Master of Prayer
Luke 11:1 And it came to pass, that as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, one of his disciples said to Him, “Lord, Teach us to pray…”
My senses have been blurred and my eyes are dimmed and I cannot see clearly. Lord, teach me to pray. My request is the first step to seeing clearly and discovering the power of prayer.
If I experience discouragement, anxiety, fear, guilt and despair, I am not praying as Jesus did. In contrast if I have come to understand the strengthening ministry of prayer I will have joy and the ability to approach difficult circumstances with the assurance that I will triumph.
For Jesus, prayer was a lifelong habit of praying without ceasing. His stature in prayer was not always the same nor always in quiet solitude. But He found time to pray even when demands upon Him were high. He exhibited no reluctance to fulfill this need even if He had to withdraw Himself to the wilderness (Luke 5:16). He knew that time spent in prayer was never wasted and that nothing could be accomplished without an open channel to the One who provided His every need.
Jesus prayed His thanks to God throughout His life. He prayed for council, intercession (John 17:20) and forgiveness for others (Luke 23:34). As Jesus communed with God, anguished in the Garden of Gethsemane, an angel was sent to strengthen Him. Understanding these necessary and natural ways Jesus prayed gives us an example of how we can have a successful prayer life ourselves. Our attitude must mirror that of Jesus’ continual need to pray and His constant expectation that God the Father would provide triumph.
Pray when your hands are busy. Give thanks for all things. Glorify God and live in absolute dependence on God through prayer.
© 2011 Debora P. Gilley