Prayer: Teach Us (Part 1)

The “Model Prayer,” or “The Lord’s Prayer,” as recorded in Luke 11:2-4 is proceeded by a request from one of the disciples. We may assume he was not speaking for himself alone, because his entreaty recorded in verse one uses the plural pronoun as he asks Jesus, “Teach us to pray.” Ironically, the desire to learn from the Lord how we ought to pray is itself a most appropriate prayer. It is best to start any effort at its beginning and see it through step by step. We should also begin our understanding of and practice in prayer by seeking to learn about it and be trained in it by examining the Word of God.

What Prayer Is
Prayer defined is translated from the Greek word “proseuchomai.” Its core meaning is to offer prayer, especially to God, to supplicate and to worship in prayer. Looking at this word more closely we discover it to be a compound word. Digging into the meaning of those words combined gives us a more specific definition of what this word translated as prayer means and what it is supposed to represent in our lives.

The two Greek words are:
“Pros,” emphasizing directed motion or relationship toward someone, and,
“Euchomai,” meaning to wish, vow, and express a desire or make a request.

Added together, the deeper meaning of “proseuchomai” literally conveys the idea of directing desires and vows toward someone, and, in the New Testament, it is toward God. This is an expression of intimate communion and face-to-face interaction with God rather than offering requests from a distance. It implies intensity and earnestness along with deliberate direction and relationship. What the disciples wanted to learn and what we want to practice is far richer than just saying words to God. Praying is intentionally turning toward God to align ourselves in relationship, worship, and heartfelt communication with Him. We do not pray to get God’s attention; we pray to give Him ours.

What Has Happened to Prayer
The sad reality for most Christians today is that we have learned what is supposed to be “how to pray,” but we have learned it as something we do for God instead of something we practice to be with Him. Succinctly spoken, we have learned to perform prayer.

I have been an actor for 57 years and have become proficient in performing a script. I memorize the lines. I know my movements, positions, and postures on stage. I can add the emotional elements and facial expressions appropriate to the character I portray.

Too often, our sincere devotion to praying is crowded out by trying to do prayer correctly. We memorize the accepted language. We know how to bow our heads, fold our hands, and close our eyes. Subtly, over time, prayer becomes evaluative, not valuable. This leads to questioning our efforts when our petitions do not line up with the perceived results: “What am I doing wrong?” We judge the worth of praying by the outcomes. We begin to measure the effectiveness of prayer by length and emotional payoff.

At best, performing erodes our vital connection to Jesus the Vine and causes misalignment of our relationship to the Father and to the Holy Spirit who dwells in us always. At worst, performance will lead to outright heresy causing us to condemn others and ourselves for lack of faith in God.

What Jesus Wants Us to Know About Prayer
Jesus will not teach his disciples nor us any external rules of engagement for praying because they are all man-made:

You must spend at least 1 hour in prayer each time you pray.
You must pray at the same time or times every day.
You must follow an exact template from a devotional or denominational tract.
You must use reverent language, like King James pronouns and articles.

No. Prayer begins and ends in the presence of God, openly and honestly communicating with Him.

This is what we will learn in Part II...