The Greatest Example
How do we learn how to pray?
Verse of the Day
‘Pray like this:’
Today’s Devotional
What do you do when you want to learn something new, or you want to expand the knowledge and understanding that you already have?
The wise thing to do is to look for someone who is the smartest person you can find in this area. Then you watch what this person does, you learn this person’s ways, and you do what this person does, however imperfectly your attempts are as you are learning.
That’s my goal here. I want to learn how to pray from Jesus. I want to study what He did and said, and I want to learn His ways, and then I want to practice what He is teaching me, knowing that this will be anything but a flawless process.
Today we will begin our look at the Lord’s Prayer, or the Model Prayer as some people call it. This prayer is Jesus’s response to the disciple who asked Him to teach them how to pray.
One of the most interesting tidbits of knowledge that I have learned as I have been studying is this: Jesus did not teach the apostles how to preach, or how to lead people, or how to run an organization, or how to do miracles. Jesus taught them how to pray. And He SHOWED them how to live. That makes me all the more eager to learn about prayer from Jesus.
Many of us know the Lord’s Prayer by heart. But rote memory and recitation is not what we are looking for. The Lord cautioned us in Matthew 6:7 about “merely by repeating [our] words again and again.”
Over the next few days, we will dissect this prayer and try to glean every bit of knowledge and wisdom that we can. For today, however, let’s read the Lord’s words, from several different translations. Look for what you’ve never noticed before. Look for what Jesus is trying to teach you about how to pray. Notice with special interest what, specifically, He prayed about. And ask why He included what He did, and why other things weren’t mentioned. God, please help us to be diligent students of Jesus.
‘Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.’
‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’
‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.’
‘Our Father in heaven, help us to honor your name. Come and set up your kingdom, so that everyone on earth will obey you, as you are obeyed in heaven. Give us our food for today. Forgive us for doing wrong, as we forgive others. Keep us from being tempted and protect us from evil.’
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
What stood out to you today about Jesus’s prayer?
What is Jesus trying to teach you about how to pray?
What, specifically, did He pray about and for?
Why do you think He included what He did, and what kinds of things are missing that you normally pray for?
How can you ask God to help you to be a diligent (and obedient) student of Jesus?