Teach Us to Pray

Today’s Passage: Luke 11:1–13

Jesus often withdrew to pray. When He finished on this particular day, a disciple approached Him with a direct request. He asked Jesus to teach him to pray. Today we start examining the concrete practices that anchor a life with God, starting exactly where this disciple started. The evidence in this passage leads to a simple verdict. You can ask. Your Father loves to give.

Luke 11:1 (BSB)

¹ One day in a place where Jesus had just finished praying, one of His disciples requested, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

The disciples observed Jesus closely. They recognized that His authority and power flowed directly from those quiet hours alone with His Father. They wanted to learn that specific habit first.

Luke 11:2–4 (BSB)

² So Jesus told them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. ³ Give us each day our daily bread. ⁴ And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’”

Jesus provides a clear framework. He directs their attention first to the Father, honoring His name and His kingdom. Then the focus moves to practical necessities. A person needs daily bread, forgiveness for sins, and protection from temptation. The words are brief and direct. A child can memorize them. Jesus demonstrates that prayer involves a child speaking honestly to a Father.

God instructs you to ask for today's (ἐπιούσιος) epiousios, pronounced eh-pee-OO-see-os. Strong's G1967, for the coming day, daily, the day's own portion. This specific Greek term refers strictly to bread for the current day. It recalls the manna in the wilderness. God supplied Israel with enough food for one day at a time. Jesus instructs you to request your provision in that exact same way. provision today. He requires you to trust Him in the morning for that day’s needs. You leave tomorrow in His hands.

Luke 11:5–8 (BSB)

⁵ Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose one of you goes to his friend at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, ⁶ because a friend of mine has come to me on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him.’ ⁷ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Do not bother me. My door is already shut, and my children and I are in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.’ ⁸ I tell you, even though he will not get up to provide for him because of his friendship, yet because of the man’s persistence, he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

Jesus uses a brief illustration to emphasize persistence. A man visits his neighbor at midnight to request bread for an unexpected guest. The neighbor rests in bed with his family and refuses to get up. The man stays at the door and keeps asking. Eventually, the neighbor provides the bread. Jesus draws a sharp contrast here. God acts nothing like a reluctant, sleeping neighbor. If a grumbling man will finally yield to persistent requests, a perfect Father will certainly answer a child who refuses to give up. Keep coming to God. Keep asking.

Luke 11:9–10 (BSB)

⁹ So I tell you: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Jesus lays out the facts with three concrete actions: ask, seek, knock. You return to the door repeatedly. The promise guarantees a specific result. Everyone who asks receives. Jesus describes a door that opens to the one who stands there and knocks.

Luke 11:11–13 (BSB)

¹¹ What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? ¹² Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? ¹³ So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

Jesus reasons from a lesser fact to a greater truth. A human father will hand his hungry son a fish or an egg. Jesus states bluntly that human beings are evil, yet they still know how to give good gifts to their children. Since flawed humans provide good things, the perfect Father in heaven will do much more. Look at the specific gift Jesus guarantees. He promises the Holy Spirit. God gives His own self to the people who ask Him. The disciples learned to pray to a generous Father. You pray to that same Father today.

This first practice stands as the foundation. You only need to approach God and present your requests. Ask, because your Father loves to give. Take the prayer Jesus provided in these verses and speak it aloud today. Alternatively, take a heavy burden you have carried in silence and ask God for help using plain, direct words. Approach Him exactly the way a child approaches a good father.

Pray to Close

Approach God and praise Him for being a perfect Father who gives good gifts to His children. Thank Him for leaving the door open and inviting you to persist in your requests. Confess any areas where you stopped coming to Him or assumed He would ignore you. Ask Him directly for the specific provision you need today, and ask Him to fill you with His Holy Spirit.