Realigning our relationship with the Father
Luke 11:1-4
Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples." And he said to them,
"When you pray, say:
"Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, as we ourselves forgive everyone who has sinned against us.
And lead us not into temptation."
The disciples see Jesus praying and ask him for guidance in their prayers. Think about this. Prayer is an interesting thing. It's very personal and should be private. But it's also an expression of our heart so it's very specific to who we are, what we are about, and what we desire for ourselves and others. But what about what God wants to hear from us?
I think the disciples got it right this time. It seems to me that they have an opportunity that nobody else ever had. They have the opportunity to ask God directly what he would like to hear from us. And so they ask him "teach us to pray". Instead of just going with their instincts, they turn to Jesus and essentially say, "Hey, you’ve got a direct line to the Father, show us how it’s done." They’re not assuming they’ve got it all figured out; they’re humble enough to ask. I think it's a brilliant thing to ask and Jesus doesn't shoot them down on mock them or anything. And Jesus doesn’t hesitate. He just immediately gives them the model for prayer. So, think about what did Jesus give them? He told them, and us, what it is God wants to hear from us. It’s direct, it’s practical, and it’s loaded with meaning about what matters to God. So, we should probably make note of that and really let that sink in.
First, we should note that it may seem transactional, but it's not, it's relational. He’s not just some cosmic vending machine. You're not putting in an order at the faith kiosk. This is why the prayer begins with the hallowed relationship. You're not just recognizing that he is God, you're recognizing that he's your heavenly Father. That puts you in your place, it doesn't put him in his place because he's already in his place without your help. So, we begin with "Father", which sets the tone.
When we say "Father", we’re doing more than just tossing out a title; we’re stepping into that relationship. Jesus could’ve said "God" or "Lord" or "Almighty One", but he chooses "Father", Abba. Like Dad. Now, I don't know what your relationship is with your father. It might not be a good one. Maybe you've never had a close relationship with your father. It's different for everyone, but I think as someone myself who was raised in a family that didn't celebrate fatherhood very well at all. I can understand how some people would struggle with calling God, father. But I don't think you can take it personally like that. This is not your earthly father. This is not your birth father. This is your Father God. Your Creator. This is a reverent reference and relationship. It's not a relationship that should carry any baggage from an earthly relationship. And so right off the bat you have to get over that if that's something you need to get over.
So, what are we saying?
First, we’re claiming closeness to Him. Calling God "Father" means we’re not just shouting out into some void universe or begging a far-off ruler. We’re talking to someone who knows us personally because he created us, loves us, and has a stake in our lives. And we're telling Him in this manner that he matters to us. So when you say those words, "our Father who is in heaven", it's like a prayerful hug to a father who we love, adore, and admire. In that one short phrase were telling him how much he matters to us. So make sure he matters to you. Don't just perfunctorily say it like a script, mean what you say. Check yourself and ask yourself do I really mean what I say? And if you discover that you don't or you're not sure, then I recommend digging into the scriptures and especially the book of Psalms so that you maybe discover how you really feel about God the Father.
So here we are at the beginning of our prayer. God’s our Father, we’re His children, part of His family. That shifts how we see ourselves and our place in the world. God wants you to come close, but don’t forget who He is. This prayer is about His will being done as in heaven so also on earth. And so our prayerful purpose should be that God's will is done in our lives according to His plan. So in a lot of ways, we come to him in prayer to figure out what that plan is. We drop in our desires, sort of a hint as to what we think it ought to be, but we begin our prayer in this matter because we know that what he believes the plan ought to be is no doubt the better idea. We're recognizing that it's very much likely that he has a much better idea than ours. We’re really there to align with His will, trusting He’s got the superior perspective. The Earth is in rebellion against God. Mankind for the most part has joined themselves with the fallen angels in this rebellion. And so it's important to know God's perspective so that we can realign ours which has already been distorted.
Next up is "Give us each day our daily bread." This is huge, it’s Jesus saying it’s okay, even good, to bring our basic needs to God. He’s teaching us dependence, not self-sufficiency. And again, it's a realignment into understanding what those needs are in relation to our relationship with the Father. Give us what? More of the junk food we've been feeding ourselves physically and spiritually? I don't think so. This is why we don't give a list of the things we want. We are leaving it in his hands to give us the things he knows we need. He wants us to lean on Him for it, one day at a time, day by day, no stockpiling or stressing about tomorrow. Just like the manna from heaven in the wilderness, we take what we need for today and leave tomorrow for tomorrow.
Then comes "Forgive us our sins, as we ourselves forgive everyone who has sinned against us." Here’s where Jesus gets into the nitty-gritty of our earthly relationships. But again, we're also in that same breath, realigning our relationship with the Father. We're expressing our desire to obey his command that we should love one another as he has loved us. It's like we're admitting we're going to mess this up, so we're expressing our desire to try harder next time. He’s teaching that prayer isn’t just vertical (us and God) but horizontal too (us and others). God’s will involves us being honest about our mess-ups, seeking His mercy, and then passing that mercy along. It’s like He’s saying, "You can’t live in My kingdom if you’re hoarding grudges."
As a husband and father I can testify to having messed this up all the time. I've not had excellent relationships with my family. And most of the time it's been my stubborn pride, and sense of justice that's gotten in the way of my finding peace among the family.
Looking at this through the lens of Luke 11:1-4, Jesus’ prayer model feels like it’s speaking right into that struggle. When I get to "Forgive us our sins, as we ourselves forgive everyone who has sinned against us," it’s always a gut check for me. In fact, I'm typically already thinking about it before I get there. For me, it’s easy to ask God to forgive my screw-ups, but then turning around and letting go of the stuff my family has done, or I think they’ve done, to me? Well...let's just say this is my personal thorn in my side. I've been walking with Jesus for a long time now but still have not had the thorn removed. I think that's the case because we tend to like our thorns. That’s where the pride kicks in. It’s like I want justice on my terms, not God’s. Jesus links these things together, our forgiveness from God and our forgiving of others aren’t separate deals. It’s messy, but it’s part of His will for us.
And then there’s "Lead us not into temptation." Maybe for guys like us, that’s not just about avoiding obvious sins but it's also about the temptation to double down on that pride or cling to being "right" instead of being at peace. And Satan loves this unrest. And so, we call upon God to help us realign with His will which will then in turn hopefully NOT lead us into Satan's will.
Satan thrives on that unrest, doesn’t he?
It’s like he’s whispering, "Keep fighting, keep proving your point", because it pulls us away from peace and into his chaos, which is his playground. When Jesus throws that line into the prayer, it’s almost like a shield. We’re asking God to step in and redirect us, to keep us from stumbling into that trap where pride becomes our master instead of Him. Again, we are asking daily for this part of the realignment. Because frankly we wake up every day with a renewed desire to fail at this. Satan tries again every day to find a chink in the armor. Something that softened our spiritual muscles. Maybe we had really bad day the day before. Work was especially difficult. The family has been especially difficult. The chores are getting especially difficult. Everything is difficult and so is finding our peace of mind.
So, when we're praying "Lead us not into temptation" it's like handing God the reins and saying, "I can’t outsmart this on my own, keep me on Your path." When the tension spikes and we feel that urge to dig in, maybe it’s a chance to breathe and ask God to lead us away from Satan’s bait and toward His peace instead.
So now we have the model for prayer, but Jesus doesn't just drop it there and move on. He shares a little story to help us understand that the Father truly wants this daily one on one relationship with us. Even if it seems like we're annoying him.
Luke 11:5
And he said to them, "Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened."
Jesus uses this parable to illustrate the importance of persistence in prayer and the Father's willingness to respond to our needs. Keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking, and rest assured that God, unlike the reluctant friend, is eager to answer. Prayer is less about twisting God’s arm and more about trusting His character and staying connected to Him.
And then Jesus wraps it all up with this promise.
Luke 11:13
"If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
This verse contrasts our human imperfection with His divine goodness. Even flawed, earthly parents (the "who are evil" part). It’s striking that Jesus specifies the Holy Spirit here. It ties back to the daily relationship. He’s not only willing but delighted to pour out His Spirit on us. He gives us Himself, the ultimate answer to our deepest needs.
So here we are.
The prayer is over.
What has happened?
Hopefully it's been about reorienting us, aligning our minds and hearts with His will, and transforming us into people who live out His purposes. When Jesus teaches us to pray, "Your kingdom come, your will be done", that's what God wants from us. He wants our surrender, attuning our hearts to God’s frequency. And he gives us the power source for that transformation. God Himself dwelling in us, guiding us, and enabling us to live out the gospel’s purpose. It’s like a cycle; prayer aligns us with God’s will, persistence keeps us connected, and the Spirit empowers us to embody His kingdom here on earth.
So keep on praying in this way. Keep on becoming His people, and doing His work.