In the School of Prayer

“Lord, teach us to pray…”—Luke 11:1

Prayer is both a simple and a complex thing. It is simple because it is a conversation between two parties, but it is complex because one of those parties is God. How do we converse with God? And how is it that God would want to converse with us? Yet, that is exactly what prayer is, a conversation between God and us. How do we even have such a conversation? And why are we so privileged to speak to God in such a way that He would even listen to us and do what we ask?

Because Jesus is the God-man, we can learn how to approach God the Father because of Jesus’ divinity, and express the cries of our heart because of Jesus’ humanity. It is no wonder then that the disciples came to Jesus with a request, “Lord, teach us to pray…” It is amazing to me that they didn’t ask Him how to cast out demons, heal the sick, give sight to the blind, speech to the mute, and hearing to the deaf, nor did they ask Him how to raise the dead. They had one request, “Lord, teach us to pray.” What would make them utter such a request? Why did they want to know about prayer above all things? I believe their request revealed something amazing about their desire for God and God’s desire for us. Doing great acts such as raising the dead and healing the sick are wonderful things, but there is not a way of conversing and being known in those acts. It is a one-dimensional act of transference of power, such as passing a baton from one person to the next in a relay race. God gives the power to heal by His Holy Spirit and the apostles used that power to heal certain individuals. They were simply passing the baton. But prayer -- that is something entirely different, for prayer is an act whereby a person is KNOWN by God Himself. While it is true that God already knows us, it is an act where not only we are known, but God makes Himself known. How? Through His willingness to answer our prayers. Why would the Creator allow Himself to fulfill a request on behalf of His creation? Because of His love.

There are a few things that we must consider before we venture further. We are commanded to make our requests known to God (Philippians 4:6) and to confess our sins (1 John 1:9). Does God not know our sins? Does He not know our requests? Of course He does. He knows both our sins and our requests (Matthew 6:7). The question then becomes: why pray then? If God already knows our sins and requests, then why present either to Him?

Perhaps another scripture might shed some light on the subject. When Adam and Eve were in the Garden, God had commanded them not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which they subsequently did. And as soon as they did, the scripture says that their eyes were opened and they knew that they were naked (Genesis 3:7). They tried to cover up their sin by sewing fig leaves together and wearing them as clothes. So, when God showed up, they attempted to hide their sin even further by hiding. But, no one is able to hide from Almighty God. When God showed up, He asked the question, “Where are you?”pra (Genesis 3:9). Did God not know where they were? He knew exactly where they were. His question was not to discover their physical location; it was so that they might understand their spiritual separation.

It is a similar situation with God and us today. God knows our requests and sins before we confess or ask anything of Him, just as He did with Adam and Eve. If this is so, then why do we ask of God in prayer? Why would God have us ask? I believe it is because God wants us to have the privilege of conversing with Him on a personal level. And that is the great mystery. Almighty God chooses to make Himself known to us through the person of Jesus Christ, then through His willingness to answer our prayers, we can see that He is not only a God who came near, but a God who cares. Almighty God stoops to our level. He makes Himself known, and as He makes Himself known, we are known. That is, we are known in all of our misery and sin, but we are able to see Him in all of His magnificence and mercy, and all of this is through the person of Jesus Christ. God the Father makes Himself known through God the Son and when we approach the Father, we do so through the Son in such a way that we as sinners are shown to be sanctified, and God, by listening and granting our requests, is glorified. It is a mystery. How God could associate with us in prayer on such an intimate personal level whereby we are known to Him and He is made known to us is beyond the greatest mind to comprehend. No wonder the apostles wanted to learn how to pray! It was their opportunity to know and be known by God!

My brother or sister, know this: God wants us to pray. He desires to make Himself known and wants to know us. Therefore, take the time to pray. Take the time to listen and get to know Him and let yourself be known and let God receive all the glory. Amen.