Central Truth:
Prayer provides the opportunity for us to have conversations with God that will transform our lives.
Key Verse: Luke 11:1
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray.
The story is told of a young girl who was saying her bedtime prayers while her parents knelt beside her. "Dear God, bless Mommy and Daddy and my little brother, Tommy. God, I would really like a pony, but if You can’t get me a pony, a kitten would do. Amen."
Religious people have studied prayer for centuries in hopes of developing specific guidelines for making it effective. Today, many doctors, psychologists, and other health professionals focus on its miraculous impact on people. So often prayer is approached from a theoretical perspective that ignores the divine aspect of communion with God.
Simply put, however, prayer is conversation with the Heavenly Father that changes our lives. Whether it takes the form of a little girl’s simple request or a great scholar’s articulate intercession, this basic definition remains the same. What’s most important is that we learn how to pray as Jesus did. In today’s study, we will do just that as we examine, from Luke 11, the passage known as "The Lord’s Prayer."
Study the Scriptures
1. Get alone with God.
Read Mark 1:35–39 and Matthew 6:5–7.
On one occasion, after healing many sick people and delivering others from demons, Jesus set off from Peter and Andrew’s house early in the morning. (See Mark 1:35–39.) He found a quiet place to pray while it was still dark. Upon awakening, Peter and several others went to find Jesus. When at last He was located, they exclaimed that there were people looking for Him. Caught up in the busy events of the day, they didn’t understand the important relationship between prayer and ministry.
Yet Jesus knew quite well that there were others in need. And now, refreshed by His time with the Father, He was ready to continue in ministry. Instead of returning to Peter’s house, He wanted to go other places to preach the good news of God’s kingdom. So He travelled throughout Galilee, preaching in Jewish religious centers and casting out demons. Prayer helped equip Jesus to fulfill His purpose for that time in His life. Prayer didn’t distract Him from that purpose; rather, it prepared Him for that purpose.
Ask: Why do you think people sometimes struggle to balance a consistent prayer life with the "busy-ness" of their lives? (Note that we live in a "multitasking" society, which is constantly seeking ways to get as many different things done as possible. Sadly, this type of mindset can creep into our prayer lives. If we’re not actually doing something else while we pray, we’re tempted to think about other things. Jesus’ example is key; we need to set aside special time devoted only to our Heavenly Father. In that quiet place, apart from all distractions, we can share the deepest thoughts of our hearts as we also listen for His voice.)
There are other reasons to pray privately as well. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus rebuked hypocrites who loved to pray in public places to be seen by others. (See Matthew 6:5-–7.) Because they were more interested in public recognition than honoring God, Jesus said the only reward they’d receive would be that temporary, fleeting recognition—which was no reward at all. It’s important to note that Jesus wasn’t condemning prayer in public places. Indeed, corporate prayer is practiced by God’s people throughout the Bible. However, praying before others to appear righteous makes our prayers empty and meaningless. That’s why Jesus told His followers to find a private place for prayer. We are wise to follow His words, for in these moments we can be fully open and honest before God—not worrying about what others may think of what we say.
Activity: Sincere Prayer
Distribute blank sheets of paper and pens or pencils to students. Have them divide the paper into two sections and begin listing, in one section, qualities of sincere prayer. Then instruct them to use the other section for a list of terms that might describe hypocritical prayer. For example, sincere prayer is God-focused, loving, honest, and humble. Hypocritical prayer can be selfish, dishonest, self-righteous, and judgmental. Take time to discuss their lists.
Ask: "Where can you go to find a private place of prayer?" (Brainstorm ways students can make solitary prayer a part of their Christian lives. It might mean finding a specific room of the house where they can be alone undisturbed. There may be specific times each day when they can count on freedom from distractions. Whatever the case, it’s important that they make a place for private prayer.)
2. Focus on God’s glory.
Read John 17:1–5,13–21.
These verses record a portion of Jesus’ prayer shortly before His crucifixion. In it Jesus talked to the Father about the completion of His mission. His death would not represent a failure or a horrid mistake, for it would ultimately bring glory to the Father. God’s plan for humanity’s salvation from sin was about to reach its climax. In that sense, the events of the following hours would reveal God’s glory, power, and grace like never before.
Jesus then turned His prayer toward the needs of His disciples. Just as He had been hated by the world, now His disciples—including us—would be hated as well. In the New Testament, the word "world" often represents those who are opposed to God. But note that Jesus did not pray that we would be removed from the world. Rather, He prayed that we would be protected from Satan’s godless plans as we do God’s work in the world. As followers of Jesus, we are not like unbelievers in mind or spirit. Our lifestyle and priorities are totally different. Jesus prayed that we would stay separate from the world’s influences even as we minister within it. We are here to glorify God and bring others to Him by working together for that single purpose.
Ask: "What does Jesus’ prayer teach us about prayer? Jesus’ prayer provides us with two important principles that can impact our prayer lives.
• First, prayer should glorify God rather than elevate self. It’s tempting to see prayer as merely a means by which we get what we want while eliminating the unpleasantries of life. It’s certainly true that God wants us to pray about our needs, whether big or small. But we must keep our eyes on the higher purpose. God has given us life and salvation to bring glory to Him and His kingdom. This ought to be the focus of our prayers.
• Second, when our prayers are God-centered, they will reflect a sincere submission to His plan for our lives. Our prayer lives must include the recognition that we will face spiritual battles and be forced to make sacrifices because of our faith. The world will reject and even resist many of the principles and convictions we stand for. That’s why it is important to pray that God will be glorified in and through us, no matter the consequences.
Discuss how the witness of individual Christians, as well as the Church as a whole, would be impacted if our prayers better reflected Jesus’ prayer in John 17.
3. Follow the example of Jesus.
Read Luke 11:1–4.
Back in the time of Christ, many rabbis would teach their followers patterns of prayer. One day when He had finished praying, one of Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray. Jesus responded with a powerful and familiar pattern for our conversations with God, known as the Lord’s Prayer.
Ask: "What is the primary focus at the beginning of the Lord’s Prayer?"
Jesus made it clear in the beginning of His prayer that our conversations with God must include a time of focusing on Him and His kingdom. As we pray for God’s honor and glory to be made known in this world, our selfish requests are replaced with petitions that honor God. In this way, we show true signs of maturity in our walk of faith. The will of God should always be foremost in our minds when presenting our needs in prayer.
Note the specific phrases Jesus cites, the particular words He uses:
• Father... indicates the loving relationship we share with God as well as His position of authority over us.
• ...hallowed be your name... demonstrates God’s concern for reverence of Him and His kingdom. Our prayers ought to include an expression of desire that we do not dishonor Him.
• ...your kingdom come... represents a passion within our prayers for eternal, spiritual priorities, including the growth of God’s kingdom in our world and the return of Christ.
• ...your will be done on earth as it is in heaven... (see Matthew 6:10). In Matthew’s recording of the Lord’s Prayer, we see the priority of God’s will reflected in our prayers. The denial of our own will in favor of God’s will demonstrates a genuine, sincere submission to Him.
Discuss how our prayer lives will be impacted if we adopt the "kingdom mindset" seen in the first part of the Lord’s Prayer. Note that our prayers will expand beyond merely sharing needs, which, while important, is only a portion of what prayer is about. Prayer, in Jesus’ model, actively seeks spiritual priorities and victories. It honors God by recognizing Him as the King of Creation with a sovereign plan for us as well as the world.
Ask: "What specific types of needs did Jesus teach us to pray for in Luke 11:3,4?
Jesus continued His model for prayer by instructing us to pray for our needs. But His example went beyond the obvious and superficial to include four important areas:
• Give us each day our daily bread. God is concerned about our everyday, temporal needs. Note that we are to focus our hearts on what is needed today. He doesn’t want us to become anxious about the days ahead, knowing that He will provide. (See Matthew 6:33,34.)
• Forgive us our sins... This phrase begins the portion of Jesus’ prayer that highlights spiritual needs and includes our relationship with God as well as others (noted in the following section). It’s important to make repentance a regular part of prayer, and be willing to humble ourselves before God when we do sin. It’s the only way we can maintain the kind of walk with Him that He desires.
• ...for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. In Matthew 6:14,15, Jesus taught that forgiveness from God depends on our willingness to forgive others. It’s wise, then, to make our relationships with others a matter of consistent prayer. If we’re unwilling to seek restoration in situations where hard feelings exist, our prayer lives—and our walk with God—will suffer.
• Lead us not into temptation. We need spiritual protection and power from God at all times to stay victorious in the battles we will face. Satan is continually looking for ways to defeat us, and we need God’s deliverance from these evil influences (Matthew 6:13). It’s important to remember that God doesn’t tempt us toward sin (James 1:13). He does, however, allow us to experience testing for the purpose of growing our faith. The prayer here is that we do not find ourselves in a test that our faith cannot survive—a prayer that is made more understandable in connection with the Matthew 6:13 prayer for deliverance.
We need God’s continual protection and deliverance from Satan. That’s why our prayers must focus attention on the Father and His strength to provide for our salvation. We surrender ourselves to Him and give Him honor as the One who is above all. In this way we are humbled and He is glorified; we are transformed and He is exalted. It’s a foundational part of prayer that will show spiritual results now and throughout eternity.
Ask students to take a few moments for self-evaluation, pondering this question: "In what ways does my prayer life follow the example given by Christ in the Lord’s Prayer? In what ways does my prayer life fall short of the example given by Christ?" Challenge students to think about the content of their prayers. Talk about some reasons why our prayer lives might get out of balance. Discuss ways to maintain a balanced prayer life that follows the model given to us by Christ.
Activity: Prayer List
Distribute blank pieces of paper and pens or pencils to students. List on the board the different emphases of prayer Jesus highlighted in the Lord’s Prayer, as noted in the lesson above. (i.e., recognition of God as Father, reverence for God, passion for eternal priorities, surrender to His will, prayer for provision, prayer for forgiveness, prayer for the willingness to forgive, and prayer for spiritual protection and deliverance.) Ask students to note specific requests from their lives that would fall into each of these areas. (For example, "I need to exhibit a greater reverence for God in the way I talk about religious topics at work"; "I need to forgive my neighbor for the times he’s been inconsiderate about my property, causing bitterness on my part.") Encourage them to place their lists in their Bibles as a prayer reminder in coming days, then commit to making these requests a matter of consistent prayer.
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