We closed out July with a look at Luke 11:1-13
The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray. He gave them a simple prayer that we call the Lord’s Prayer, but in these verses I find he directs them to think differently about prayer.
He instructs them to pray to our Heavenly Father as we would to our earthly father. I wonder what Jesus heard in the disciples question? “Teach us to pray.” There seems to be an implied question. ”What is the correct formula?” Were they also asking, “How do we properly make a request to God so that he will give us what we want?”
The Lord’s Prayer essentially tells us what to ask for. In the Catechism we learn them as the 7 petitions. Help us to keep your name Holy, to do your will, give us each day what we need for that day, forgive us and help us forgive others, guard us from temptations and deliver us from evil.
I wonder if these are the things the disciple wanted Jesus to teach them to ask for.
What strikes me is that these verses following the prayer reflect a very different focus.
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. “
These verses reflect a quest to find God. The closing verse 13 says “your father in heaven will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” The gift of the spirit is faith. So the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray and Jesus says, “Ask the Heavenly Father to give you faith.” The promise is that if you ask you will receive, if you seek you will find and if you knock the door will be opened. The secret to how to pray is knowing God is there and that he is listening. The greatest thing we can ask for is more faith.
The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray. He gave them a simple prayer that we call the Lord’s Prayer, but in these verses I find he directs them to think differently about prayer.
He instructs them to pray to our Heavenly Father as we would to our earthly father. I wonder what Jesus heard in the disciples question? “Teach us to pray.” There seems to be an implied question. ”What is the correct formula?” Were they also asking, “How do we properly make a request to God so that he will give us what we want?”
The Lord’s Prayer essentially tells us what to ask for. In the Catechism we learn them as the 7 petitions. Help us to keep your name Holy, to do your will, give us each day what we need for that day, forgive us and help us forgive others, guard us from temptations and deliver us from evil.
I wonder if these are the things the disciple wanted Jesus to teach them to ask for.
What strikes me is that these verses following the prayer reflect a very different focus.
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. “
These verses reflect a quest to find God. The closing verse 13 says “your father in heaven will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” The gift of the spirit is faith. So the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray and Jesus says, “Ask the Heavenly Father to give you faith.” The promise is that if you ask you will receive, if you seek you will find and if you knock the door will be opened. The secret to how to pray is knowing God is there and that he is listening. The greatest thing we can ask for is more faith.
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