PRAY LIKE JESUS

PASTOR RYAN LADEN – DEVOTIONALS

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It is good to be back. During the short break I have taken from our daily devotionals, Amy (my wife) and I have moved to North Little Rock, started a new season of ministry as the Senior Pastor of Park Hill Baptist Church, purchased a home, moved in to our new house, and hired a new Worship Pastor for the church. But now it is time to get back to all the good stuff of ministry, which includes sharing this time of personal spiritual growth with you. 

Today

Today we are looking at a teaching on prayer given to us by the Lord Jesus Christ. This prayer is often called the “model prayer” or the “Lord’s Prayer.” While these names are fitting and useful, they also imply that this prayer was somehow to be used by the disciples of Jesus as a ritualized prayer, something to be said over and over as a way to standardize our times of prayer with God. 

However, there is no real evidence that the early church used this prayer in that way. It would seem that the early followers of Jesus, understood this prayer as a description of the kinds of subjects or approaches the people of God were to take when coming to God in prayer. 

Our approach will be to work through this message little by little, listening to the heart of God as expressed in Jesus’ prayer. 

1 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.” 

2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation (or lead us not into the time of trial).”

(Luke 11:1-4 NIV11 – parenthetical translation from Ryan Laden)

Opening

Before we get into the big ideas found in Jesus’ specific prayer points, let’s look at the opening sentence. It has a powerful message for all of us. 

Luke 11:1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place.

Four times in the Gospel of Luke, we read about how Jesus withdrew from the business of his ministry and the crush of the crowds in order to get alone with the Father for a time of open communion and conversation. 

Jesus Christ modeled a powerful form of devotion and connection with the Lord God Almighty. Jesus withdrew from the distractions and challenges of his life and his work in order to spend real, quality time with God. 

Model

If anyone could claim that they did not need to withdraw from the distractions of life in order to spend time in purposeful periods of prayer, I would say that it was Jesus. As God in flesh, it seems fitting that Jesus would be able to say that he could connect with God on the go and that he did not need to stop and pray. 

But as our model of holiness and righteousness, Jesus did stop and pray. 

We would do well to follow in his footsteps. We need to listen to the example given here in the message of God’s word. If Jesus needed to get alone with the Lord, then so do you and I. 

Can you find time to pray today?

•   Not just a passing nod at God or a quick shout for help… 
•   But can you find five minutes to set aside time to focus on the Lord in prayer?
•   If you want, use the prayer Jesus gave you as a guide as you talk to the Lord about: 
•   His goodness, his will, your daily needs, your areas of repentance, your hurts and pains, and your areas of personal struggle and challenge. 

Let’s join together in prayer today as we follow the example of the Lord. 

In Christ, 

Ryan Laden

PASTOR RYAN LADEN

Works at MTN. CHURCH

Former Senior pastor at Warnbro Community Church

Studies at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at Baylor University

Studied at Texas Tech University

Went to Castle Hills First Baptist

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