Good morning. Imagine what it would have been like to be one of the twelve. Those precious few who were chosen by Jesus to be His closest companions, and who, all but one, would be His warriors to establish His Body, the church.
They were together, walking, talking, eating, sleeping, laughing. They had witnessed Jesus do the impossible. They had seen the blind made to see, the lame made to walk, and the dead raised to life. They had seen Him change lives again, and again. They knew the sound of His voice, the cadence of His walk, the echo of His laughter, and perhaps the sound of His snores. They knew Him like no one else could know Him.
Jesus was their companion, their leader, their Lord, and their friend. But there were times when Jesus would quietly step away from them. Often at night, He would withdraw, slipping away to be alone. Sometimes for a few hours, sometimes until the light of dawn.
Of course, they were curious. Where was He going? What was he doing without them? Eventually they had to know, and they followed Him. They watched Him from a distance as He paced back and forth. They watched as He held His head in His hands and seemed to weep. They crept closer to try and hear the words He was speaking into the darkness. He was praying. The Son of God was praying to His Father.
In Luke 11:1 we read: One 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.”
What an incredible request. Please Jesus, teach us to pray. John taught his disciples, at least as best he could, but you Jesus…you take prayer to a whole new level. Please Lord Jesus, teach us to pray.
What follows in Luke 11 is Luke’s record of “The Lord’s Prayer”.
Do we know how to pray? Do we know how to pray as Jesus prayed? It is a worthy goal, for Jesus prayed intimately, passionately, faithfully, expectantly, lovingly.
Please, Lord Jesus, teach us to pray.
Vern