Once, in a certain place, Jesus was at prayer.  When he ceased, one of his disciples said, 'Lord, teach us how to pray, as John taught his disciples.'

Jesus praying - a very familiar sight to his disciples.  They knew how often and how long he prayed and they'd have known how much they didn't do the same.  They must have wondered what he prayed about.

They would also have seen the effect that prayer had on Jesus - maybe he went off drained and tired and came back rejuvenated.

I remember reading about Corrie Ten Boom when she was quite elderly and still travelling around on speaking engagements.  She was biletted at a home and, when she arrived,  her hostess saw that she looked tired and offered Corrie a chance to go to her room and rest.  Corrie gratefully accepted and disappeared into her room.  Her hostess set about getting on with some tasks, only to be surprised ten minutes later by the re-appearance of Corrie, looking thoroughly refreshed.  Ten minutes of prayer was all she had needed to refresh her. And she was ready to go!

So, one of the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray like John taught his disciples.

They obviously were in touch with John and his disciples.  They must have chatted with them and compared notes.  They didn't like to think that John might do something for his disciples that their Master didn't.  Prayer must have seemed important to them.

Vs. 2-4

He answered, 'When you pray, say,

Here is Jesus' pattern for prayer.

V 2: worship and adoration
V 3: petition
V 4: confession

New Bible Commentary, p 999.  The Lord's Prayer appears here in a different, shorter form from the more familiar one found in Matthew. It is generally thought that the early church adapted Jesus' words in different ways to meet its needs.  Luke's form contains an address and two sets of petitions.

v2.  Father - the Aramaic Abba (cf. Luke 10: 4, Matthew 14: 36) was used by Jesus.  He invited his followers to use the same intimate term to address God which he himself used.  The term reflects the kind of intimacy in a family.  It assumes a parent who is accessible, supportive and caring

Nathan Nettleton comments: Jesus wants us to come to God like little kids running to their parents to ask for a cuddle.

Hallowed be your name(NIV) / may your name be honoured (NLT)/ reveal who you are (The Message)
(Nathan Nettleton's comment: May your name be kept holy, honoured, esteemed - a joyous, excited expressin of praise - May the hallowing of your name echo through the universe.)

New Bible Commentary. p 999.  the first of two petitions concerned with God himself.  May his name, ie. his person, be honoured in the world at large.

When my grandchildren come to see me they shout, 'Grandmaaaa!!!!!!!!' and run for a hug.  They may also say at the same time as hugging, 'I love you, Grandma.'  That is the way Jesus tells us to come to God - we approach him as a loving father and shout his name in a reverent way, praising and adoring him.

Your kingdom come/ may your kingdom come soon (NLT) / Set the world right (Message)

New Bible Commentary, p 999.  May God's rule in peace and righteousness swiftly come into effect. This si a prayer for God to act by hastening the coming of the day of the Lord. Only after these petitions are the needs of the petitioners mentioned .....

Our first priority in praying  should be to pray for God's work and God's will to be put in place.

v 3.  Give us each day our daily bread. (NEB, NIV) / Give us our food day by day. (NLT) / Keep me alive with three square meals (Message)

New Bible Commentary, p 999.  This may be a petition not just for ordinary food, but alos for the bread of life, the gift of God without which we cannot live.  Daily (Greek: epiousios) is a word of uncertain meaning ; 'for tomorrow' or 'necessary' are possible renderings.  The former brings out the way in which the prayer asks for a foretaste of teh blessings of the kingdom now.

Here is a recognition of where our daily needs are met - through God.  Everything we need for lifeis supplied by him.  It is also an expression of trust.  Jesus does not suggest we ask for bread for the next two weeks or the next year - or any other period ahead.  No insurance needed.  We ask for what we need for today and trust that tomorrow, when we ask again, God will supply.  We trust him to look after the future.

But....how well do we do this...really?

v 4.  New Bible Commentary. p 999.  A prayer for daily forgiveness, which is granted only to those who forgive others.

(As a child I understood this concept well, so I left this line out when I repeated the Lord's Prayer.  There were people I didn't want to forgive! So I thought I had no right to ask for forgiveness for myself.)

We need to ask daily for forgiveness even though we know that forgiveness was granted once and for all through the cross.  God has forgiven us, but we need the continual reminder of forgiveness - besides which, repentance involves not contuning to commit the sin, and we're not good at leaving old habits behind!

Because of this, Jesus gives us the next prayer - don't let us yield to temptation (NLT)  Without the help of the Holy Spirit, we are unable to resist temptation - old habits.  Just ask someone who is trying to lose weight (or body fat, as is more fashionable to say) , or trying to give up smoking!!  We are just not strong enough.

Vs.  5-10

Then he said to them, 'Suppose one of you had a friend who comes to him in the middle of the night and says, "My friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine on a journey has turned up at my house, and I have nothing to offer him"; and he replies from inside, "Do not bother me.  The door is shut for the night; my children and I have gone to bed; and I cannot get up and give you what you want." I tell you that even if he will not provide for him out of friendship, the very shamelessness of the request will make him get up and give him all he needs. And so I say to you, ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
(Compare this to Luke 18: 1 -8 - the parable of the unjust judge)

Jesus tells a story to suggest we should be bold and forthright in prayer.  We should tell it to God straight, tell him exactly what we think is needed by us and by others.  God will not be offended!

Let's look at the people in this story.....

The unexpected visitor has landed on the friend's doorstep in the middle of the night (we are assuming the traveller has arrived in the middle of the night! Otherwise we have to wonder why the friend has left it until the middle of the night to knock up his neighbour)  The visitor is confident of his welcome, knowing he won't be turned away,

Neither should we turn people away, even when their needs are not convenient for us or we feel we don't have the resources to meet their needs.

The friend took in his unexpected visitor, probably disturbing his whole family, and made him welcome, though he hasn't the resources to feed him.  Why not?  Didn't they bake their bread ready for the next day?

We need to be prepared for 'unexpected visitors' - people who may call on us for help - as much as we are able.  But sometimes we'll be caught unprepared.  Where do we go for help?

The neighbour has everything well organised in his household - bread bakedfor the next day, family settled down and all have gone to bed for the night.  His life is well ordered and he doesn't want things messed up. He's comfortable, secure in his routines.  He resists the nuisance knocking on his door, even though he's a friend.

How often do we do that and make reasonable excuses? eg. the needs of our family must come first.

But, the persistent friend keeps knocking, knowing that his neighbour will have what he needs.  NB. The neighbour never gives the excuse that he doesn't have any bread to give.

Eventually the neighbour gets up, opens the door and gives the friend what he needs - not out of friendship, but because of the shamelessness (NEB), boldness (NIV), persistence (NIV note) and audacity of the neighbour.  The NLT says: so his reputation wouldn't be damaged.  The Message says: because the neighbour's knocking would wake all the neighbours.  Whatever the reason, the persistent knocking achieves the desired result.

Jesus tells us never to give up asking God for what we want.  Even a human friend will eventually have to give in to the persistence, even if it's for the wrong reasons.  If we are serious about what we want from God, we must persevere in prayer.

A promise: ask and you will receive.  God is generous  and wants our needs to be met - even if he meets our needs in his own way and at the right time (which may or may not be when we first ask!)  We are to be persistent in asking, bold in what we ask for, and patient in waiting for the answer.  God's resources and his caring love for us are endless.  He can supply our needs.

The Message: Don't bargain with God.  Be direct.  Ask for what you need.  This is not a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we're in.

Vs 11 - 13.

'Is there a father among you who will offer his son a snake when he asks for fish, or a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you, then bad as you are, know how to give your children what is good for them, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy spirit to those who ask him?'

Another example to let us know why God will always give us good things to supply our needs.  Jesus points out that no responsible earthly parent will give a child something dangerous when they ask for something they need. eg food.

God is better than the best human parent.  His love, power and resources are greater. So our expectations of him can be greater too.  He gives us the best gift of all - his Holy Spirit.  He never deceives us with counterfeit 'gifts'

Quest Study Bible note, p 1437.  What Jesus promises here is insight and direction through the work of the Spirit within us.  Jesus does not promise that we will receive whatever we might think we need.  As the Holy Spirit directs our hearts, we will desire those things that will benefit us spiritually.  We can have faith to see those things accomplished as the fulfillment of his promise.