“He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” -Luke 11:1
I must admit that prayer is not something that comes naturally to me. Although I was raised in the faith and grew up in the church, I sometimes find it hard to pray. There are several reasons why consistent prayer is a challenging for me and for so many. I am easily distracted. My mind wonders from one worry to another or focusing on the next thing on my to-do-list.
I have met many people who admit the same struggles when trying to pray. It is not a new struggle. Even the disciples who walked with Jesus struggled with prayer. Remember that night in the garden, just before Jesus was arrested, when the disciples fell asleep while praying? (Mark 14:32-42) Those disciples who struggled to pray give us an example to help us find the way to pray better.
Luke 11 begins with the disciples approaching Jesus and asking a very important question. The disciples asked, “Lord, teach us to pray…” Immediately after this question, Jesus teaches what is now know, as The Lord’s Prayer. Over two thousand years later the church still prays this wonderful prayer.
I believe that Luke 11 contains two prayers that are beneficial for us. One is The Lord’s Prayer, but the other is the example given to us by the original disciples. If you are like me and you sometimes struggle to pray, I want to encourage you to pray the beautiful prayer first offered by the disciples, “Lord, teach us to pray…”. When we struggle, when we are wanting to grow in our faith, God, in grace, comes to us to teach us, to lead us and to show us the way. Pray this simple but powerful prayer until you pray with greater confidence.
Prayer: Lord, I want to grow closer to you. I want to pray, but Lord, I find it difficult to do so. Lord, teach me to pray. Help me to focus on you and your word for my life. Lord, teach me to pray. Amen.
-Rev. Keith King, Online Campus Pastor
