Today is the 13th day of Lent, a 40 day season of spiritual reflection, repentance, and renewal. During these 40 days we’ll explore the prayer life of Jesus, walking chronologically through every mention of Jesus’ prayer life and prayers in the Gospels.
Here is today’s prayer event: 1Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread, 4and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.” (Luke 11:1-4 ESV)
Joachim Jeremias (“The Prayers of Jesus”) writes that in the Judaism of Jesus’ time it was common for individual religious groups to have their own customs and practices regarding prayer (63). We know that the Pharisees and the Essenes had prayer practices unique to their groups. It appears from the text above that John’s disciples did as well (“Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”). Thus, here, the disciples ask Jesus to give them their own unique prayer. They want a prayer that will set them apart from the other religious groups. They literally want a “Jesus-Prayer.”
But what was the “Jesus-Prayer”? What prayer would distinguish Christ-ians from all others? What would it mean to pray in a distinctly Christ-like way?
Jeremias argues that one particular word makes this prayer distinctly Christian. One specific word sets this prayer, and all of Jesus’ prayers, apart from the known prayers of other religious groups of the time: the word “Father.” (63)
What is the significance to you of the fact that we pray to “Father,” and not just “God” or “LORD”?
Take a few moments and write on a sheet of paper 10 qualities of an ideal father. Now, pray to God, thanking him for being each of those qualities.
SHARE WITH READERS BELOW 5 OF THE 10 QUALITIES YOU’VE WRITTEN ABOUT AN IDEAL FATHER.
