◄ What Does Luke 11:1 Mean? ►

Although we often imagine the ministry of John the Baptist to be one of a passionate prophet who ate locusts and wild honey as he wandered in the wilderness and accused the proud, unrepentant Pharisees of being a brood of vipers, he was also a man dedicated to prayer who prayed in the in spirit and power of Elijah. John instructed his followers to pray passionately to their Creator God. But Christ's daily devotion to prayer was that of a beloved Son desiring fellowship with His much-loved Father, intent to carry out His Father's will. No wonder His disciples pleaded with Jesus: "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples."

The disciples must have been attracted to the joy Christ enjoyed as He communed with His Father in heaven. They observed Him rise early in the morning to take time to fellowship with His God, and discovered Him late into evening offering thanksgiving and praise. His meat was to do the will of His Father and He discovered God's plans and purposes during those times of purposeful, powerful, pleading, and praising prayer.

Although Christ was undiminished Deity, He laid aside His glory to demonstrate to man how God intended man to live at the beginning, which was in total dependence upon the Father, only saying and doing those things that He heard from the Father; walking in spirit and truth, living in submission to the inner-promptings of the Holy Ghost, and remaining in unbroken fellowship with the Father. The life of Jesus was the demonstration of a Man Who lived His life in a spirit of dependant humility, goodness, and grace, Who would not compromise the good news of the gospel of God, but spoke the truth in goodness and love.

And so it happened: "While Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished one of His disciples said to Him, 'Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.'"

When a man or woman is a willing vessel, God can do mighty exploits through them. When a believer undertakes to abide in Christ and in a knowledge of Him, he will do so as he maintains unbroken fellowship with the Father. As sins are confessed and as we seek only to follow in the steps of our prayerful Saviour with joyful praise, grateful thanks, continuous fellowship, and powerful intercessions, we will learn how to pray in spirit and truth and so develop a prayer life that is both effective and honouring to our Father. When a Christian desires to pray: "LORD, teach ME to pray," he needs only to look to Jesus Who demonstrated throughout His entire life what it really means to PRAY.

Heavenly Father, I pray that in the power of Your Holy Spirit, I may live my life as Christ lived His, in continuous, prayerful fellowship with His Father in heaven. May I learn to live in total dependence upon You, only saying and doing those things that I hear from You. May I learn to walk daily in spirit and truth, living in submission to the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit, and remaining in unbroken fellowship with You. May my life become one of dependant humility, goodness, and grace, without compromising the good news of the gospel of God - but may I speak out the truth in goodness and love, to Your praise and glory. This I ask in Jesus' name, AMEN.