Today I will ponder why the disciple asked Jesus to teach the disciples to pray. As a Jew, the disciple was brought up in a praying community; prayer was part of the fabric of Jewish life. So, what did they lack and what were they desiring? They desired Jesus: His power, wisdom and joy in life. His intimate relationship with God and the awesome experience of God’s presence. (Note that the request was “to pray” and not “how to pray” though Jesus provided both. The Voice translation is “teach us your way of prayer.” Given the fact that this request was made after Christ had finished praying, we may interpret this as a request to model a prayer life.)
Luke 11:1
Lord, teach us to pray,
KJV
Today I will pray my way to God’s altar.
