Luke 11:1-13: Lord's Prayer

1. When I accepted Jesus as my Savior and Lord, I learned the importance of having daily personal devotional time, which includes prayer. We all know that prayer is essential for Christians because it allows us to witness God's work, feel His love, and experience the power of the Holy Spirit. Because of its significance, I don’t want to miss the Wednesday prayer meetings. I encourage you to join the Wednesday prayer meeting as well, to deepen your relationship with God. Then, I became curious about how AI might define prayer, so I asked, and it responded with this:

"My own definition of prayer is a personal, honest dialogue with God—a way of connecting our hearts, thoughts, and emotions with the Divine. It’s an act of bringing our true selves before God, expressing our gratitude, seeking guidance, and entrusting our concerns. Whether in silence or spoken words, prayer is not just about asking for things but about opening a space for relationship, reflection, and surrender. It’s a way to align our will with God’s, to find peace in His presence, and to be transformed by His love and wisdom."

2. Isn't that amazing? It didn’t miss a single aspect of what prayer truly is. It even included that prayer is a personal, honest dialogue with God, which is so true. The reason I brought up the meaning of prayer is because today’s theme is the Lord’s Prayer, found in Luke 11:1-13. We have covered this topic many times throughout our lives. We’ve heard countless sermons on the Lord’s Prayer whenever preachers and pastors wanted to teach about prayer. However, today, I want to focus on the foundation of prayer. Let’s read Luke 11:1-4 together.

Luke 11:1–4 (NRSV)

He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 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, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial.”

3. As I’ve mentioned several times, one of the main themes of the Gospel of Luke is living a life in God, rather than merely following traditions. Observing the Sabbath without a true relationship with God is nothing more than a religious ritual. If we do not pursue eternal life, we risk becoming like heretics. The essence of heresy is performing outward actions without a sincere heart. This is why Jesus wanted His disciples to avoid becoming like the religious leaders who only focused on maintaining their own lives.

4. When we read today’s passage, it begins with the disciples asking Jesus to teach them how to pray. They said, "Just as John taught his disciples to pray, please teach us to pray." As we know, the cultural background of Jesus was rooted in the first-century Greco-Roman world. To understand prayer better, we can examine the model of prayer in both Jewish tradition and John’s teaching style. Let’s start by discussing the Jewish style of prayer.

5. In the first century, Jewish prayer life was both structured and open to personal as well as communal expression. It primarily centered around public gatherings and consisted of six main components.

The Shema: Central to Jewish daily prayer, the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) begins with the declaration of God’s oneness: "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one." It was foundational to Jewish worship.

The Amidah (Standing Prayer): Also called the Eighteen Benedictions, this set of prayers was recited three times a day (morning, afternoon, and evening). It included praises, requests (e.g., for forgiveness and health), and thanksgiving, addressing various aspects of Jewish life.

6. We can find an example of this prayer in the Bible, specifically when Jesus spoke about what true prayer should be.

Luke 18:11–12 NKJV

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’

7. Although the Pharisee followed the formal structure of prayer, Jesus stated that this was not a true prayer. However, it serves as an example of both the Shema and the Amidah.

The Psalms: The Book of Psalms was significant in Jewish worship, used frequently in personal and communal prayers for adoration, lament, and thanksgiving.

Temple Worship: The Jerusalem Temple was the center of Jewish worship, where prayer and sacrifices were closely linked. After the Temple’s destruction in AD 70, prayers increasingly replaced sacrifices.

8. Until the Temple was completely destroyed in AD 70, it served as the center of Jewish life, encompassing worship, sacrifices, gatherings, and more. However, after its destruction, the Jewish people were expelled from Palestine and remained in diaspora until the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.

Synagogue Prayers: In synagogues, a leader guided the prayers using a set liturgy. However, this setting was less formal than the Temple, allowing room for teaching and personal prayer.

Personal and Spontaneous Prayers: Jews also practiced spontaneous prayers throughout the day. Devout individuals like Anna and Simeon (mentioned in the Gospels) prayed continually, expressing their longing for God’s intervention.

9. After the Temple was destroyed, the Jewish community needed new places for worship and gathering. As a result, they began building more synagogues. Although synagogues already existed before the Temple’s destruction, their role was different. Now, synagogues took on many of the Temple’s functions, becoming not only centers of worship but also places for education and community gatherings.

Acts 17:1–3 ESV

Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.”

9. As we’ve observed, Jewish prayer tends to be more public in nature, often taking place in a communal setting. It includes outward public actions, even though it may also incorporate personal prayers. Now, let’s talk about John’s teaching on prayer. However, we don’t have a direct example of a prayer from John the Baptist in the Scriptures. We can only assume the type of prayer he might have taught based on the messages recorded in the Gospels. Do you remember his message when he was preaching at the Jordan River?

Mark 1:4–5 NIV

And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

10. While Jewish traditions emphasized communal and structured prayer, John’s teachings introduced a focus on personal repentance, setting the stage for Jesus’ deeper, relational approach. In the Gospels, there is no specific prayer formula directly attributed to John the Baptist. However, we can infer his approach to prayer based on several key themes from his teachings.

Focus on Repentance

The Coming Kingdom

A Simple Approach

Preparation for Messiah’s coming

11. John’s ministry focused on repentance, likely emphasizing prayers of confession, humility, and seeking God’s forgiveness (Matthew 3:2). His message also centered on the imminent Kingdom of God, suggesting his prayers reflected a longing for God’s kingdom to be revealed. John’s simple, ascetic lifestyle (Matthew 3:4) likely shaped his teaching on prayer, emphasizing sincerity over ritual. Additionally, when Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them to pray, they referenced John’s example (Luke 11:1), implying that John’s model of prayer included humility, repentance, and anticipation of the Messiah.

12. Now, let’s discuss the Lord’s Prayer in Luke 11:1-4. While John the Baptist focused on repentance and preparing for the Messiah, Jesus took this a step further by inviting His disciples into a deeply personal relationship with God as their Father. The Lord’s Prayer teaches us the essence of what prayer should be, rather than providing a rigid formula to follow.

Acknowledging God’s Holiness

Longing for God’s Kingdom

Dependence on God for Daily Needs

Seeking Forgiveness

Requesting Protection from Temptation

13. As we examine the Lord’s Prayer, its structure reflects key themes from first-century Jewish prayer practices. However, it also introduces a new relational element by addressing God as “Father.” This personal and intimate approach builds on John’s teachings while highlighting Jesus’ unique emphasis on God’s fatherly care and the expectation of His coming kingdom. In calling God ‘Father,’ Jesus invited His disciples into a new kind of relationship—one marked by intimacy, trust, and familial love, far beyond the formal, distant approach of traditional prayers.

14. Now, let’s apply this message to our lives. The essence of prayer is not about making requests, but about recognizing and nurturing a personal relationship with God. True prayer starts from the inside out, not the outside in. Before fasting or coming to church to pray, we must first pray from the heart, beginning with an inner connection to God.

Matthew 6:16–18 NKJV

“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

15. Theologians studying missions have noted that the success of Korean missions is largely attributed to prayer. Most Korean churches hold early morning prayer services at 5:30 a.m., six days a week, as well as Wednesday prayer meetings and Friday midnight prayer sessions. Additionally, they observe several special prayer periods throughout the year. It is important not to overlook that prayer has been a crucial part of the Korean mission movement. In 1903, three missionaries from Canada arrived in Korea, two of whom were women. They organized a small prayer meeting, which gradually began to grow. As the group expanded, they decided to hold a special period of prayer. However, they needed a preacher to lead the gathering. Despite being missionaries, the two women did not have formal theological training, so they sought help from a pastor in Canada named Robert Hardy. Initially, Hardy had little interest in Korean people. He had come to Korea primarily to secure his pastoral position, and for the first 11 months, he did not engage with any Koreans at all.

16. Because Hardy did not like Koreans, he hadn’t prepared any sermon for the meeting. When the prayer meeting began, and after the singing ended, it was his turn to speak, but he had no sermon script. He hesitated, but then the Holy Spirit moved his heart. He began to confess his inner struggle: “I am so sorry that I have not liked you since I arrived here. I disliked your smell, the atmosphere, and even your appearance. Please forgive me.” As he spoke, he started crying in front of the congregation. In that moment, a wealthy man stood up and confessed that he had mistreated his servants. Then, one of the servants stood and admitted to stealing several bags of rice from his master’s storage. Suddenly, the entire congregation began to share their sins and pray together in repentance. This spontaneous prayer movement ignited a wave of fervent prayer in Korea. Just four years later, it led to the Korean Pyongyang Revival Movement.

17. This week, I encourage each of you to take a few moments each morning to pray quietly, simply talking to God as your loving Father, before joining in our church’s collective prayer times.

18. When Jesus taught His disciples how to pray, He did not intend to create a rigid, religious structure like the traditional Jewish style. Instead, He emphasized that prayer is about an intimate relationship with God. Just as an earthly father cares for his child, our Heavenly Father will care for us. And as our Heavenly Father is holy, we too are called to reflect His holiness, resembling Him as His children. The Lord’s Prayer reveals the essence of prayer: acknowledging that God is our Father and we are His children. Because God is our Father, He is on our side and will lead us in His ways. Through prayer, we respond to His calling and participate in His work. In closing, remember that the essence of prayer is not in the words we say or the rituals we follow, but in the relationship we nurture with our Heavenly Father. Let’s approach Him with sincerity and trust, knowing that He is on our side, guiding us every step of the way.