With Jesus in Prayer School

Part 2

‘One day Jesus was praying in a certain place.  When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”  He said to them, “When you pray, say: “’Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.  Give us each day our daily bread.  Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.  And lead us not into temptation.’” (Luke 11:1-4)

    I have a painful history with this prayer.  As a pupil at an all boys Grammar School in Northern Ireland in the ‘60s’ a quasi-religious assembly was a daily requirement.  The school band would strike up a usually obscure hymn.  This would be followed by a reading, normally from the Proverbs.  “Go to the ant, thou sluggard.  Consider her ways and be wise.”  That sort of thing.  And then we would all recite what is commonly known as the Lord’s Prayer: the longer version, recorded by Matthew.  

    To liven things up one day a friend and I decided to have a competition to see who could repeat the payer the faster, upsetting the rhythm of those around us and generally causing havoc and unseemly laughter.  Until we were caught.  Those were the days of the cane.  I need say no more. 

    I have a much more positive and profound memory.  Sitting in a church in West Berlin, surrounded by many refugees, listening as they thoughtfully and passionately repeated the words.

    “Lord, teach us to pray”, the disciples had asked when he had finished praying, citing the example of John the Baptist who had trained his own disciples in prayer.   Prayer might be better caught than taught.  But when it is caught, it needs to be taught.

    There is much benefit in using the exact words Jesus taught them, as long, of course, as we don’t slip into meaningless repetition, where it becomes a kind of mantra we repeat in the hope that through much repetition God will be impressed. I doubt, however, that it was the Lord’s intention that we should simply repeat the words.  Rather, he was teaching them to pray.  

    I am not known for being tongue tied.  I am used to public speaking and in private and group conversation I can normally think of something to say.  But if I were to be brought before royalty, or a world expert in my field of interest, I would struggle, at least initially, to know what to say.  I have been invited to talk with the King of Heaven.  What should I say?  What topic of conversation would be of real interest him?  How can I avoid sounding like a complete idiot?!

    So Jesus taught them to pray.  He gave them words, carefully chosen as windows into the kind of conversation that the Father loves.  For prayer is at heart speaking with God.