Lord teach us to pray

Notes from Prayer Meeting on Wednesday 29 January 2019

Luke 18 verses 1 -8, chapter 11 verse 1

From Luke 18 we learn man`s chief goal is prayer.  That is according to Jesus, not according to an elder of a church or a pastor.  In chapter 18 verse 1 the Lord says "men ought always to pray and not to faint."  The word "faint" means to give up, to tire of something, to move away from something.  Here in this portion of scripture Jesus is saying the most serious endeavour of your life is to pray.  Jesus didn`t say "men ought always to preach" or "men ought to witness."  The Lord is really speaking here of the danger of beginning to stop praying.  That is the beginning of backsliding, you begin to give up.  He gives the simplistic story of a widow woman coming to an unjust judge.  The judge had no concern for God or fellow man.  Jesus is painting the picture of a real hardhearted callous man.  He is only in the business of receiving money.  Bribery was widespread in these days.  People could bribe the judge to hear their story and win their case.  This widow woman didn`t have any money so could not have a fair hearing with this judge.  This judge had no care for man or God.  He realised this woman was not going to give up.  She had no strength in herself.  She did have one thing though - persistance.  The Lord takes that picture and paints another one of a loving heavenly father.  The judge says in verse 6 "lest this woman weary me."  The Lord was putting across the persistance of this woman.  Coming time and time again.  She would never have got what she was looking for if she stopped coming to this judge.  The Lord is telling us to be persistant, to keep at it.  He gives us the sense of victory.

Here in chapter 11 verse 1 it is not the seeking by prayer as this woman did but rather the school of prayer.  Prayer has to be learned.  Jesus is saying here, that we have to learn to pray correctly.  To run, walk or drive we have to learn the correct way.  When we are born again of the Spirit of God we are like new born babes.  We have to learn new things.  Here in chapter 11 verse 1 Jesus is praying and one of his disciples is listening to him.  He comes to Jesus and asks "Lord teach us to pray."  We really do need to get to grips, we need to learn to pray.  "Lord teach us to pray."  There is an honesty here in this.  The disciples approach him.  The most serious business he can employ is the business of prayer.  Here was a confession of this man.  We really don`t know how to pray.  Romans 8 verse 26 "we know not what we should pray for as we ought."  This disciples said "teach us to pray".  The same Spirit as Jesus spoke of here "shall teach you all things" Jesus said in John`s gospel. (John 14 verse 26)  It is like any classroom.  It takes time.  Learning how to pray as these disciples asked in Jesus day "I don`t know how to pray, will you teach me."  They had honesty. 

Notice also the hunger.  Now we see the necessity to learn.  James said "ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss" (James 4 verse 3)   Ye ask but ye ask amiss.  This disciple acknowledged the fact that he couldn`t pray.  As he listened to the Lord he was comparing his prayers with the Lord and felt so far away from that.  A good hunger here to learn how to pray.  There is also the privilege of praying.  The scriptures tells us when we draw near to God, God draws near to us.  It is good to learn.  It shouldn`t cost us anything, shouldn`t bother with sentences we put together or what words we bring in.  Prayer is a heart conversation with God, really getting before the God of prayer.  When the Lord comes to this example "when ye pray" verse 2.  The Lord expects us to pray.  Paul in Ephesians 6 finishes off that great paragraph about the armour of God by saying "always with all prayer."  Then he asks those believers "pray for me."  He is asking people like us, that the word of God will go forth.  He is asking every day Christians to pray for him.  Trusting a group in Ephesus would pray for him.  That is why it is good to pray.  Paul knew the task he had was importatnt.  Preaching the word of God.  He depended on that. That is why when we come to pray don`t worry about people behind or beside us or in front of us.  This is what the apostle meant when he said that the Lord would give us utterance.

There is a humility about this as well.  A desire to learn.  The Lord may have to deal with things in our lives and heart before we learn to pray.  God deals with them.  As we go through these great prayers of men of God pray that we might see this hunger, honesty and humility in the place of prayer.