Prayer Revival: Luke 11:1-4
Study it in Logos (opens the passage in Logos in a new tab)
Title: “Teach us to pray”
Passage: Luke 11:1-4
“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.” 2. And he said to them, “When you pray, say:
“Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.
3. Give us each day our daily bread, 4. and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.”
Intro: What were the disciples thinking when they asked this question?
What had they seen or heard up to this point?
Why out of everything to ask for would they say “teach us to pray”?
Maybe they didn’t really know how to pray.
Maybe they saw Jesus rebuke the hypocrites and they didn’t want to be a hypocrite.
Maybe it was because they had seen a pattern of prayer in the life of Jesus.
They remembered that John taught his disciples to pray, so they wanted to be taught as well.
I believe that it is a culmination of all of the above. Prayer was something that they believed was so crucial, so foundational to their faith, that they need to be taught by Jesus how to pray.
Are you at a point in your walk with Jesus that you are genuinely asking “Jesus, teach me how to pray?”
For some of you it’s possible that you have yet to discover that prayer engages the power of God, prayer positions you for a relationship with God, and that prayer was foundational in the life and ministry of Jesus.
It wasn’t until later that the disciples asked this question of Jesus, after they had witnessed and experienced many signs and wonders.
Illust: A Person In The Desert
There’s a group of people in the desert and there’s one person that looks clean, refreshed, and perfectly content, he’s not merely trying to survive in the desert, but he seems to be thriving. It’s not until many days later that you discover that this person has been going to a fresh spring not too far from the camp. Once you make this discovery you wouldn’t hesitate a second to ask “Where is this spring?” “Please, show me how to get to this spring!”
I need it! I long for it! I can’t continue the way I’ve been going on without it!
Question: Have you arrived at this point in your spiritual journey?
If not then can I offer you a pastoral challenge…
“Often times we choose sight over source.” What do I mean by that?
We choose the things that are directly in front of us, what we can see, over what is above us, which is ultimately the source of what we see.
Too often our focus is on our career, success, happiness, security, hobbies, health, etc, that we lose sight of the source of all of those things. We choose the temporal over the eternal.
The point I’m trying to make is that prayer is the source, strategy, and single greatest thing we could focus our attention on for a relationship and intimacy with the Father.
The disciples could have easily said….”Lord teach us to ____________”
- Heal the sick (Luke 5:12-26, 6:6-11, 7:1-10, 8:40-56)
- Raise the dead (Luke 7:11-17, 8:40-56)
- Calm the storm (Luke 8:22-25)
- Cast out demons (Luke 8:26-39, 9:37-43)
- Multiply food (Luke 9:10-17)
- Teach (Luke 6:20-42, 8:1-18, 9:23-27, 10:25-37)
Instead they chose to ask Jesus to teach them to pray. Knowing that the source of the power, wisdom, and miracles came out of intentional time in prayer with the Father.
At this point in the text they knew Jesus was a Man of Prayer.
Jesus prayed...
- At his baptism (Luke 3:21)
- Before he chose the twelve disciples (Luke 6:12)
- Before he asked the twelve for their confession of faith (Luke 9:18)
- And at His transfiguration (Luke 9:28-29)
- The disciples knew that He often prayed alone (Mark 1:35)
They wanted to learn from Him this secret of spiritual power and wisdom.
Now let’s take a look at how Jesus responded to this question:
“Father,...”
True prayer depends on a spiritual relationship with God that enables us to call Him “Father”
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
The first thing you must address in this prayer is your relationship to the Father.
Question: Have you put your faith and trust in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ? For it is only through the blood of Jesus that we gain our inheritance and become sons and daughters of God.
“Hallowed be your name.” (May your name be kept holy)
This is a prayer of adoration. To show our deep love and respect to the Father.
Exalt the LORD our God And worship at His footstool; Holy is He.
As we look at the “Lord’s Prayer” I think it’s important to see a pattern. We see that Jesus is showing us that adoration should come first in our prayer life.
Think about the way that you typically pray…. Do you start with adoration?
“God you are holy, your love is everlasting. You are a good and loving Father. You have blessed us with so much! You created the heavens and the earth and then you called them good. You have lavished your love on us even though we don’t deserve it. You are holy, holy, holy. I could sing of your love forever. You bring rain to grow the plants, you give us seasons to enjoy and stand in awe of your beauty. You are creative in all your ways.
“Your kingdom come.”
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
This is a prayer of submission - yielding to the will or authority of another person.
A parallel of this passage is found in Matthew 6:9-13 and it says “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
This is submitting yourself to His kingship over all things, including your life. You are our king. May your kingdom come. May your will be done. Rule and reign in our hearts. Rule and reign in this city. May your kingdom come now Lord Jesus.
“Give us each day our daily bread,”
Pray out of need, not greed. When we recognize where the source comes from then we make praying for our physical and material needs a daily prayer.
He will supply your needs and care for you in every season.
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
We don’t have time to get into it, but later this evening read further in the passage and you will see that He is a loving Father and takes good care of you.
“And forgive us our sins,”
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
“For we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.” (as we forgive those who sin against us)
Forgiveness is crucial in our daily prayer life. If you truly understand the level that you have been forgiven, it will allow you to forgive in the same way.
Not forgiving those that have sinned against you will ultimately lead to bitterness. Bitterness is like drinking rat poison thinking that you are going to kill the rat. It will kill and destroy you.
Forgive others as you have been forgiven.
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
“And lead us not into temptation.” (don’t let us yield to temptation)
I love the LORD, because He hears My voice and my supplications.
Protect me Lord Jesus. Protect my eyes, thoughts, ears, and actions.
Matthew 6 parallel “but deliver us from evil”
I want to take just a couple minutes and give you time to pray this prayer. Use it as a model prayer as you talk to God the Father.
Pattern of Prayer
- Adoration - deep love and respect.
- Submission - yielding to the will or authority of another person.
- Confession - a formal statement admitting that one is guilty.
- Intercession - saying a prayer on behalf of another person.
- Supplication - asking or begging for something humbly.
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