Jesus' Model for Prayer
Luke 11:1-13
International Sunday School Lesson
January 4, 2015
Commentary
By
Jed Greenough
“Lord, teach us to pray.”
If you concentrate on nothing else this week make it that sentence. These disciples had been through much with
Jesus already. You know that they had
prayed their whole lives or at the very least must have been prayerful as a
result of their being with Jesus.
We know from the scriptures in Luke alone that Jesus prayed
after monumental events (Luke 3:21). That he withdrew from others so that He
could pray in solitude (Luke 5:16). That
He sometimes prayed for hours at a time (Luke 6:12). Jesus showed them that even those who
mistreated them were to be prayed for (Luke 6:28). He showed them that they should always pray
and never give up and yet lengthy prayers for show were not desirable (Luke 18
and 20).
Clearly these are just a few of the examples via
demonstration that Jesus gave and yet the disciple who spoke asked for
more. Should we ask for more? Do we think that something so basic we grow
up with is like riding a bike once you’ve learned it you’ve got it for life?
Like the disciple, we have our examples from Jesus too and
yet we neglect prayer, we make a show of prayer or we fail to pray for what we
should.
Praying correctly despite being disciples of Christ is
important enough for the experienced to remind themselves regularly. Perhaps they pray the same prayer so often it
is just a repeating of words. Maybe they
don’t pray to the Father but to Christ who in fact intercedes for us with the
Father (Hebrews 7:25). Do you ever get
in a habit of praying just for you and yours instead of what is God’s? Are we afraid to pray for God’s will?
We all are creatures of habit in some fashion. It might be how we bathe, it might be what we
eat and it most likely is often in how we pray.
But just because we do something repeatedly doesn’t mean we don’t
develop bad habits or start to get off track.
Even the great golfer Tiger Woods has a coach to help him with his swing
and I’d say this disciple was pretty smart to ask the question.
For Discussion:
1. Find
and discuss examples of those who prayed in the Bible that you feel are good
models.
2. Discuss
the great significance of verse 13.
3. I
grew up reciting the Lord’s Prayer in church but where I worship now does
not. I never grew tired of it and I miss
it. Discuss the congregational aspects
of saying the Lord’s prayer.
4. Discuss
the importance in what Jesus is saying to pray, “Father, hallowed be they
name.”
5. And,
“your kingdom come.”
6. And
so on with verse 4.
7. Discuss
the meaning of “and lead us not into temptation” when we know from scripture
that God does not tempt anyone (James 1:13).
Upcoming Lessons
1-11-15 Jesus’ Prayer for His Disciples John 17:6-21 or 17:1-26
1-18-15 Jesus’ Intercession for Us Hebrews 4:14-5:10
1-25-15 Powerful Prayer or We Prayer for One
Another James 5:13-18 or James 5
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All
rights reserved
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