The first thirteen verses of the eleventh chapter of Luke’s gospel are in essence Jesus’ response to one request, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). Jesus responds first with the Lord’s Prayer, providing a succinct model or pattern for our prayers, followed by a parable teaching us the attitude we are to have when we pray, all of which presumes that we pray. Knowing how to pray is of course no benefit if we don’t do it. But what exactly is prayer?
Tag Archives: prayer
The Yes but How of Prayer
Jerry Bridges tells of a man who when reading a book would often write “YBH” in the margin. When asked what the letters meant, the man replied, “They stand for Yes, but how? I agree with what the author is saying, but I need to know how to apply it.”[2] In the first thirteen verses of this eleventh chapter of Luke’s Gospel, Jesus doesn’t tell his disciples to pray but instead gives us the “YBH” of prayer.
When You Pray
Let us then be faithful to pray as our Lord taught us, following the pattern and petitions he has given. Consider that our Lord Jesus has given us a prayer, which contains, as Calvin says, “all that he allows us to seek of him, all that is of benefit to us, all that we need ask.[14] Such is the kindness and mercy of God, who has given the prayer he desires to hear from us.
The Good Portion
Mary’s Christ-centered worship was of eternal significance, while Martha’s distractions were a form of idolatry. What Jesus graciously revealed to Martha is that worship is the one thing necessary, taking precedence over everything else. In Christ, the good portion is ours forever. Let us be faithful to feast upon it today!
The Glory of God’s Son
After Jesus’ disciples confessed his true identity as “the Christ of God” (Luke 9:20), he confronted their confession with the cost, saying, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (9:23). What he described is essentially what citizenship in his kingdom looks like here and now, but it was a stark contrast from what his disciples had envisioned (How can a kingdom be built through a cross?).
Who Is Jesus?
In Luke’s Gospel, at every paramount point of Jesus’ life prayer shows up. For example, there was prayer at Jesus’ baptism, prayer at his selection of the twelve apostles, prayer at his transfiguration, and of course he taught his disciples how to pray, and we find it here, among other places: “he was praying alone” (Luke 9:18).
When God Seems Late
There are times when God seems late, when his timing does not align with our timing, and this can breed frustration even doubt. But think about this with me: If “by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,” and if “all things were created through him and for him,” and if “in him all things hold together” (Col. 1:16-17), and if “he upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Heb. 1:3), is he really ever late?
Post Tenebras Lux
Of Judah’s kings, there were the good, the bad, and the ugly. Perhaps there was a bit of ugly in all of them, but Hezekiah was one of the good ones. During his reign, he cleansed the temple of idols, restored right and regular worship, including reinstating Passover. He trusted the Lord for victory over the Assyrians and for personal healing of a life-threatening disease. But for the good reign he enjoyed, he personally did not finish well, falling prey to pride in his possessions and an ugly selfishness that characterized his last recorded words.
Thy Kingdom Come
“In these days,” that is, when Jesus was still preaching and ministering throughout the Judean region, “he went out to the mountain to pray.” Luke’s succinct statement is easily read over, but its brevity does not negate its significance. This was one of those times when and one of those places where Jesus would get away to pray. But on this occasion, Luke tells us that “all night he continued in prayer to God.” Out of the four Gospels, Luke is the only one to record this detail, a glimpse into the devotional life of the Son of Man.
Amidst Persecution
The seventh psalm is one of the imprecatory psalms, psalms that invoke God’s judgment upon his and our enemies. The seventh psalm is also a personal lament of David, who is being persecuted….
Planter, Pastor, Preacher 