Teach Us To Pray
To grow in prayer, we cannot just think about prayer or even read about it, we’ve got to actually pray. But once you start, you might find yourself stuck on repeat, leaving you feeling discouraged and ineffective at this high calling. There is no shame in asking for help, even Jesus’ own disciples asked that He might teach them to pray. In Luke 11:1-13, Jesus teaches on prayer in a simple but revelatory way. These verses contain what is often called The Lord’s Prayer but really, it was a model for the disciples. The goal was not only to repeat these words but to provide insight into the principles and patterns of prayer.
Too often we come to prayer as a child does to the man dressed as Santa Clause at the shopping center. There is no relationship and no real conversation, just a quick list of wishes and wants. Jesus said when you pray, say “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, in heaven as in earth.” You cannot experience the joy and power of effective prayer without submission. We must see prayer as less about getting our own wants and talking to our Father about His perfect will. In fact, our Heavenly Father knows what we need before we ask Him (Matthew 6:8). This means the primary purpose of prayer cannot be to tell the Lord what we need, He already knows. So, why is submission so important to prayer?
If Jesus is King, I’m not. No longer do you have to weary yourself under the weights of this world. When you submit, you are delivered from the unnecessary pressures of trying to be king and now you can benefit from the goodness of the One who is King! The greatest confession of Jesus’ Lordship is not with your mouth, it’s with your life. Submission will result in your prayer being less about wrestling with God and more about receiving from Him.
If Jesus is King, He reigns. Ancient kings would allocate their land to be cultivated by their citizens. These citizens didn’t own the land but would assume full responsibility for it. Because they were allowed to profit from the king’s resources, they were required by law to pay taxes into the king’s treasury. This afforded people some sense of independence but also granted them benefits provided by the king.
As citizens of the kingdom of God, everything we have is brought under the rule of Jesus Christ. We are given privilege and choice, but ultimately we answer to His lordship in our lives. Anything left to human wisdom will eventually spiral into chaos and confusion. This is why Jesus teaches His disciples to seek first the kingdom. When we seek His kingdom first, He saves us from ourselves by coming under His authority. You are not left to your own wisdom or resources, Jesus reigns over every area of your life!
In my experience, my prayer is always more rewarding when I spend less time talking about my kingdom and more time seeking after His. Make sure your prayer time isn’t a one-way conversation. If you are hungry to go deeper in your relationship with God, submit yourself, ask God a lot of questions and give Him time to answer.
