Teach Us To Pray

“And it came to pass, that, as He was praying in a certain place,
when He ceased, one of His disciples said unto Him,
Lord, teach us to pray…”
Luke 11:1

Teach Us To Pray
so that we will not rely upon ourselves.

“Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.”

“The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself…” (his prayer never left the room)

“And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other…” 
Luke 18:9-14

Only by praying does one learn TO pray, for prayer is the heart of a child communing with the heavenly Father.

Relationship is the secret of prayer, and in praying, we discover the secret of relationship.

“When ye pray, say, Our Father…”

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Prayer Is The Soul’s Sincere Desire

“Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire,
Unuttered or expressed;
The motion of a hidden fire
That trembles in the breast.

Prayer is the burden of a sigh,
The falling of a tear
The upward glancing of an eye,
When none but God is near.

Prayer is the simplest form of speech
That infant lips can try;
The upward glancing of an eye,
When none but God is near.

Prayer is the Christian’s vital breath,
The Christian’s native air,
His watchword at the gates of death;
He enters heaven with prayer.

O Thou, by Whom we come to God,
The Life, the Truth, the Way;
The path of prayer Thyself hast trod:
Lord, teach us how to pray!

Prayer is the contrite sinner’s voice,
Returning from his ways,
While angels in their songs rejoice
And cry, “Behold, he prays!”

The saints in prayer appear as one
In word, in deed, and mind,
While with the Father and the Son
Sweet fellowship they find.

No prayer is made by man alone
The Holy Spirit pleads,
And Jesus, on th’eternal throne,
For sinners intercedes.

O Thou by Whom we come to God,
The Life, the Truth, the Way,
The path of prayer Thyself hast trod:
Lord, teach us how to pray.”

– George Montgomery (1818)

Related Post: Prayer and the Art of Sailing

Brian Troxel