In today’s scripture, the disciples came upon Jesus praying and asked Him to teach them to pray. They saw such a relationship in the way Jesus prayed to God His Father that they also wanted to be able to commune with the Father through prayer. Although through this passage of scripture and the Lord’s Prayer Jesus teaches us to pray for the things that we need, He also emphasizes the importance of praying for God's ways above our own - “Your kingdom come, Your will be done.”

Many people who have studied this scripture explain that Jesus offers a structure here for prayer rather than a formal speech that must be repeated. He begins by instructing the one praying to acknowledge that He must come to the Father petitioning his specific needs. “Hallowed be Thy name” indicates there is no one else like God, for we know that He truly is set apart.

Asking for our daily bread is representative of praying for our specific needs.

“Forgive us our sins” shows our repentance of the ways we know we have failed Him.

There is certainly no wrong way to pray, and it is designed that even the youngest of the young can pray to God and also such that the most formal of prayers may be heard. Even in our most troubling moments when tears overshadow our ability to find the words, when we sit still in the presence of our Father, He hears the longings of our broken hearts.

Suggested Prayer Structure:

1. Acknowledge the sovereignty of God and your desire to do His will.

2. Let your specific requests be brought to God.

3. Repent of your sins and ask for forgiveness.

4. Seek His strength when temptation comes so that you may avoid sin/evil.

Reflection:

• We are not always comfortable when being called to pray for or with others. Sometimes it might even be difficult to pray among your family. Take time to write down a prayer according to the structure shared here in scripture. Practice praying out loud until it feels more natural. Be intentional to pray with someone this week.
• Prayer: Dear God, thank You for giving us the Lord’s Prayer to teach us to pray. May we open our hearts to You through prayer, pouring out our needs and our petitions for help. Help us to be intentional in using prayer as a daily means of communication with You. Most of all, Father, thank You for listening to our hearts as they pour out to You and for hearing us even when the words don’t come so easily. Amen.

Family Content: Teach Us To Pray

Author: Stephanie Hammontree

Daily Reading: Luke 11: 1-13

• Imagine yourself getting an unexpected gift. How much fun is that! It is especially fun when you know you didn’t deserve it! Somebody loves you enough to just give you a gift!
• Who has received a gift lately? Who gave it to you? Did you ask for it?
• How has God given you a gift?
• What is the difference between a tangible (hold in your hand) gift versus intangible (can’t see it) gifts. God gives us both! Name some examples.
• Prayer: Dear God, thank You for always being a loving daddy to us! We know that we sometimes do things we shouldn’t. Please forgive us and give us the strength to not do those things again. Help us when we are tempted to do wrong to remember to speak to you first before we do it, so you can help us to be strong and not do it! Thank You for Your love, for all that we have, and for always being there for us! We love You! Amen.