Why did the disciples ask Jesus, "teach us to pray" in Luke 11:1? Witnessing Prayer that Stunned Them • Luke 11:1 opens with Jesus already “in a certain place…praying.” • The disciples repeatedly saw Him rise “very early” to pray (Mark 1:35) and withdraw to “solitary places” (Luke 5:16). • They noticed results: healings (Luke 5:17-26), authority over nature (Mark 4:39), and even resurrection power (John 11:41-44) flowed after His prayer times. → Seeing prayer work so powerfully stirred a longing: “We need to pray like that!” A Relationship, Not a Recitation • Most Jews knew set prayers such as the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). • Jesus, however, addressed God as “Father” (Luke 10:21; John 17:1), revealing intimate family access. • The disciples sensed their memorized formulas lacked this relational warmth and effectiveness. → They asked because they wanted the living connection they saw in Jesus. John’s Example Raised Expectations • “Just as John taught his disciples” (Luke 11:1); John the Baptist apparently gave his followers a pattern (cf. Luke 5:33). • If John’s lesser ministry offered structured guidance, surely Messiah would offer greater help. → Their request recognized Jesus’ superior authority to instruct. Ministry Pressures Exposed Their Need • Jesus had already sent them out to preach and heal (Luke 9:1-6). • They encountered demonic resistance they couldn’t overcome until Jesus explained the need for prayer (Mark 9:29). → Experience taught them that power and perseverance depend on learned, disciplined prayer. Literal Confidence in Jesus’ Teaching • Matthew 7:7-11 shows Jesus promising the Father’s generous answers. • Believing Scripture literally, the disciples trusted His words would equip them to access those promises. → Their request flowed from confidence that Jesus’ instruction would be both practical and effectual. Desire to Enter the Son’s Fellowship with the Father • Jesus prayed, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me” (John 11:41). • He later invited them, “Whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you” (John 16:23). → They sensed His prayers sprang from filial intimacy and wanted inclusion in that same fellowship. Summary Reasons They Asked • They witnessed the power and peace Jesus’ prayers produced. • They recognized a relational depth missing in their own practice. • John’s precedent showed prayer can be taught. • Ministry challenges highlighted their insufficiency apart from prayer. • They trusted Jesus’ literal promises of answered prayer. • They longed for the Father-Son closeness Jesus modeled. So, the disciples’ plea, “Lord, teach us to pray,” sprang from firsthand observation, unmet spiritual hunger, and faith that Jesus’ explicit instruction would usher them into the same vibrant, authoritative communion with the Father that they daily saw in their Master. |
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