Topic: A Model Prayer

Text: Luke 11:1- 4

Key Verse: One day, as Jesus was in prayer, one of his disciples came over to him as he finished and said, “Would you teach us a model prayer that we can pray, just as John did for his disciples?” – Luke 11:1
TPT

The mandate Jesus left for his disciples, popularly called the Great Commission, consists of four key verbs: Now wherever you go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And teach them to faithfully follow all that I have commanded you. And never forget that I am with you every day, even to the completion of this age.” – Matthew 28:19-20 TPT.

Jesus left us a clear strategy for the work we are to do. Making disciples involves creating a unique identity ( baptism), transfer of knowledge(teaching), and monitoring practice(follow). The process of knowledge transfer consists of a model to ensure distinctiveness, precision, and continuity. John had disciples, and he taught them how to pray, and so did the Pharisees; each had his style.

Some people said to Jesus, “The disciples of John fast frequently and offer prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same, but your disciples eat and drink.” Jesus answered, “Do you think you can make the guests at a wedding party go without food as long as the bridegroom is with them? Of course not! But the day will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.” Jesus also told them this parable: “You don’t tear a piece of a new coat to patch up an old coat. If you do, you will have torn the new coat, and the piece of new cloth will not match the old one. Nor do you pour new wine into used wineskins, because the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will pour out, and the skins will be ruined. Instead, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins! – Luke 5:33-38 GNT

When the Pharisees questioned Jesus on his strategy, he had two answers to give; there is a right time for certain activities and combining old and new processes can be counterproductive.

Do you have a model for prayer? Who taught you how to pray? What prayer model was passed on to you? If you are a disciple of Jesus, you ought to pray like him.

Jesus gave his disciples a model of prayer because they asked. He had been with them for a while, and they must have observed the unique way in which he prayed and the outcomes of his prayer. What informs the style of prayer you use? How do you approach the presence of God in prayer? How do you choose your words? What is the basis for your confidence in prayer? What can you ask for in prayer? When should you pray? All these questions, when answered correctly, determine the results you get in prayer. The prayer model of Jesus answers them.

Are you ready to unlearn a prayer model that does not fit that of Jesus? The disciples practiced and passed on the same things he had taught them, so they had the results he had promised them.

We saw him with our very own eyes. We gazed upon him and heard him speak. Our hands touched him, the one who was from the beginning, the Living Expression of God. This Life-Giver was made visible, and we have seen him. We testify to this truth: the eternal Life-Giver lived face-to-face with the Father and has now dawned upon us. So we proclaim to you what we have seen and heard about this Life-Giver so that we may share and enjoy this life together. For truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus, the Anointed One. We are writing these things to you because we want to release to you our fullness of joy. – 1 John 1:1-4 TPT

The prayer model you have should be that which encourages intimacy with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; it should have as its outcome a release of the fullness of Joy.

You can have Joy even when you get a No in prayer because you trust the Father to do what is right. Results in prayer cease to be the only basis of prayer but a means of fellowship, partnership, and proof of surrender to the Father’s will.

So Jesus said, “I speak to you eternal truth. The Son is unable to do anything from himself or through his initiative. I only do the works that I see the Father doing, for the Son does the same works as his Father. “Because the Father loves his Son so much, he always reveals to him everything that he is about to do. And you will all be amazed when he shows him even greater works than what you’ve seen so far! – John 5:19-20 TPT

Then he walked a short distance away, and overcome with grief, he threw himself facedown on the ground and prayed, “My Father, if there is any way you can deliver me from this suffering, please take it from me. Yet what I want is not important, for I only desire to fulfill your plan for me.” Then an angel from heaven appeared to strengthen him. – Matthew 26:39 TPT

And similarly, the Holy Spirit takes hold of us in our human frailty to empower us in our weakness. For example, at times, we don’t even know how to pray or know the best things to ask for. But the Holy Spirit rises within us to super-intercede on our behalf, pleading to God with emotional sighs too deep for words. – Romans 8:26 TPT

These were the true heroes, commended for their faith, yet they lived in hope without receiving the fullness of what was promised them. – Hebrews 11:39 TPT

A prayer model may be effective in getting results, but the results may not come from the Father. Even Jesus was accused of having results from another source other than God.

But there were some in the crowd who protested, saying, “He casts out demons by the power of Satan, the demon king.” Others were skeptical and tried to persuade Jesus to perform a spectacular display of power to prove that he was the Messiah. – Luke 11:15-16 TPT

Traditional religion has a model of prayer so do other religions; they all have results too. The model you choose should be determined by your Master Jesus, not just by the results it produces.

It is time to evaluate your prayers and ask Jesus to teach you to pray because it is enough that the disciple is like his Master in everything.

And how could the apprentice know more than his Master, for only after he is fully qualified will he be at that level? – Luke 6:40 TPT

Throughout our history, God has spoken to our ancestors by his prophets in many different ways. The revelation he gave them was only a fragment at a time, building one truth upon another. But to us living in these last days, God now speaks to us openly in the language of a Son, the appointed Heir of everything, for through him, God created the panorama of all things and all time. – Hebrews 1:1-2 TPT

The Father spoke from heaven in an audible voice about Jesus; let us obey that voice and listen to Jesus because every good idea is not God’s idea, and God has an acceptable will; let’s seek it.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, l seek not to create my model of prayer but to understand that which Jesus gave us.

Give us understanding, make our hearts teachable, deliver us from the lies that have enslaved us and give us the fullness of Joy as we obey you. This l ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Pastor Ada

Photo by Samuel Martins on Unsplash