Luke 11:1-4
1 It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, when He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.”
2 And He said to them, “When you pray, say:
‘ Father, hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
3 ‘Give us each day our daily bread.
4 ‘And forgive us our sins,
For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And do not lead us into temptation.’ ”
Revolutionary Prayer
The prayer that the Lord taught his disciples
The prayer recorded in this passage is commonly called “The Lord’s Prayer.” It is also found in Matthew 6:9-13, and the relationship between the two accounts has been discussed in various ways. In the Gospel of Luke, it says, “When you pray, say:” (Luke 11:2), while in the Gospel of Matthew it says, “Pray, then, in this way:” (Matt. 6:9). The former seems to be teaching the actual words of prayer, while the latter seems to be teaching a pattern of prayer. Both are important. We can pray these words just as they are, but at the same time, we can also use this pattern as a model and pray in our own words. Also, the Lord’s Prayer is both a personal prayer and a communal prayer. Let us take note that all the subjects are in the plural form.
Revolutionary prayer
The content of the Lord’s Prayer is revolutionary. (1) It begins with, “Father.” In the original language, it is “Abba.” At that time, when Jews prayed to God, they used the address “Avinu” (Our Father). However, that expression created a sense of distance from God. Jesus taught us to call upon God as “Abba.” If we can truly call the Creator of heaven and earth from our hearts, “Father,” it is no exaggeration to say that most of this prayer has already been fulfilled (ref. Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6). Is God, to you, your intimate heavenly Father? (2) “Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come.” A Christian’s prayer is one that prioritizes honoring God as God above one’s own needs. Are you remaining at the stage of always wanting to receive something from God, or have you grown to the stage of desiring to hear His voice and obey it? (3) “Give us each day our daily bread.” We are not to rely on God only when we are in trouble, but to walk moment by moment placing our trust in Him. (4) “And forgive us our sins.” Here we confess that the salvation of the Bible is not by works but by the grace of God. (5) “And do not lead us into temptation.” Here we confess that we are weak against temptation, and we sincerely desire God’s protection. Now, let us pray the Lord’s Prayer in the words recorded in the Gospel of Luke. Then, let us use its pattern to pray in our own words.
Today's prayer
Father God of Jesus Christ, I sincerely thank You for the blessing of being able to call You “Father.” Please continue to transform me into one who is worthy to be called Your child. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.