Teach Us to Pray

Luke 11:1-4, Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” And He said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.”

BIG IDEA

See this prayer as more than just words to recite without deep thought and understanding...  But an answer to the question...  Will You teach us to pray?

1.  Approach His holiness.

(Our) Father (in Heaven), hallowed be Your name.

Isaiah 6:1-5, In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above Him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!” And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of Him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said:“Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

• Discovering the holiness of God will cause us to be overwhelmed by His love. 

2.  Seek His will.

Your Kingdom come (Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven).

Psalm 119:105, Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

• God's will is found in God's Word...  Stop looking for a sign and start looking for a verse.

3.  Trust His provision.

Give us (this) each day our daily bread, 

Exodus 16:4-5, Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.”

• Trusting in God is an ongoing process not a one time decision.

4.  Experience His forgiveness.

And forgive us our (debts) sins, (as we also have forgiven our debtors) for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.

Jeremiah 31:34, For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

• God chooses to forgive us with the same generosity we have for others.

5.  Submit to His leadership.

And lead us not into temptation (but deliver us from evil).

Joshua 24:15, But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

• There are only two paths to choose from in this life and only one which honors God.

NEXT STEP

Commit to pray through this model prayer each day this week.