learning to pray

so here are a few thoughts on Luke 11:1

“Lord, teach us to pray”

1. Jesus had just been out praying when they asked this question. he could answer them because he knew from experience. he had integrity.
2. The disciples came and asked. they were hungry for it. they must have seen some fruit in Jesus’ life and the way a prayerful life made him operate, made a connection somewhere that it was because of his prayerful life and then they asked if they could have the same.
3. The Lord’s Prayer comes down to:
   - adoration
   - asking
   - wanting to stay pure

Furthermore, Richard Foster, in his book, The Celebration of Discipline comments on this passage by saying the following: The disciples ‘had prayed all their lives but something about the quantity and quality of Jesus’ praying caused them to see how little they knew about prayer.

He goes on to say that learning to pray is a learning process and that we should feel free to grow and learn as we pray. I see my prayer life (when it is in operation) as a wonderful chance to learn how to pray better. It has taken me a long time to see it this way and up until very recently I have always felt under pressure to already know how you should pray and therefore to have an awesome prayer life. I feel released by the fact that I have so much more to learn and that today i can pray as i know how and there is nothing wrong with that.

I'm starting at 10 minutes again. I am free to practice. To lose track of time rather than measuring prayer against the clock.

For the Christian, prayer should make us think of liberty, victory, change and joy. I fear that we see it too much as an obligation. At least that's the way I have seen it for too long now...

Last quote to keep us thinking: "A man prayed and prayed and at first he thought that prayer meant talking. But he became more and more quiet until in the end he realised that prayer is listening." Soren Kierkagaard