When
he finished praying in a certain place, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.”
Luke 11:1
Luke 10 [41.] Jesus answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 11 [1.] When he finished praying in a certain place, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.”
Luke 11 [2.] He said to them, “When you pray, say,
‘Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come.
May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us day by day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
Bring us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’”
Meaning:
This verse introduces the Lord’s Prayer in Luke’s Gospel (Luke 11:2-4). It shows that the request to learn to pray came from the disciples themselves, after they had watched Jesus pray.
- “When he finished praying in a certain place”
Luke more than any other Gospel writer shows Jesus at prayer. He prayed at his baptism (Luke 3:21). He often “withdrew himself into the desert, and prayed” (Luke 5:16). Before choosing the twelve apostles “he continued all night in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12). He was praying when he asked the disciples who they said he was (Luke 9:18) and when he was transfigured (Luke 9:28-29). Prayer was the steady rhythm of his life, not an occasional activity. Even the Son of God, in his earthly life, depended on communion with the Father (Hebrews 5:7).
- “Lord, teach us to pray”
The disciples had grown up praying. They knew the Psalms and the prayers of the synagogue. Yet watching Jesus pray made them want something more. His prayer was clearly different: intimate, confident and full of the Father’s presence. The best teaching on prayer often begins with seeing someone who truly prays. Their request is humble. Even believers who have prayed for years can still say, “Lord, teach us to pray.” Paul admits, “we don’t know how to pray as we ought,” and says that the Spirit helps our weakness (Romans 8:26).
- “just as John also taught his disciples”
John the Baptist had gathered disciples and taught them to pray. On another occasion people remarked, “Why do John’s disciples often fast and pray” (Luke 5:33). Teachers in that time sometimes gave their followers a distinctive prayer that expressed the heart of their message. The disciples ask Jesus for a prayer that would mark them as his followers and express the life of the Kingdom he proclaimed.
- The answer Jesus gives
Jesus responds at once with a pattern of prayer: “Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come.” (Luke 11:2). He then teaches persistence in prayer through the parable of the friend at midnight (Luke 11:5-8) and assures them of the Father’s goodness (Luke 11:9-10; Luke 11:11-13).
The Significance of Luke 11:1
- Prayer is learned
No one is born knowing how to pray well. Like the disciples, believers can ask the Lord to teach them, and grow through practice, Scripture and the help of the Spirit.
- Examples matter
The disciples learned from watching Jesus. Those who pray faithfully can encourage others simply by their example.
Cross-References:
Luke 5:16: "But he withdrew himself into the desert, and prayed." Jesus’ habit of prayer.
Luke 6:12: "he continued all night in prayer to God." Prayer before important decisions.
Romans 8:26: "for we don’t know how to pray as we ought." The Spirit helps our weakness.
Luke 11:2-4: The prayer Jesus taught in answer to this request.
Conclusion: After watching Jesus pray, one of his disciples asked him to teach them to pray, as John the Baptist had taught his disciples. Luke shows that prayer was central to Jesus’ life, and this simple request opened the way for the Lord’s Prayer and his teaching on persistence and trust in the Father.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible