We learn to pray in many ways, from sermons and teachings, from books, devotional guides, and Bible studies.
[Jesus] was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say:
Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial.”
We learn to pray in many ways, from sermons and teachings, from books, devotional guides, and Bible studies. But, in addition, we learn to pray by watching and listening to others. This is also true as we work to be taught by Jesus how to pray. He gives us simple models of prayer that inspired and instruct us, to be sure. But he also demonstrates for us a consistent commitment to regular communication with our Heavenly Father. From the example of Jesus we learn to pray often, making time to be alone with God so we can openly share our hearts and attentively open them to whatever God has for us.
Our passage from Luke begins with a simple description of Jesus at prayer: “He was praying in a certain place” (Luke 11:1). Though this verse doesn’t say so explicitly, it’s likely that, in this situation, Jesus had been praying by himself. Elsewhere, Luke is clear that Jesus “would withdraw to a deserted place and pray” (4:16). Though he sometimes took companions with him (9:28), Jesus often withdrew from the crowds and even his own disciples so he could be alone as he talked with his Heavenly Father (6:12; 9:18).
In our passage, after Jesus finished praying, “one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples” (Luke 11:1). Apparently, John the Baptist did as was common among Jewish teachers at that time, teaching his follower's certain prayers that they could use in their personal communication with God. It’s likely that the unidentified disciple who asked Jesus to teach all the disciples how to pray wanted specific instructions, including the best words and phrases to say. Jesus obliged by giving his disciples a prayer that is short enough to be easily memorized. We recognize this prayer as a shorter version of what we call the Lord’s Prayer or the Our Father. (A longer version is found in Matthew 6:9-13.)
Before we examine closely the words Jesus taught his disciples, though, it’s worth noting that he was already teaching them how to pray by his personal example. This is what inspired one disciple to ask for additional instruction. Surely all of the disciples of Jesus were familiar with their Master’s pattern of taking time to pray, often going out into the countryside alone so he could communicate freely and intimately with his Heavenly Father. On at least one occasion, Jesus “went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12). (Don’t you wish you could have eavesdropped on that prayer?!). One of the things Jesus’s closest followers knew about him was that he was deeply committed to regular communication with God through prayer.
You may have learned to pray from doing a Bible study on prayer, from praying the Psalms in your personal devotions, or from reading a book on prayer. You may have heard a good sermon on prayer that taught and inspired you. All of this helped you to learn to pray, no doubt. But I expect that you learned to pray by following the example of others. Perhaps you listened as your parents or grandparents prayed when you were young. Or maybe you imitated the example of your Sunday School teachers, youth leaders, and pastors as they prayed. Perhaps you didn’t even hear the words someone was praying, but you watched them closely. My friend John remembers how, when he was young, his father would come into his bedroom after John was supposedly asleep. John’s father would kneel by John’s bed, put his hands on the cover over John’s feet, and pray silently for his son. John loved those moments so much he would often try to stay awake just to experience his father’s silent prayers. It’s no wonder that, as an adult, John is a man of regular prayer.
I think it’s important to emphasize that prayer is often “caught” more than “taught.” We learn by watching, listening, and imitating. Thus, if we want to learn how to pray from Jesus, then we should pay close attention to his own practice. Luke gives us plenty to go on in passages I noted above and others (see Luke 3:21-22; 6:12; 9:18, 28; 10:21-22; 22:39-46). The main takeaway from these is that Jesus prayed often, in many cases finding a place of quiet and solitude where he could communicate without interruption to his Father in Heaven. If such a practice of prayer was crucial for the Son of God, surely it’s something we need in our own lives.
Before finishing this devotion, I’d like to encourage you to consider how you are teaching others to pray through your example. You may never give a lesson, write a devotion, or preach a sermon on prayer. But if you pray with others, they will learn from you. We all have the opportunity to model prayer for others. This is especially true and particularly important for those of us who are in relationship with younger people, for parents, grandparents, godparents, aunts and uncles, or mentors. If you’re already praying with the people in whose life you have a major influence, that’s wonderful. If you’re not, perhaps you should consider doing so. It’s never too late to start.
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