“Lord, teach us to pray”
Just like the Lord’s disciples, we have much to learn about prayer (Luke 11:1-13). Prayer is a privilege as well as an untapped resource. Let us consider three things necessary to understand biblical prayer.
The prerequisite of prayer. We must believe that there is a Living God in heaven, who is both willing and able to answer our prayers (Heb 11:6). Many Christians pray to the wrong God. Jeremiah says several times that Israel “walked after the imagination of their own hearts” (e.g. Jer 9:14 KJV). A manmade concept or an imaginary God cannot and will not answer our prayers. By contrast, the loving sovereign God of the Bible both can and will respond to the pleas of His children.
The priority of prayer. How can anything be considered more important than spending time with our Creator and Savior? Yet, prayer is often far down the to-do list. John Wesley said: “God does nothing except in response to believing prayer”. Therefore, prayer should have a prioritized place in our life.
The practice of prayer 1 Thess 5:17 says pray “without ceasing.” This Greek word is sometimes used to describe a hacking cough. It does not mean uninterrupted prayer, but rather something we come back to often. First, the Lord desires our fellowship (1 Cor 1:9). Second, some things God will not do, unless we ask Him (Jas 4:2). Third, we are dependent on Him (John 15:5). Without prayer nothing will happen. With prayer everything will happen.