The Lord’s Prayer Lk 11: 1-4 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

In Lk 11:1, the disciples asked the Lord Jesus Christ to teach them to pray.  He taught them a prayer in Luke 11:2-4.  We commonly call this prayer the Lord’s Prayer.  We should probably more accurately call it the Disciples’ Prayer.  In this prayer we find five components that are very valuable for our prayer lives.

The Lord’s Prayer includes:

Praise.  Praise and thanksgiving are our spiritual sacrifices.  They magnify the Lord.  We enter into his courts with praise.  By praising the Lord we draw close to him and by thanking him we express our gratitude.

Providence.  In the prayer that the Lord taught the disciples, he said “thy will be done in earth”.  When we pray that the Lord will do his will in our lives we are submitting our will to his will.  We are coming to him in meekness.  We are testifying that we believe that his will is greater and better than our will.  Jesus Christ demonstrated this submission in his own prayer in the garden.  He said “thy will be done.”

Provision.  We are to pray daily for our bread.  This reminds me of Agur’s prayer in Proverbs 30:7-9.  We take for granted that the bread we have now, we will continue to have.  In fact, we should pray each day for the food we have, to remind us that it truly comes from the Lord.

Pardon.  We are to confess our sins according to 1 John 1:9.  The Lord cleanses us and restores our fellowship with him when we confess our sins.  Therefore, we are to keep a short account with him.  Likewise, we are to keep a short account with others by forgiving them (Ephesians 4:32).  We receive mercy when we extend mercy.

Protection.  We know that we have a way to escape in the midst of temptation according to 1 Corinthians 10:13.  But this prayer encourages us to pray before we see the temptation.  We are to ask the Lord to deliver us from evil. There is certainly plenty of evil in the world, in our flesh, and in the devil.  By praying for God‘s protection ahead of time, we can avoid much trouble.

Conclusion

If we would incorporate these components in our own prayer lives, we will find a great personal benefit.  Prayer is such a vital part of our Christian life, we want to make sure that we derive the most effectual benefit that we can.