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Leonard Ravenhill, an English evangelist who challenged the church to hunger and thirst for revival through prayer, puts it like this.
There's nothing more transfiguring than prayer.
People often ask, "Why do you insist on prayer so much?"
The answer is very simple - because Jesus did.
You could change the title of the Gospel according to St. Luke to the Gospel of Prayer.
It's the prayer life of Jesus.
The other evangelists say that Jesus was in the Jordan and the Spirit descended on Him as a dove - Luke says it was
while He was praying
that the Spirit descended on Him.
The other evangelists say that Jesus chose 12 disciples - Luke says it was after He spent
a night in prayer
that He chose 12 disciples.
The other evangelists say that Jesus died on a cross - Luke says that even when He was dying
Jesus was praying
for those who persecuted Him.
The other evangelists say Jesus went on a mount and He was transfigured - Luke says it was
while He was praying
that He was transfigured.
There's nothing more transfiguring than prayer.
Teach Us To Pray
The disciples lived with Jesus for 3 years.
The saw his miracles.
They heard his teaching.
They watched his life.
Of all the questions they could have Jesus, think about it...
Jesus, teach us to do miracles.
Jesus, teach us to speak with power and authority.
Jesus, teach to understand.
Of all the things they could have asked Jesus, they asked him to teach them to pray.
Perhaps they understood that the miracles happened because of his prayer life.
Perhaps they understood his power came form his communication with God.
Perhaps they realized that when Jesus prayed something was different.
Perhaps they recognized the priority that Jesus placed on prayer.
They wanted spiritual instruction.
They saw in Jesus a man of prayer.
They knew John had taught his disciples to pray, and they wanted Jesus to teach them.
There was something different in Jesus.
The could pray.
But they realized that the way Jesus prayed was different.
He modeled prayer because he lived prayer.
He understood the power and importance of communion, fellowship, time with his Heavenly Father.
So in Luke 11:1-4 we see Jesus begin this teaching on prayer
So these disciples, hungry for whatever Jesus has, seeking spiritual knowledge, come to Jesus and speak one of the most profound and wise requests in Scripture, Teach Us To Pray.
Before we get into the prayer, I want to repeat a phrase, Spiritual Knowledge.
See, prayer isn't merely head knowledge.
Discipleship isn't merely head knowledge.
Christian faith isn't merely head knowledge.
True Theology isn't merely head knowledge.
There's a deeper knowledge.
Spiritual Knowledge
C.S. Lewis calls is Deep Magic.
A knowledge that goes beyond understand, a knowledge of the ancient truth.
The Psalmist David wrote,
There is a spiritual knowledge that only comes from spending time with the Spirit.
There is a spiritual knowledge that makes fools wise.
There is a spiritual knowledge that makes sick whole.
There is a spiritual knowledge that makes sinners saints.
There is a spiritual knowledge that makes the dead alive.
There is a spiritual knowledge that makes a heart of stone a heart of flesh.
There is a spiritual knowledge that makes the old gone and the new come.
There is a spiritual knowledge that makes doubt doubt and faith arise.
There is a spiritual knowledge that makes paupers kings and daughters priests.
There is a spiritual knowledge that makes the weak strong,
the tired renewed,
the broken whole,
the empty filled,
the bound free,
the cursed blessed,
the naked clothed,
the confused complete,
the oppressed overcoming,
the depressed joyful,
the demonized delivered,
the abused emboldened,
the downtrodden uplifted.
There is a spiritual knowledge that changes situations and perspectives.
There is a spiritual knowledge that transforms minds and renews spirits and heals hearts.
This deep knowledge only comes through prayer.
This deep knowledge only comes through Spirit-enabled, word-soaked, desperate-soul searching prayer.
The disciples wanted this kind of Spirit Knowledge.
They saw the empty religion of the Pharisees.
They saw the hypocrisy of the religious.
They saw the powerless ritual of the Priests.
And then they saw Jesus.
Nobody ever spake like He spake.
Nobody ever did what He did.
He had authority to cast out devils,
heal the sick,
forgive the sinner,
stand up for the poor and marginalized,
challenge bad religion,
and bring God nearer than anyone in history.
They wanted this Spirit Knowledge.
And they knew how Jesus had it.
Prayer.
So they say, Teach us to pray.
The Model Prayer
The Gospel of Matthew also records this teaching prayer
Some call it he LORD’s Prayer or the Model Prayer
Let's unpack the doctrine, the Spiritual Knowledge of the prayer.
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