Luke 11:1-13

Luke contains several references to Jesus and prayer (this is the 6^th so far).  Making disciples requires that the Teacher set an example and Jesus is the perfect Teacher.  It is out of His example that the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray.  Let us spend a couple of days on Jesus’ answer to that question.

First, note the validity of their question.  Some might think: “Prayer is just talking to God like you talk to a friend; there’s nothing really to learn.”  But that is not Jesus’ approach.  We are born sinners in an adversarial relationship with God; let us assume we have much to learn about conversing with Him.  

There is a proper way to pray.  Jesus did not treat the disciples’ question was unnecessary; He answered the question, giving them a pattern for prayer, not words that were to be precisely repeated every time we pray.  He taught against vain repetitions in prayer (Matt. 6:7).  The greatest prayer book ever, the Psalms, is not full of identical prayers but prayers that illustrate this pattern.  The same can be said for the prayers of Paul (e.g. Eph. 1:15ff; 3:14ff; Col. 1:3ff; etc.).  

Let us note two other matters.  A comparison of Matt. 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4 will show that there are some slight differences in the two, though they are essentially the same.  It seems clearly that these are two different situations.  In Matthew the prayer is part of the Sermon on the Mount and seems to be given at a time early in Jesus’ ministry.  It is part of Jesus’ warning against hypocrisy.  Luke’s situation is later in His ministry and in response to a question from the disciples.  We should not think it unusual that Jesus would have repeated His teaching for the disciples; good teachers are willing to repeat good teaching.

Lastly we should note that a comparison of Luke 11:2-4 in different translations (e.g. NKJV and NASV) also shows differences.  The differences are not contradictory; the NASV omits three lines found in the NKJV.  Likely this is attributable to copying errors by which later copyists added lines from the Matthew version.  There might be other explanations but the point is that there is no conflict between versions or between Matthew and Luke.

Jesus’ pattern is telling us that prayer is ALWAYS God-focused.  We see this in three clear ways, a discussion we will begin today and finish tomorrow.

1.     1. Our prayers are to be addressed to “Our Father”.  It is the “Father of lights” who gives every good and perfect gift (James 1:17).  This is, in fact, the way Jesus prayed (John 11:41; Matt. 11:25) as well as Paul (Eph. 1:15-17; Eph. 3:14; Col. 1:3).  The entire Godhead is involved in our prayers, praying in Jesus Name (John 14:13-14) and in the Spirit (Eph. 6:18).  But our prayers of supplication are to be addressed to the Father whose very role and desire is to meet our needs.  Jesus emphasizes this through His words in Luke 11:9-13.  We emphasize this because it is Jesus’ teaching.