What would you say are the top 10 things people pray about?  Would you list any of these: health, money, relationships, jobs, children, unsaved family or friends?  What else would you include?  People generally resort to prayer in times of need, because they have a sense that it works, or that it is important. Others may relegate it to a ritual which is included in some sort of religious ceremony and therefore disregard it altogether.  I think most people recognize prayer can be a significant way to deal with stress or struggles they might be facing but this understanding, in the Bible’s way of seeing prayer, is a very lopsided view of an important part of our faithwalk. The disciples recognized that prayer was important because they saw Jesus praying frequently.  While Jesus prayed, something in Jesus' prayers caught their attention.  They knew they wanted to pray like Jesus, so in Luke 11:1, they asked Jesus to "teach them how to pray".  His response is what we have come to call the Lord's Prayer (Lk. 11:1-4).

            However, the title is a misnomer.  It was not really a literal prayer that Jesus said rather, it was a teaching tool He passed on to His disciples when they inquired about the supplications a believer should bring before God the Father.  Many recite this prayer on a daily basis; others once a week.  Its recitation is a treasured Christian tradition.  But when we say it, do we really listen to the words and mean what we say?  And what was Jesus teaching us about prayer when He used this prayer as a model for His disciples?

            So, if I could be so bold as to rename it, The Disciple's Prayer can be divided into 2 sections.  The first contains 2 declarations about God and His glory.  The second contains 4 requests that have to do with our daily necessities.   In other words, God is first given His supreme place in our lives, and then we turn our attention to our needs and desires.  Sadly, we often approach God with a list of things we'd like Him to attend to without first acknowledging Him above all else.  Our prayers are a shopping list of things we want God to stock in the pantry we call “my life”.  But, according to Jesus’ model, is not what prayer should be like.  William Barclay wrote, "Prayer must never be an attempt to bend the will of God to our desires; instead prayer ought to always to be an attempt to submit our wills to the will of God."

            A quick walk through this prayer reveals first that it is a corporate prayer.  That is, when Jesus says, "When you pray," He uses the plural form of you, meaning the community of believers (first the disciples, and now us).  This is underscored by the first two words recorded in Matthew’s Gospel, “OUR Father” (Mt. 6:9 and implied in Lk. 11:2).  Secondly as a community and as individuals, we are to declare several great truths about God.  He is our Father (11:2).  His Name is holy (11:2).  And we desire to see the fulfillment of His kingdom (11:2).  In other words, we have a relationship with Him (Father) although He is “different” in character than ourselves (holy) and He is not only our Authority, He is sovereign over heaven and earth (the extent of His kingdom).  Thirdly, in asking for our daily bread, we recognize that God is the Provider of it, not ourselves (11:3).  Fourth, forgiveness has two sides; a side that gives and a side that receives.  The Disciple's Prayer includes both a request for forgiveness and a call for forgiveness (11:4).  And lastly, God is recognized as our Protector in that only He can keep us from succumbing to temptation.  The prayer emphasizes the desire to follow God and not to be overwhelmed or destroyed by sin (11:4).

            Another commentator wrote, "It was the regular custom for a Rabbi to teach his disciples a simple prayer which they might habitually use.  John (the Baptist) had done that for his disciples, and now Jesus' disciples came asking Him to do the same for them.  Luke's version is shorter than Matthew's, but it will teach us all we need to know about how to pray and what to pray for."  The "Disciple's Prayer" is one of the most thorough passages in all of Scripture dealing with the great subject of prayer and yet it is surprisingly short reminding us that prayer does not have to be lofty and verbose to be effective (Js. 5:16) but rather heartfelt and focused on the things that are most important in life.  It is a passage that should be studied and remembered time and again.   Whenever it is spoken we should keep in mind that Jesus Himself gave us these words to pray signifying these are the things He felt would be most significant for us to bring to the Lord in prayer.  Although many centuries have come since the initial 12 disciples asked Him to teach "us" to pray, the lesson He gave to them is also meant for us today.  Let's not say them lightly.

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre

            If you grew up in the era of what is now called “Classic Television” or in the days of radio drama you may recall a popular program that featured the adventures of a man who lived on the range in the days of the Wild West.  He was a loner with one exception, his faithful side-kick, Tonto, and his brilliant white stead “Silver”.  Oftentimes this hero, by now you know it was the Lone Ranger, was usually called upon to rescue some hapless or endangered person who’d gotten themselves into trouble but that person never knew the identity of their savior.  Once rescued and as the hero rode off into the sunset, the inevitable question was always asked, “Who was that masked man?”

            In a somewhat different context it has been said that there are two things which are inevitable in life: death and taxes.  Although the inevitability of these two aspects of life may be true, I believe the number count is off by one.  The third thing every person must come to grips is another question much like the one posed at the end of every Lone Ranger episode.  It is the question, "Who is Jesus?"  But unlike the Lone Ranger whose identity remained unknown, Jesus wants us to know the answer to this question.  In Luke 9, people from a wide cross-section of society both ask and must answer this question and then decide how they will respond to the answer.  Here is a partial outline of the chapter:

            Luke 9:1-9.  The Commissioning of the 12:  While the disciples are deployed to proclaim the Good News, Herod the Tetrarch wants to know who Jesus is.  His findings indicate the people are equating Jesus with prophets like Elijah and John the Baptist.  This causes him great anxiety.

            Luke 9:10-17.   The Feeding of the 5,000:  Many people are now following Jesus.  Jesus continues to teach about the kingdom of God and people are healed.  After a day of teaching outside of Bethsaida, Jesus exhorts the disciples to feed the crowd and miraculously extends the supply of food in order for them to do so.

            Luke 9:18-27.  Peter's Confession and Jesus' Teachings on the Cost of Discipleship:  Jesus and the disciples have retreated to a quiet place to pray.  Jesus asks the disciples about the crowd's opinion of Him.  They say the people perceive Him to be a prophet like Elijah or John the Baptist.  Jesus then asks the disciples, "Who do you say that I am?"  Peter speaks for the 12 and states they believe Jesus is the "Anointed of God" (Messiah).  Jesus then speaks about His suffering and death for the first time in Luke's Gospel and explains to the disciples that the cost of discipleship is high, but the gain of discipleship far outweighs the loss.

            Luke 9:28-36.  The Transfiguration:  Eight days later, Jesus takes Peter, John and James to a quiet mountain to pray.  During this time these disciples catch a glimpse of Jesus in His glorious state.  God the Father affirms Peter's confession by instructing the disciples to listen to "My Beloved Son" in a scene reminiscent of Jesus' baptism.  The Transfiguration occurs after Peter's confession and the teaching on discipleship, implying two things:  Jesus is God and His glory far surpasses any earthly suffering.  This amazing event is the answer to the initial question of Herod- Who is Jesus?

            The question of Jesus' identity is central to the Gospel of Luke and for those who want to be His disciples so it is imperative that the answer to “Who is Jesus?” must be an answer based on truth that can be validated.  You would certainly not want to believe and follow someone who was delusional or an all-out liar.  If you are to respond to that question in faith, Jesus must be someone who is completely trust-worthy.  Luke states at the beginning of his Gospel that he has compiled his account so that the reader (first Theophilus and now us) will know the “exact truth” about what has been taught concerning Jesus.  The events recorded in chapter 9 are there to prove that believing Jesus is in fact the Son of God is trustworthy.  They authenticate Jesus' claims and prove them to be true.

            Discipleship, however, is more than a mental assent that Jesus is Who He claims to be.   Discipleship is a total lifestyle change and commitment because we believe what Jesus says is true and it applies to how we live.  It is reshaping the way we look at the world and interact with it.  It reorients our priorities, thoughts and actions.   And so, just as Jesus questioned the 12, He asks us today as well, "Who do you say that I am?"  How we live as His disciples answers that question every day.

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre