Our Prayer

Luke Chapter 11 is a frequently cited passage when it comes to teachings about prayer. The opening of the chapter records the Model Prayer—commonly known as the Lord’s Prayer—as taught by Jesus to his disciples. Within this example is a summary of the essential elements of prayer. 

The prayer begins with praise to our Father in heaven, hallowing His name and asking that His will be done. This is an important point to start our prayers on because very often people misunderstand the point of prayer. Although prayer is a means of making our requests known to God, we must always remember that we must still live and pray according to His will. The Bible warns us in James 4:3 to examine the purpose of our prayer, lest we ask amiss.

The second part of the Model Prayer gives us an example of what we can ask for from God in prayer. The first thing mentioned is “Give us day by day our daily bread”, teaching us that in our lives, we can rely on God for sustenance. However, beyond this, it also tells us to ask for forgiveness for our sins and for God to deliver us from evil and temptation. This highlights the fact that physical sustenance is not the only thing that is important; spiritual sustenance is also necessary. While facing challenges in both aspects of our lives, let us approach God in prayer with confidence, trusting Him to listen to our prayers and provide for our physical needs and to sustain us spiritually.

God’s Response

In the next part of the chapter, Jesus tells the parable of the friend at midnight. The parable tells of a man who asks his neighbour for bread with unwavering persistence and mirrors how we should approach prayer. God takes care of us and wants to provide for us but we have a part to play as well. We must come to God in prayer and ask with persistence. While this attitude in prayer is applicable to all our prayers, this passage specifically mentions praying for the Holy Spirit in verse 13. This passage is a good reminder to us that in praying for this greatest gift from God, we must persist in our prayers and not give up when we do not receive right away. Just as the friend continued to ask after being rejected, we too must continue to ask until we receive.

Lastly, in verse 13, our heavenly Father is contrasted with human examples of giving. We can take comfort in the fact that even sinful humans can give good gifts to their children—we can therefore be assured that our righteous God will give the Holy Spirit to those who seek Him.

For Reflection

1. In our prayers, do we strive to always pray according to the will of God? And when we do not get what we ask for in prayer, do we accept that this is the will of God?

2. Amid our busy lives, do we still devote time to pray persistently for the challenges we face in our spiritual lives?