Teach Us to Pray

As the disciples journeyed with Jesus, they noticed that he prayed frequently. It was not uncommon for him to pray for long periods of time in the morning before the sunrise. Sometimes he spent all day in prayer; at other times he prayed all night.

Jesus was what the Scriptures call “an intercessor.” He interceded, which means he stood between God and man to bring forth on earth blessings from heaven. While he was on earth, he was the Divine Intercessor, God among us, interceding on our behalf. He loved to intercede.

The disciples were challenged and inspired by watching Jesus pray and they boldly asked him to teach them to pray. They had heard Jesus teach but they did not ask him to teach them to teach; they saw him perform miracles but they did not ask him to teach them to heal — they asked him to teach them to pray.

When Jesus’ disciples heard him praying, their emotions and spiritual passions stirred within them. They had all been brought up in the religious Jewish customs of the day, and they had prayed from the time they were little children. In other words, they were men steeped in the tradition of prayer.  But after hearing Jesus pray, they felt totally inadequate in prayer. The cry of their hearts was, “Compared to you, Jesus, we know nothing about prayer. Jesus, teach us to pray” (see Luke 11:1).   

I invite you into the presence of Jesus today. Come sit at his feet and spend time in his presence. You can be honest with him: “Lord Jesus, I don’t know how to pray but here I am. I want to learn and I offer my life to you.” If you are sons or daughters of Jesus Christ, you are “partakers of the divine nature [of God]” (2 Peter 1:4). The spirit of the Divine Intercessor dwells within every believer who longs to be filled with his power.