Sunday School Class // February 4, 2024
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This is a lesson I prepared for a Sunday School class and is based on the video series “The Basics of the Christian Life by Sinclair Ferguson | Ligonier Ministries” (Lesson 5)
Luke 11:1 (ESV)
Now 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.”
One of the most important teachings on prayer in the Bible is given by Jesus in response to the disciples asking him to specifically teach them to pray. They had witnessed the intimate heartfelt prayers of their Teacher and they wanted to learn how to pray in this same manner. Jesus then gives them this model prayer that we call the Lord’s Prayer found in Luke 11:1-4 and Matthew 6:9-13. There are three main aspects that we will focus on, but first and foremost we must remember that this model prayer of Jesus is a call for daily prayer to our Father. Jesus begins this prayer by telling us to seek the Father for our daily bread. Our call to prayer is nothing short of a continual humbling of our hearts to come before our loving Father in our weakness. We don’t just come when we think we need something from him. We come each and every day to ask him for our daily bread. For we are in desperate need of his provision and our hearts and minds need to be continually reminded of this fact.
Right Attitude: “Our Father in Heaven”
The right attitude that we have in our daily prayer is exactly how Jesus begins his prayer. We begin with “Our Father.” He is our holy Father and we are his children. There is a special bond between the Creator and Sustainer of the universe and his children that he knows so intimately. Our Father knows us better than we know ourselves and He loves us unconditionally. He loves us beyond measure. Therefore there is no need for us to live in the lies of hypocrisy. There is no need for us to pretend and wear a mask of righteousness before him or ourselves. We are free through Christ to come before our loving Father just as we are. Come to him in the messiness of life and just cry out, “Abba Father.”
For our Father cares for us and will provide for our daily needs. There is no need for fear or anxiety. Our Father knows exactly what we need and continually provides exactly what we need in every moment. Granted, I may not understand or agree with his choice of how he provides, but this is where humility comes into play. For he is my loving Father and I can absolutely trust in his perfect love and care for me.
Right Approach: “Hallowed be Your Name”
We have this deep and rich intimacy with our Lord, but we must always remember that he is our HEAVENLY Father whose name is to be hallowed. Our intimacy is not to bring God down to our level and make him one of us so to speak. No, through the cross of Christ, we are being made more and more into the likeness of Jesus. We are the ones being lifted up and invited into this heavenly union.
Notice that when Jesus says, “Our Father” he is indicating that we are drawn into this mysterious holy trinity relationship. We are being invited into a union that the Father, the Son, and the Spirit all share together. Indeed, the Father has sent the Spirit to live in each of our hearts. That’s the depth of the bond and calling we have. The Spirit of the living God is now residing in our hearts. Therefore, we should never cheapen this relationship and bring the holy down into the common. No, we should come humbly in our daily prayer cognizant that we are coming before the heavenly throne of God whose name is to be hallowed.
Right Asking: “Give us”
Our Father wants us to ask of him. He wants us to bring our daily hurts and pains before him and humbly ask him to provide. Yet, look at the requests that Jesus gives to us as examples. We are to ask God for our daily bread – a reminder of our humble reliance and dependence upon God alone to provide. Forgive us our debts – for we are in daily need of repentance and faith as we live in this world filled with temptations and evil. Lead us not into temptation – We need our Father to protect our hearts from wandering away from him and being drawn to the sin and temptation rampant in the world around us. This is a call to remember our weakness. To daily remind ourselves that we are weak and frail. We are prone to wander and leave the God we love. We need the sustaining hand of our Father to keep and guide us along the way.
So where do we go from here? We quit thinking, studying, and talking about prayer and begin to actually pray. It’s great that the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, but it would be disappointing if they then never put this into practice. Why not start right now and take 10 minutes to pray through the Lord’s Prayer. Pray God’s Word back to him. Let the words of Christ saturate your heart as you express them back to Our Father in humility and weakness. Take off the mask you are wearing and come before your heavenly father who loves you. Come before him with the right attitude, the right approach, and with the right asking.