where we see it, hence we said, prayer is by precept and by example.

I have the example in prayer in Jesus, he is the one who teaches us to pray.

So, the example of Prayer is something to observe, and not only theological. There is a lifestyle to it to learn, and then, we learn to pray that way.

Pattern of Prayer in Jesus’ life

So, we saw last week that Jesus prayed.

Luke 5:12–16 NKJV

12 And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” 13 Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately the leprosy left him. 14 And He charged him to tell no one, “But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, just as Moses commanded.” 15 However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. 16 So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.

A continuous thing that was so particular about the life of Jesus, was that he would withdraw himself often to the wilderness and prayed.

Also, he did pray long

Luke 6:12–13 NKJV

12 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. 13 And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles:

All night long in prayer.

This was a significant pattern we are noticing here, he prayed all night long to God. This would be at least 12 hours, why is that? Because of the Jewish calendar of 6pm as night and 6am as day. So “all night” indicate if not 12 hours, very lengthy time of prayer.

Now, we will find the pattern continued with his disciples, WHY? BECAUSE THEY SAW HIM PRAY AND ALSO LEARNED TO PRAY FROM HIM.

Acts 1:12–14 NKJV

12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey. 13 And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. 14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

It was a practice in their life, to continue in prayer, Just like Jesus did.

Acts 12:4–5 NKJV

4 So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover. 5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.

So they also continued in prayer, and also “constant prayer” was offered to God.

One more, look at Paul;

Ephesians 1:15–16 NKJV

15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:

So, this prayeer was something he did continuously also.

So, the continuity in prayer, was something we find repeatedly in Jesus and the life of the disciples and the early church.

Teaching on prayer

Remember, when they saw him pray, they then said, teach us to pray.

So, since we have seen the pattern of prayer, the example of prayer, we can now see the teaching or what he taught them on prayer.

Luke 11:1–2 LEB

1 And it happened that while he was in a certain place praying, when he stopped a certain one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.” 2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say, “Father, may your name be treated as holy. May your kingdom come.

So, he gave them something like a pattern of prayer.

Now, when we study what he said about prayer, we can start looking at it from verse 5

Luke 11:5–8 NKJV

5 And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’? 8 I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.

Now, parables are very interesting, in that they do not mirror the exact doctrine, but they come with a lesson.

Now, this story was how he taught them on prayer, and what you will learn here is, “persistence”, i.e. persistence is a vital aspect of prayer.

Luke 11:9–10 NKJV

9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

Hence, he would say in verse 9; “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you”.

Jesus taught us how the asking, seeking and knocking is to be done, it ought to be done “persistently” or “continuously”.

And he gave a reason why in his second parable;

Luke 11:11–13 NKJV

11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

Why am I persistent in prayer? Because God gives good gifts. This is my confidence in prayer, God gives good gift. If I haven’t seen what is asked for, if we haven’t received yet, what prayer would be is to be done “persistently”. This is faith in prayer.

Let us look at Jesus demonstrate this to us.

Matthew 26:36–38 NKJV

36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” 37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 38 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”

He was worried, and certainly, he was distressed about what was to happen.

Now, verse 39, verse 42, and 44;

Notice, by verse 44, he must have prayed at least 3 hours, and we were told, “saying same words”.

This was him, praying, knowing that God gives. It is in the persistence in prayer.

The reason why we can pray and stay in prayer, is because we have a good God who gives, if not, there is no reason to pray, no confidence in prayer, But we tend to move on to something else too quick, we ought to learn to pray just as Jesus prayed, expecting to receive, hence, I persist in prayer.

Luke 18:1 NKJV

1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,

verse 8 becomes quite beautiful;

Luke 18:8 NKJV

8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

So, the faith in prayer, is the “persistence”.