What does it mean teach us to pray?

What could the disciples have meant?

How could they have possibly not known how to pray? I mean they had followed Jesus around for a long time and when He wasn’t teaching, healing or walking He was praying. Yet, here we find them asking a profound question. Lord, teach us to pray.

Fast forward to 2014 and we see pretty much the same scenario. We still don’t know how to pray. Goodness knows it’s not because the subject has not been expounded upon many times over. So much so that like overcooked BBQ put a fork in it, it’s done.

Could it possible be that we have lost that one valuable trademark to prayer, that hallmark of prayer itself and that is actual prayer?

Don’t raise your hand but how many of you reading this remember a grandmother or aunt or family member that you knew if you asked them they would pray? If you had a need no matter where they were at the moment they would stop right there and they would pray?

Now think about today. Can you name anybody you know who will do the same?

It’s really sad isn’t it.

I am willing to go out on a limb here and say that if you can name someone, chances are it is one maybe two tops.

Why is it that the single most important thing about our lives as Christians we fail most miserably to do? We don’t even pray over our meals anymore. We applaud the courage of those bold enough to pray in public restaurants wishing we had the courage to be so bold ourselves.

I would almost venture to guess we don’t even pray over our meals in our homes anymore. Most likely we don’t eat as family so therefore there is no need to give thanks as a family.

We wonder why the world has gone nuts, why God, as we love to blame Him for everything, has allowed innocent murders around the world, children to live in abject poverty, innocent woman to be ganged raped and yet He does nothing. Yet, we don’t pray, well not for them anyway, we just accuse God when we do talk to Him.

Oh we have lots of request we lay at His feet. God can you… ________________ Go ahead fill in the blanks…

While you are filling in the blanks some innocent child is laying down his/her life because they refuse to renounce their faith in Christ. Some mom/dad is watching their child being murdered for the cause of Christ.

Why would Christ teach us to pray now? So we can pepper Him with more request. So that we can get more vain in our already well-doing?

I say God forbid…

I say that we need a wake up call similar to the ones given throughout all of Christendom to the Jewish people. Starting with II Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by name, shall humble themselves and pray…

Go from there to Psalms 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me and know my thought: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

The premise to prayer starts with us.

We have to humble ourselves first, cleanse our own hearts first. As much as we don’t like to hear that we are sinners, the scriptures say in Psalms 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: So yea, that puts me on the level with a sinner. So I’m not trying to offend your sensibility level there.

Do you want to see your world change, your heart change, your children change or whatever it is you are asking for?

They key is simple really…

Change yourself first by humbling yourself before Almighty God. Recognize He is Holy and He is Just, repent of your own iniquity and like David did in Psalms 19:2 ask the Lord to cleanse you from secret faults you might not know you have.

Then and only then can The Lord teach you to pray.

You see prayer is fellowship between you and the Father. It’s that open line of communication that everyone longs to have.

It’s an ongoing conversation between the Eternal divine and the Captivated heart.

God longs to have those conversations with you, and He is pursuing you relentlessly but you resist and you push back. Eventually you shut Him out, contenting yourself with one liners and memorized rhetoric. He longs for you can’t you hear His voice. Can’t you hear Him calling your name?

Learn as the disciples did that day that prayer is a beautiful and pleasant communion between  you and God. The one true and meaningful conversation that has no unhappy endings~

 

I’m hid with Christ!

Shawn