Three Things Jesus Wants Me to Know About Prayer from Luke 11
1. Pray about the right stuff (verses 2-4)
Too many of my prayers are about my will, my comfort, and my distaste for dependence. This stands in stark contrast to the model pray Jesus gave. It tells me to pray more like this: “I want YOU to be honored. I want YOUR kingdom to be built and advanced. I want YOUR will to be done. And I want to be part of the answer to my own prayers.”
Second, the model prayer teaches me to tell God that it’s OK for me to be dependent upon Him as long as He provides. All I need is my daily bread. God doesn’t have to supply everything in advance. I’ll take it one day at a time. These are the prayers of humble faith. My flesh however squirms with such dependence. It wants to know the plan, experience constant abundance, and indulge in the illusion of independence.
Third, Jesus uses the model prayer to teach me to value the same things He values: forgiveness, people and holiness. I learn to express my appreciation for forgiveness by praying for forgiveness while granting it to others. In so doing, I learn just how valuable people are to God. He will withhold forgiveness from me if I withhold it from others. I also learn the importance of holiness and the need to pray for deliverance from temptation.
I’ve found that just by praying for the right stuff, my perspective on live has changed and I’m experiencing a greater number of answered prayers.