From Luke 10-11

Prayer is important to Jesus. He modeled this to his disciples and to us. We need to pray Q. When did you first learn the Lord’s prayer?

This post is part of my bible in a year series.

Passage and Comments

I guess the disciples observed Jesus go off to pray many times. The question might lead one to expect that this is the kind of prayer that Jesus used in his own practice. But there are some things here Jesus would not have prayed.

11 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” And he said to them, “When you pray, say:

“Father, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come.

Give us each day our daily bread,

and forgive us our sins,

for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.

And lead us not into temptation.” (Lk 11.1-4)

Jesus told them, ‘when you pray, say…’ So he seems to be making a distinction between the form of prayers he offered and that he is instructing his disciples now. The reason I highlight this is because the prayer assumes the person praying has sinned. Jesus is without sin.

Jesus instructs us in our prayers to make God’s name (his reputation) holy. To request that his kingdom be established on earth. To depend on him for the things we need.

He teaches them to ask for forgiveness. Then He teaches them to do something uniquely Christian. That they forgive others. Even more, that they make the fathers forgiveness of them dependant on their forgiveness of others. Christians are called to forgive.

The last request Jesus teaches us is to ask that we not be lead into temptation. The word could refer to tetations that may lead us into sin. But it could also refer to trials and difficulties that may come upon us.

About Jesus

Prayer is important to Jesus. He modeled this to his disciples and to us. We need to pray.

Copyright © Joshua Washington and thescripturesays, 2014. All Rights Reserved.