Teach Me to Pray

 In Luke 11:1 the disciples asked something of Jesus that I also asked of Him this morning. They asked Jesus to teach them to pray. I asked Him to teach me to pray. That may sound odd for a man who has devoted himself to prayer, preached on prayer, taken prayer retreats, written two books on prayer, and been a part of many prayer meetings. I still asked Jesus to teach me to pray this morning. I know I really am not that good at it and have so much to learn. 

A recent survey indicated that people who pray do so an average of 18 minutes a day. This is an average meaning some pray longer and others shorter. Out of a 24-hour period in a given day and night cycle, 18 minutes does not seem that long. That leaves 23 hours and 42 minutes. I do not even want to focus on the longevity of our praying. That is not the point. 

The point is out of those 18 minutes of praying for most people, are they praying effectively? Are they locked in with laser focus? Do they really communicate with God or are they just mouthing meaningless repetitious phrases? 

I can only look at me. I know I am not the man of prayer that God wants me to be. I have not been that man for decades. I have tried. There have been seasons when prayers increased, I got highly motivated, and I really felt connected with God. It never lasted like I hoped it would. There have been other seasons when I did not even want to pray, and I certainly did not pray effectively. I am tired of the roller coaster ride in my prayer journey. 

Prayer is way more complicated than most people think. There are multiple facets to prayer. Like worship, seeking, petitioning, listening, interceding, thanksgiving, mountain moving prayer, spiritual warfare, and praying in the Spirit. Prayer is very complex. The simple version is it is just talking with God. The deeper version is we need to explore all types of prayer and devote ourselves to learning how to pray more effectively. 

Do we even have the desire to learn how to pray better? Do we want the Lord to teach us to pray? I do and the first thing I need Him to teach me is to have the consistent desire to pray. To want to meet with Him. My flesh fights against going deeper in prayer because it requires more focus and more time. I need to learn to pray with faith. In other words, to learn to pray with greater confidence. To pray securing God glorifying answers. 

Many of my prayers feel more like babble than boldness before the throne of grace. [Heb 4:16] I am need of private tutoring. Personal training from the Prince of Peace. I know I cannot get to the next level on my own. No matter how many prayer books I read or write. If I am to ever learn how to pray, Jesus must teach me, empower me, discipline me, and help me. What about you?

I can only imagine how my life, family, ministry, and the church would change if I really learned how to pray. I cannot imagine how churches, communities and countries would change with people learning how to really pray. Learning to touch the heart of God in prayer. Learning to believe His promises. Learning to persevere in prayer against all odds. 

Lord, as sincerely as I know how I ask You to teach us how to pray. We ask You instruct us. To give us the hearts of eager students. Please personally train each of us to pray better with greater effectiveness. We ask for more than an emotional high that will wear off. We ask for a righteous resolve that will stand the test of time. We ask You to fuel our prayers with renewed faith. To increase that faith to match the assignments You put before us. Please Lord, teach us to pray because we believe it is Your will and pleases You when we devote ourselves to pray as You did. In Your name Jesus, I ask. Amen.