One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray.”
Luke 11:1
Scripture never records that the disciples asked Jesus how to preach, but it does say that they asked Him how to pray. From their request we receive Jesus’ teaching on prayer known best as the Lord’s Prayer (Luke 11:1-4). Christ alone is our prefect prayer teacher.
Other prayer teachers in Scripture include Hannah who teaches us to pour out our soul to the LORD when we are deeply troubled (1 Samuel 1:15), Jonah who teaches that prayer can indeed take place anywhere, including the inside of a fish (Jonah 2:1), Daniel teaches us to be faithful and courageous in prayer even when it may result in our being lunch to lions (Daniel 6), Nehemiah teaches that the first step into any undertaking is prayer and that every step that follows demands persistence in prayer (Nehemiah 1), and Epaphras teaches us to wrestle in prayer for the body of Christ (Colossians 4:12).
Prayer teachers are not limited to God’s Word. It is also right and good to be encouraged and challenged by one another. I have the privilege of participating in a monthly Bible study with the GEMS leaders from my local club. We’re joining many other clubs across the continent in studying the book, Crazy Love, by Francis Chan. During one of our studies, a dear sister in Jesus admitted that she has attention deficit when it comes to prayer – it’s just so hard for her to stay focused. Heads nodded, we identified, and began to learn from each other.
One lady said she taught herself to pray before her third child was born. She sat at a table with her pen and notebook and by writing down her prayers, she learned to pray. She now has a sizable stack of journals that will be a treasured heirloom to future generations. Another lady said she’s started to practice what Francis talks about in his video by stopping for 30 seconds before she prays, picturing God, and then speaking to Him. It’s changed everything for her.
As meaningful as it is to think of all the people, places, and books, we can go to learn to pray, it’s important to remember the wise words of another prayer teacher, E.M. Bounds, who said, “Prayer is not learned in a classroom but in the closet.”
PASSION Step: Think of someone whose prayer life you really admire? Go to her. Ask her questions. Don’t be afraid to say, “Will you spend some time with me? I want to learn from you about prayer.”
The great people of the earth today are the people who pray. I do not mean those who talk about prayer; nor those who say they believe in prayer; nor yet those who can explain about prayer; but I mean those people who take time and pray. They have not time. It must be taken from something else. This something else is important. Very important, and pressing, but still less important and pressing than prayer.
S.D. Gordon
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