Lord Teach Us to Pray

And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples (Luke 11:1, KJV)

“Lord, teach us to pray” was a request from one of Jesus’ disciples. It is as valid today as it was then. Even after 2000 years of the Church, we cannot but still pray and say, “Lord, teach us to pray.” There is an increasing demand from believers to learn how to pray effectively. This is a healthy desire, though some of the saints are instead looking for the “best ways to get their prayers answered quickly.” Effective prayer is not about finding the tricks and secrets of how to get our prayer requests answered. Rather, it is about learning to effectively commune or fellowship with God and talking with Him.

When we are still babies in Christ, prayer is a means to tell God our needs and look for ways to entice Him to meet those needs. As we grow in the faith, prayer shifts from mere “give me this or that” to intimate communion with the Father, knowing His heart, telling Him your heart and vibrating at the frequency of His Spirit. The Lord acknowledges that when it comes to knowing what we should be praying about, there is a tremendous ignorance on our part. That is why the Spirit helps our weakness in prayer because we do not know what to pray for. And the Holy Spirit is in you today and willing to help you grow in your prayer life. Cooperate with Him!

MEDITATE

Why do you think we do not know what we would pray for as we ought? ( Hint: we are not omniscient like God).

APPLY THE WORD

The Lord wants to teach you to pray effectively. Just trust and depend on Him for guidance. Ask Him to help you and believe He will. This is where praying in tongues is of tremendous benefit as the Spirit prays through us without our off-target prayer desires interfering. Pray in tongues. Pray with your understanding also as the Spirit leads.