LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY.... LUKE 11:1 KJV

One day Jesus's disciples watched and lsitened as He prayed. When He got through they said: 'Lord, teach us to pray...' As a result He gave them what's become known as 'The Lord's Prayer.' Can you remember when you last prayed it? If not, why? Maybe you learned it by rote and you don't understand its significance or power. Or perhaps it was repeared like a meaningless ritual at the end of a church service as people put on their coats and headed for the car park. That tells you more about the hearts of the people than the power of the prayer. 'Well I think we need more contemporary prayers geared toward fast-trackers.' Really? Have you listened to some of the stuff they've replaced the Lord's Prayer with? Jesus warned us about prayers that are just 'babbling' (See Matthew 6:7 NIV). There are lots of prayers in the Bible: prayers for deliverance, for guidance, for forgiveness, for unity, etc. Here's the score: when you pray it should be a) passionate b) scriptural c) intimate d) unhurried e) faith filled. Take a moment and meditate on each of those five things. They're your keys to answered prayer.

We only tend to keep doing what rewards us, so when prayer becomes an unrewarding experience we quite. If that's why you no longer pray the Lord's Prayer, don't feel condemned; feel challenged. For the next few days let's go back to the only prayer Jesus Himself gave us to pray. After all, who knows more about prayer? Can you imagine Jesus giving us a prayer that didn't move God, get a hearing and bring the needed answers?

Read: Luke 11:1-4; 1 Peter 5:13-16