Luke 11:1-2a 1Now it happened when he was praying in a certain place, when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2And he said to them, “Whenever you pray, say:”
The following passage is one of the best known in the Bible. Most people have heard of the “Lord’s Prayer” or seen it on plaques. It is said by rote memory in churches and various settings. It is worthwhile to slow down and consider each part of the prayer carefully. Luke introduces the topic of prayer in these verses and continues the topic until verse 13. The prayer (verses 1-4) is followed by a parable (verses 5-8) that gives the motivation for fervent prayer. A version of this prayer is also given in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:9-13.
Luke starts off the section by noting Jesus’ habit of prayer (9:18). The location is not described, but the context suggests it was someplace in Judea, or at least on the way to Jerusalem. Luke was not so concerned about geography and specific times and places but more with the themes of Jesus’ teaching about the kingdom. Jesus modeled prayer for his disciples. They saw what he did and wanted to imitate him. The identity of the disciple who gave the request is not known.
The request indicates that how a person prayed showed who their teacher or master was. John’s disciples learned how to pray from John. No other mention of this is given. The prayer that Jesus taught was for his disciples. It was a model for them. Jesus sometimes spent all night in prayer. The prayer given in these verses can be spoken in less than a minute. This prayer is not so much a formula to be memorized and spoken, and then move on in life as if it could somehow resolve all one’s problems. Each part of the prayer can be extended and developed with other ideas.
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