SUNDAY SCHOOL SNIPPETS. . .A MODEL FOR PRAYER Our Sunday School lesson on tomorrow will focus upon Prayer, and in particular, the prayer of Jesus which has come to be known as the Lords prayer but should more aptly be called the Lords model for prayer. This truth, while not so easily discerned in Luke who has Jesus leading into this lesson by saying, When ye pray, SAY. . . (Luke 11:2) is more readily discerned in Matthews gospel which records Jesus opening line as, After THIS MANNER therefore pray ye. (Matthew 6:9). Jesus, it must be noted, has been asked by his disciples to teach them HOW to pray and not WHAT to pray! He therefore is offering them words not necessarily meant to be repeated verbatim but words that demonstrate the particular components of prayer and thus serves as a model for prayer. The actual prayer of Jesus, or at least the more prominent one that is not a model prayer is found in John 17. Does this mean that this model prayer when used as an actual prayer has no merit whatsoever and thus should not be prayed? It absolutely does not mean this at all. Millions of people have prayed this prayer alone and was not only heard by God but they found in him, as a result of this simple prayer, a very present help in a time of trouble. Remember, prayer is not measured alone in the words one speaks. There is the issue of faith without which none is able to even please God. (Hebrews 11:6) And while faith cometh by hearing it is nonetheless conceived in the heart of a man or a woman. (Romans 10:9-10) And because it is, and moreso, because it is the heart by which God looks upon a man or a woman (1 Samuel 16:17), then praying only this model prayer of Jesus as millions have done, is both acceptable and efficacious if it is accompanied by a heart of faith. Now clearly there are some eschatological (Last Days) concerns implicit in this prayer with many scholars believing this prayer to be just that - a prayer Jesus gives to his disciples with the Tribulation Period of the Last Days in view. This Tribulation Period is that coming period on Gods timetable when the church will have been raptured and the literal Davidic Kingdom promised Israel would once again be the primary focus of God. This however, is not now my focus. When looked at in its proper context, this lesson on prayer which is being taught by Jesus will reveal that Jesus had one other lesson goal in mind in addition to teaching them HOW to pray. That lesson beloved, was for them and by extension us, to be convinced beyond any shadow of a doubt that our heavenly Father desires, more than anything we can even imagine, to answer the prayers of his children when they call upon him! (Luke 11:5-13) For this reason we are told that men ought to ALWAYS PRAY!! (Luke 18:1) Be blessed!
Posted on: Sun, 04 Jan 2015 01:42:01 +0000
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