WATCHWORD:
Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2 Jesus said, “This is how you should pray: “Father, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. 3 Give us each day the food we need, 4 and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation. Luke 11:1-4
9 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. Luke 11:9
Meditation:
The Prayer Lesson
Several years ago, I was doing the children’s message, and the topic was prayer. There were about twelve kids gathered around me, all sitting on the floor in front of the altar. First, I asked them what was their favorite part of going to bed. I got a lot of reaction to that, much of it predictable. Then one kid said “Story Time“, which got a lot of agreement. We had fun talking about prayer and silly things that sometimes happened. I found out that Johnny Appleseed was a favorite at mealtime. Then I asked, if I said let’s pray, what would you do? This really surprised me, because they all bowed their heads and folded their hands.
Where did these kids learn all that? At home, under the powerful influence of mom and dad, or perhaps grandparents. Through prayer that is a natural and observed part of our lives, our children will learn to pray. It’s surprising the influence prayer would also have on your circle of friends when they realize that you have this relationship with God.
There is no suggestion in the gospel reading that Jesus urged his disciples to pray. His most powerful influence was setting an example. They saw Jesus going off by himself multiple times, often early in the morning. There were even times when he sent his disciples on ahead, so that he could pray. Somewhere during His ministry, one disciple asked, Lord, teach us (how) to pray.
Jesus told us: When we pray, it’s appropriate first of all to exalt God, praising him for his holiness and the glory of his kingdom. When you pray, it is talking to God not necessarily asking him for things. When we consider the greatness and love of our God, how appropriate it is to express our gratitude and praise.
Some people are uncomfortable with the notion of openly living by faith. Do you fall in that category? Many of these people keep looking for tests, to prove to themselves of God’s wisdom and to assure themselves that they’re growing spiritually, and unfortunately, many want assurance that they are important. Here Jesus teaches us to ask him not to be lead into temptation.
Read again the verse in Luke 9. Note that when we ask and receive, when we seek and we find, when we knock and the door is opened to us, all of that is done in the context of conversation with God, prayer. So be it.
Prose of Faith:
No voice of prayer to Thee can rise,
But swift as light Thy Love replies;
Not always what we ask, indeed,
But, O most Kind! What we most need.
A Portion of Amidah Prayer from the Jewish Faith:
“We give thanks to you, for you are the Lord our God and the God of our fathers forever and ever. Through every generation, you have been the rock of our lives, the shield of our salvation. We will thank you and declare your praise, for our lives that are in your hands, for our souls that are entrusted to you, for your miracles that are daily with us, and for your wonders and your favors that are with us at all times, evening, morning, and noon.”
