Prayer Does Not Come Automatically - Myles Munroe

February 29

For the next several days, we will study the model prayer that Jesus taught His disciples. Luke 11:1 says, “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’” The Scripture says, “One day Jesus was praying.” The disciples were present, but they were not involved. While Jesus prayed, they observed Him.

Whenever the Bible mentions Jesus praying, it tells specific things about His actions. For example: “After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone” (Matthew 14:23). “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God” (Luke 6:12). “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35). Christ never seemed to pray with the disciples. What was the reason for this? I believe He wanted them to ask Him about this most important aspect of His ministry, and He also wanted to teach them that prayer is a personal relationship and responsibility. Corporate prayer should never be a substitute for private time with the Father.

Next, the disciples said, “Lord, teach us to pray.” This implies that knowing how to pray is not automatic, or something they could do without His instruction. As young Jewish men, the disciples had been brought up in the synagogue, where they had been taught to pray. They daily read and repeated prayers in the synagogue. However, Jesus’ prayers differed from what they had been taught. They prayed; He prayed. They spoke words; He secured results.

Prayer:

Father, show me through Your Word all that You wanted the disciples to know about prayer. I want to pray as Christ did. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Thought: Prayer is a personal relationship and responsibility.

Reading: Numbers 20–22; Mark 7:1–13

-Daily power And Prayer Devotional

Prayer Does Not Come Automatically - Myles Munroe