I find it very interesting that the phrase “teach us to” occurs only two times in the Bible, one in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament.\u00a0 In this post I will deal with the New Testament reference.\u00a0 We know that Jesus’ disciples walked, talked, and lived life with Jesus for three and one half years of public ministry.\u00a0 The heard Him preach and teach, they saw Him do miracles, yet they only asked Jesus to teach them how to do one thing.\u00a0 The one thing they asked Him to teach them was to pray.\u00a0 Luke 11:1 says, “And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”\u00a0 The disciples undoubtedly learned many things by watching Jesus, but prayer was something they wanted to know how to do.\u00a0 It is sad to me that prayer was such a vital focus of Jesus’ ministry, it was the backbone of the disciples life as recorded in the New Testament, and yet prayer occupies such a small place in the life of the average Christian today.\u00a0 When we do pray, many times it is more of an organ recital (things on us that hurt and others physical ailments), than it is adoration for who God is, or even seeking what He desires for our lives and the lives of our churches.\u00a0 If we are honest, many times we use prayer in an attempt to get God on our agenda.\u00a0 However, prayer should be about us getting on God’s agenda.\u00a0 We should ask the question, Lord what do you want to do in me and through Me today?\u00a0 How will my life bring you glory today God?\u00a0 I’m not saying that we shouldn’t bring our physical problems to God, we should.\u00a0 But they should not take the place of the spiritual problems in our lives and the lives of those around us.\u00a0 When we pray, we are inviting God to invade our day, to fill us with His Spirit (that is give Him more control of us) so that we can represent Him to a lost and dying world.\u00a0 Notice in that statement, the only responsibility we have is to surrender our heart, our life, and our plans to God.\u00a0 It is His power, His presence that is going to work in us and through us.<\/p>\n
Have you ever wondered why when the majority of people pray or if prayer occurs in church, the pastor or whoever asks you to bow your head and close your eyes?\u00a0 Is this commanded in Scripture?\u00a0 The simple answer to that is no.\u00a0 In the Bible we encounter people standing, kneeling, laying on their back, lacking on their stomach, and other ways.\u00a0 Then if it is not commanded, why do we do it?\u00a0 It is a physical illustration of the way our hearts are to be towards God.\u00a0 Closing our eyes is a way that we can tune the world out, and tune into God.\u00a0 I am a person who notices almost every little thing.\u00a0 That is a polite way of saying I’m easily distracted.\u00a0 So many times we get caught up in the things going on around us, that we can’t hear God when He speaks.\u00a0 I am convinced one of the greatest reasons altar calls at the end of a service don’t receive more responses, is because too many people care more about what others will think of them instead of what God is saying to them.\u00a0 By closing our eyes, I can become oblivious to those around me.\u00a0 Sure I know they are there, but I can’t see what they are doing.\u00a0 It makes it easier for me to calm myself and listen intently for God.\u00a0 What does bowing your head mean?\u00a0 It is an act of submission and humility.\u00a0 If we were to examine the prayer the Lord taught His disciples in Matthew 5 and Luke 11 we would learn some things about who God is in relation to us.\u00a0 First, “Our Father which art in heaven,” this means that God is above us.\u00a0 I loved a sign I saw the other day on a church it said, even if something is over your head, it is still under God’s feet.\u00a0 I love that because it reminds me that God is in control of it all.\u00a0 Secondly, we see the word “hallowed be Thy name” reminds me that the only One who deserves honor and glory is God, and it is my duty to give Him that honor and glory.\u00a0 Further it says, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done.”\u00a0 Life isn’t about me, it is about God, and my will should be to do the will of the One who sought me, bought me, and redeemed me with His blood.\u00a0 The last phrase I will look at for this prayer (although there is more to the prayer), “Give us this day our daily bread.”\u00a0 God created everything, He sustains everything, and He provides everything.\u00a0 In other words with out God, I would be nothing and have nothing.\u00a0 Bowing my head to pray is having an accurate assessment of who I am as well as an accurate picture of who God is.\u00a0 As I have said on here before, God does not exist to make much of me, I exist to make much of Him.<\/p>\n
Prayer is humbly acknowledging that you can’t, but that God can.\u00a0 Prayer brings in the power of God to our lives.\u00a0 If you lack power in your life and in your ministry, check to make sure that you are plugged into the power source.\u00a0 Individuals and churches could accomplish so much more if we would humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God and listen to God and God alone.<\/p>\n
By His grace and through His strength may we live for Him<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I find it very interesting that the phrase “teach us to” occurs only two times in the Bible, one in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament.\u00a0 In this post I will deal with the New Testament reference.\u00a0 … Read More