THE DISCIPLES’ PRAYER

“Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. 2 So He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven” (Lk 11:1,2).

Jesus was a Man of prayer. He often withdrew to pray. There was something special about Him that the disciples saw. When Jesus was praying, He did not talk to God religiously, but with love and passion. His face changed. This impressed the disciples. They saw that prayer to Jesus was more than a religious obligation. It was real and powerful. He depended on God the Father for His very life. He was speaking to God as a friend speaks to a friend. They saw that Jesus has a supernatural power that propels Him to pray. They observed that they lack that power. They did not ask Jesus to teach them how to do miracles or how to preach. They wanted to learn how to pray like Him. This request reveals the fact that prayer is not just a natural religious activity, but a holy work that can be learned from others who are closer to God. The disciples needed guidance and instruction. It shows their desire to know God better. They wanted greater faith. The disciples looked at Jesus as their true spiritual mentor and teacher, and not just a friend. They addressed Him as “Lord”. They recognized His authority. They wanted Jesus to teach them the way John the Baptist was teaching his own followers. In the Hebrew culture, the mentor teaches his disciples. Here we see the connection between John, the forerunner and Jesus. They both taught their disciples how to pray. Lesson: just the way the disciples turned to Jesus to teach them how to pray, so we must go to the Bible to study God’s Word and desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Prayer is an acknowledgment that we need God and no one else can help us. If you desire to learn how to pray, trouble may come. God may place you in difficult situations where only Him can help you. But this trouble pushes you to pray. Selah!

We pray to God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Prayer for the Christian is always Trinitarian. For the Christian, prayer is not a luxury. It is not optional. It is a command. It is a lifeline to God. The fact that prayer can be taught means that we can learn how to pray better. This gives us hope. Jesus expects us to pray as He expects us to breathe. In prayer we draw closer to God and God draws closer to us. The more we pray, the less we worry, and the less we fear other things. Jesus said: “When you pray, say…” In Greek, the word “say” means ‘to speak with meaning’. Prayer must be vocal, clear and intelligent.

The prayer Jesus taught (Matt 6:5-13) is divided into two parts. First, we give glory to God. Secondly, we pray for our families and others. In the second part, all the verbs are plural. That means prayer is never selfish, praying only for my needs. I must pray for others. By giving glory to God, I learn how to Love God. By praying for others, for family members and neighbors, I learn how to love people. Therefore, Agape Love is the engine of prayer. Only a Lover of Jesus prays well. Selah!

These are the two main attitudes we must display as we draw closer to God, our heavenly Father: Love and Respect! God disciplines His children. We must respect God and thank Him for that (Heb 12:7-11). During the period of chastisement, do not draw back from God. Continue to stay in His presence, pray and worship Him. Discipline is painful and profitable at the same time. Thru discipline, we become more like our Father. Family resemblance is the greatest gain for any sinner saved by Grace! Glory to God!

*The first purpose of prayer is to bring glory to the Father. “Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name”. The word “Hallowed” means holy. We must treat God with respect and awe. Holy means to be different, to be set apart from all that is common, and to hate sin. When we pray, we must hate sin and be ready to repent of it. “If I regard sin and baseness in my heart [that is, if I know it is there and do nothing about it], The Lord will not hear [me]” (Ps 66:18; AMP). We should not pray casually. We must have the fear of God. We should never take God’s name in vain. We worship God as we pray. The purpose of prayer is not that our will should be done in heaven. It is that God’s will should be done on earth. We pray: Let Your Kingdom come! The Kingdom of God is the realm, rule and reign of God in the hearts of men on earth. The Lord Jesus Christ is the King of the Kingdom. The Bible is the constitution of the Kingdom of God. By the power of the Holy Spirit, the Kingdom of God advances on earth, pushing back the forces of darkness. When I pray, I must be ready to totally submit to God, to hate sin and repent of it. Every form of rebellion and selfishness in my heart hinders my prayer. In my heart and in my mouth, Jesus must reign and rule for God to listen to me. “For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil” (1Pet 3:12). This is a warfare prayer. The devil wants you to forget the glory and the purpose of God. He wants you to only pray for yourself and your little world of material prosperity. But Prayer is greater than that! Give glory to God!

*After we pray for God’s glory and Kingdom, then we can address our family needs. Our basic needs are Provision, Pardon, and Protection. As God supplies these needs, He receives the glory, and His Kingdom advances on earth. We pray for provision. God gave His people Manna in the wilderness. They had to go out and collect it every morning. They could not store it. They learn to depend on God for their daily bread. Thank God for the food on your table. Do not grumble. Be grateful that you can eat and that you have food. Secondly, just the way we need food for the body, we also need spiritual food. We ask God for forgiveness of sins. This forgiveness is a gift of Grace and by faith in Christ Crucified. It is not a reward for doing good deeds. As you ask God for forgiveness, repent from anger and bitterness against people who have offended you. Unforgiveness is a stronghold that blocks prayer. Your relationship with God depends directly on your relationship with people. To Love God, you must learn to love people. We also pray for protection from sin. “Lead us not into temptation…” is difficult to explain. God does not lead anyone into sin (James 1:13-15). We are led into sin by our own sinful desires and lust. Sin deceives us and leads to death. This is a reminder that we totally depend on God not to fall into sin. Without God, we are weak towards sin. What Jesus is saying is that if there is any lust in me, God, in His mercy, should prevent me fulfilling that lust. That God should frustrate my lust until I repent of it. And if temptation comes, I should be free from lust, so that I can pass the test. Every godly testimony glorifies God!

THE LOST AND FOUND SON (LK 15:11-32)

This is the story of a rich man who had two sons. The younger son was worldly. The older son was religious. Both needed their father’s grace, mercy and love. The father stands for God. The younger son stands for the true believer who is backsliding. The older son stands for the religious Pharisees, who are offended at Grace. This parable is called “the crown and the pearl of all parables, the Gospel inside the Gospel, the most divinely tender loving humanly touching story ever told on earth, or the finest short story ever written”. It shows the power of Agape Love that never fails to overcome human sin of selfishness and stubbornness. The younger son is not called ‘prodigal’ in the parable. The word ‘prodigal’ means wasteful, foolishly and recklessly spending money, effort and time to live an extravagant life. Through this parable, our Lord shows the extravagant love of the Father towards sinners. At the same time, Jesus rebukes the pride of the Pharisees who trust in their deeds and hate the doctrine of Justification by grace and by faith.

This is the story: The younger son got tired of home, of submitting to his father. He asked for his inheritance. According to the Jewish law, the senior son takes 2/3 of all the father has, including the land and the house. The younger son takes 1/3 of the movable property. A father can divide his property and give it to his sons only if he is on his dying bed. No father gives his property to his children when he is still healthy and strong. The father did not beg his son to stay. He gave him what he wanted. The younger son goes abroad and wastes all his money. This “far country” can be called “Forgetfulness of God”. But the day came when the money was finished. All his friends abandoned him and ‘nobody gave him anything’. He is forced to take the lowest job he can find. To feed swine. At his lowest point in his life, he comes to himself. Here we see that sin is like madness. Here you see the power of Grace. The light of the Gospel shines in his mind. He remembers his father and his Love. He plans to say: Make me your servant… The change is dramatic. This boy is not the same anymore. From Give me… to Make me! He rises from dirt and starts to walk home. His father sees him first and runs towards him. He is too weak to run. The Father embraces and kisses him until he washes all his sins away. This kissing Agape Love has encouraged millions of sinners to come back to God. The Father re-instates his son to full sonship status. He removes his rags and puts on him the best robe of righteousness of Christ. He came bare feet. The father gives him sandals. At that time only the wealthy had sandals. The slaves walked with bare feet. The father gives him the signet ring, the sign of authority as son. The father kills the fattened calf, kept for special celebrations. The house is filled with joy, for this son was once lost and now he is found; was once dead in sins and now he became alive in Christ. Halleluiah!

The older brother gets angry. He refuses to enter the house of God. He hates the fragrance of Grace and the sound of joy. He has been in the house laboring for many years. But he has never loved the sinners. He has never caught the vision of the Father. He is a symbol of the religious unbelievers, the Pharisees. They hate Grace. The parable ends abruptly. Jesus does not tell us what happened to the older brother. There are two possibilities: he too repented of his hypocrisy and became saved, or he killed (Crucified) his father!

LESSONS:

*The intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Intercessor and High Priest in heaven, never fails to bring backsliders home.

*Pride is a terrible sin. Pride is defined as the desire to live independent from God. The prodigal son was proud, but God humbled him.

*Don’t be wise in your eyes. Do not walk away from God, from your parents, and from church.

*Don’t be wasteful! Wealth without God’s wisdom ends in poverty and disgrace.

*Be careful when making friends. There are many so-called ‘fair-weather-friends’ but very few who are faithful to you in times of poverty.

*The world does not satisfy your soul. God and His Grace is enough! God loves sinners! He shows them Mercy and Grace!

*Genuine repentance is the only way for a sinner to have peace with God. A child should make his parents happy and not sad.

*Be jealous over your Christian testimony! You can’t buy or earn God’s Love. Salvation is by Grace alone!

*This is a warning against legalism: the older son thinks that because he works hard, his father owes him money. This is an example of the wrong doctrine of trying to be saved by doing good work. He hates Mercy and Grace. He hates it when sinners repent and come home.

*No matter how far you have gone away from God, come home! Father’s Agape Love never fails! Worship the Lord!