In The Footsteps Of The Master: The Life and Times of Jesus Christ

In The Footsteps Of The Master:The Life and Times of Jesus Christ

Teach Us to PraySeptember 4, 2011

www.FootstepsOfTheMaster.info

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Introduction• How important is prayer?• How many are completely satisfied with

their prayer lives?• What interferes with our prayer lives?• Why would we choose to miss out on the

most powerful thing to which we have access?


Teach Us To Pray• Luke 11:1

– 1One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

• Why would the disciples be asking Jesus to teach them to pray?

• They’ve seen John teach his disciples to pray and they seek the same from Jesus– Is there significance in this?


The Lord’s Prayer• Luke 11:2-4

– 2He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. 3Give us each day our daily bread. 4Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’”

• Luke’s version is abbreviated from that found in Matthew


Mathew's Version• Matthew 6:9-13

– 9“Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. 11Give us this day our daily bread. 12And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’”


Observations• There is dispute among scholars as to

which account is the “original”– Some say Matthew’s because the structure of

the text is closest to Aramaic– Some say Luke’s because of its brevity

• However, given Jesus’ emphasis on prayer, it is certainly likely that He spoke on the subject on more than one occasion

• Different writers may have heard different accounts


The Outline• “Our Father ... hallowed be your name”

– An acceptance of God as Father– An acknowledgement of the nature of God

and His Name– Puts everything else in the correct perspective

• “Your kingdom come”– These men were waiting for the kingdom– The time was very near– Already ... Not yet


The Outline• “Thy will be done on earth as in heaven”

– Another: Already ... Not yet– God’s will is done in heaven ... We ask that it

be done here, as well• “Give us each day our daily bread”

– The term used here for “daily” does not appear in any other extant Greek writing

– Variously translated– Assumed to mean today (or tomorrow’s) food– Trust God to provide ... Today and tomorrow


The Outline (cont.)• “forgive us our sins, for we also forgive

everyone who sins against us”– Is this a quid pro quo arrangement?– No, we forgive because we have been

forgiven– God’s forgiveness is not dependent on

anything from us• “and lead us not into temptation”

– Keep us away from evil things– Rescue us when we find them


The Outline (cont.)• “For Yours is the kingdom and the power

and the glory forever”– A doxology for the model prayer– Note the italics, which indicate that this

phrase is not found in the earliest manuscripts


Observations• There is plenty of evidence that by the end

of the First Century these words be being applied in a liturgical fashion– A “formulaic” prayer of sorts– Little emphasis on the heart– The words and the action of repeating them

were the focus• Possibly embellished over the years by

adding additional words and phrases


For Discussion• Is Jesus providing a model prayer,

teaching us general topics and concepts to be included in prayer, or are these specific words that we should pray?

• Or topics to be covered in prayer?– Adoration– Submission– Supplication– Confession– Doxology


A Story• Luke 11:5-7

– 5Then he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.’ 7“Then the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’”


For Discussion• The picture here is of a peasant

household, where the entire family sleeps together on a mat on the floor of the home

• Probably in a peasant village, since the neighbor seems to be quite close

• It would be an embarrassment for the petitioner and for the entire village for something less than full hospitality to be extended to the visitor


For Discussion• Jesus uses an extreme – almost ludicrous

– example here– He’s just spoken of “daily bread” in how they

should pray– Without refrigeration and preservatives like

sodium tri-hyper-aceto-glycero-bi-femtonate DEA 12 (with iron), bread couldn’t be kept overnight

– So the neighbor would actually be asking that the man get up and BAKE three loaves of bread for his guest


Persistence• Luke 11:8

– 8“I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man’s boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.”

• Let me get this straight ...– The sleeping man won’t give the requestor

the bread because he is a friend, but instead because he hounds him about it?


For Discussion• Is the point here that we should keep

hounding God in prayer about what we need and eventually we’ll wear Him down?– If not, what point is Jesus making here?

• Consider Abraham’s prayer for Sodom• Contrast with Jesus’ prayer in the garden


Ask, Seek, Knock• Luke 11:9-10

– 9“So I say to you: 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.

• What is the point here?


Good Gifts• Luke 11:11-13

– 11“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”


For Discussion• Again, Jesus is challenging His disciples

to think about God as their Father– If their earthly father knew how to give them

what they need (and more), how much more so will the Heavenly Father


In Conclusion• We are to depend solely on God for

provision and protection, and submit to His will

• Yet we are to be bold and persistent as we petition Him in prayer

• He is our Father and we should trust that He will treat us as His children


Next Week• I Have No Idea

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