27 July 2025, 'Lord, Teach Us to Pray', Luke 11:1-13

Let me greet you, all, “Have you eaten breakfast?”

Now, for those of you who weren’t here last week, you might be wondering, “What kind of question is that?” So let me say it again properly—good morning, everyone. "Peace be with you." As usual, please share it with those who are around.

Have you ever heard of a place called IHOP? Let me give you a hint: it’s a place in America. Any guesses what it might stand for? Well, if you search for it on the internet, you’ll find the International House of Pancakes. I actually didn't know this, but it's a quite famous restaurant chain in the USA.

But that's not the IHOP I want to talk about today. I’m talking about the International House of Prayer. Same initial but a totally different meaning. As the name suggests, this is a Christian community that was founded in 1999. It’s a place dedicated to 24 hours and 7 days of prayer and worship. It has never stopped its continuous prayer, staying true to its founding purpose. Their ministry is incredible, though it's also known at times for its mystical or radical tendencies.

The reason I came to know about the International House of Prayer is because of a friend of mine. He wasn't originally a Christian. He moved to Australia in his mid-30s, and he first started coming to church simply because he was lonely and needed some social connection.

Using his experience from the construction industry back in his home country, he started his own business. And as you can imagine, he faced all sorts of hardships. He had no option. He didn't have any background or knowledge in the Christian faith, but he just started praying. He prayed desperately—because he had to. In his own words, God heard every one of his desperate prayers, and his company grew day by day.

He was convinced that all of it was because of God’s help and grace. He and his family became joyfully involved in the life of the church, and he became a significant leader. He also poured a great deal of his time and commitment into ministry with indigenous brothers and sisters.

Then one day, during his regular early morning prayer time, he received a powerful calling from God. That calling led him to make a plan to go to IHOP in America. He just wanted to pray more and had this deep desire to offer his entire life to God, and so he made a two-year plan for his whole family to go.

But it wasn’t easy, not at all. His business was expanding rapidly. There was the issue of his children. He had many responsibilities at church. All of these real, practical concerns made him hesitate. So he began to pray. “Lord, what should I do? Stay here, or go?” He became more anxious as time went on. Finally, he decided: “I’ll go to church early in the morning and pray until God gives me an answer.” And he did just that. He prayed and prayed for a long time. He said to himself, “Today is the day. I’ll pray until I receive clarity. Lord, just show me something…”

He’s not even sure how long he prayed. But eventually, he opened his eyes. He was absolutely stunned. Do you know why? He looked up at the clock, and the time was exactly 7:47.

Now, I’m going to need you to use your imagination here. The reason? 7:47…Boeing 747, Qantas… He took it as a sign: “Take off.” It was God saying, “Go.”

I remember hearing him share that testimony at his farewell dinner, and I was deeply moved. I thought to myself, "Wow, God really does reveal things in such amazing and mysterious ways." His courageous decision, and the beauty of that story, became a powerful challenge and inspiration to many.

But as time went on, another thought began to rise in my mind. Yes, sometimes God speaks in surprising and even symbolic ways, like the number 7:47. Was that really a sign from God? Now, for some of us, that story might sound like a wonderful example of God’s providence. But for others, it might sound a little bit reckless, maybe even superstitious. And you know what? Both perspectives are respected. Because ultimately, it's a deeply personal interpretation. And this leads us to a similar kind of curiosity that the disciples were feeling in our passage for today.

Our reading begins this way: “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.”

The disciples make a very simple, yet profound, request to Jesus. "Lord, teach us to pray." But this request, when we look at it closely, is truly fascinating. I have to be honest, for a long time I understood this verse as the disciples asking Jesus how to pray. But they didn’t say, “Teach us how to pray.” They said, “Teach us to pray.” That might sound like a small difference but it’s actually huge. This wasn’t a request for a template, a method, a format, or a set of techniques. I would say it was a longing to learn prayer itself—the kind of prayer that Jesus lived and breathed.

Because, the disciples already knew how to pray. As faithful Jews, they had grown up praying three times a day. They recited prayers in the synagogue and followed their fathers in prayer at home. They knew the rituals. They knew the forms. And yet, the request they make to Jesus now is, "Lord, teach us to go beyond all the forms of prayer we've ever known. Teach us Your prayer, Your way, Your deep relationship with the Father." I would say, “Let us pray like you. Let us live like you.” That is why they didn't ask, "Teach us how to pray." They asked, "Teach us to pray."

And in response, Jesus gave them a prayer we all know so well—the Lord’s Prayer. But today, I’m not going to go line by line explaining each part. We’ll have plenty of time for that another day in the future. Today, I want to focus on something else… why they asked for this prayer… they said: “…just as John taught his disciples.”

That phrase caught my attention so strongly that I decided to look into it more deeply. Why would they mention John the Baptist? Why bring him up in this moment?

In order to understand it, let’s take a moment to imagine that time in history. Back then, there were many well-known spiritual teachers, rabbis. John the Baptist was one of them. And each rabbi had their own group of disciples. The Pharisees had theirs. The rabbis and teachers had theirs. And it was common practice for each teacher to give their disciples a distinct prayer.

That prayer wasn’t just words. It was a kind of declaration, a summary of who they were, what they believed, and what they longed for. It was like their identity card! If you heard their prayer, you would know who they belonged to. So when John’s disciples prayed, people recognised them easily. “Oh, those are John’s followers,” they might say, because their prayer would have carried the urgency of repentance and preparing the way for the coming Messiah.

When the Pharisees prayed, their devotion to the law and tradition would have echoed in their prayers. “Oh, those are certain Pharisees’ followers,” people might say. Each prayer was a compression of what they believed, what they hoped for, their values.

Now, keep that in mind and listen again to the disciples’ request in today’s reading: “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” Can we hear it differently? They weren’t just asking Jesus for another way to pray. They were asking, “Lord, let our prayer make it clear who we follow.” “Let it be known that we belong to You.” This was such a powerful request. I believe it is a far beyond excellent request.

This is just my imagination, but I believe that afterwards, for the disciples, and then for their disciples, and for all the Christians in the early communities who believed in Jesus and accepted the good news, every single time they prayed the prayer Jesus taught, it must have been an incredibly powerful confirmation that they were all one community, that they were all faithful disciples of Jesus. I have to say, what more powerful proof of being a Christian? This is the value of the Lord’s Prayer—it is never something to be taken lightly.

This is why the Lord’s Prayer is not just about prayer. It’s not a text to be prayed without thought or heart. Every time we pray it, we are declaring: “I am a disciple of Jesus.” “I want to become more like Him.” “I belong to Him.” This prayer becomes our identity card. It becomes our mission statement. And when we pray it together, it becomes what unites us as one body in Christ. Such a privilege, such a gratitude that we have this prayer together.

My dear friends, I hope the disciples’ request in today’s passage, “Lord, teach us to pray,” becomes our own daily prayer. It’s something we need to return to again and again.

And Jesus continues to teach us, saying, “Follow me my children… God is a life where we lift up His name together. It’s a life where His will takes priority over our own. It’s a journey of relying on Him for our daily needs, offering gratitude, forgiving others, and overcoming temptation. And when we do, I am confident that He will respond, not always in the way we expect, but with what is best, according to His perfect plan and timing.”

Let’s go back to the story I shared earlier, the 7:47 answer. I’ve often wondered: what if my friend had prayed the prayer that Jesus taught us? What might his prayer have sounded like then? So, I’ve prepared a version of his prayer, shaped by the prayer our Lord taught us. Shall we take a look at it together? Let’s imagine—what if he had prayed like this…

"Our Father in heaven" God, my heart feels unsteady as I face this decision. But I trust in You—my Father. You’ve led me before, and I believe You will again.

"Hallowed be Your name" Whether this succeeds or not, whether others understand or not, let this decision honour Your name, Lord.

"Your kingdom come, Your will be done" This is my dream too, God, but more than anything, I want what You want. Lead me into the centre of Your will.

"Give us today our daily bread" I’m overthinking and anxious about the future. But what I need right now isn’t tomorrow’s answers, it’s today’s grace. In this moment, more than anything, I need the peace that only You can give.

“Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” Lord, there are people I still struggle to forgive. Heal my heart and teach me to let go. And forgive me, too… for my pride, my impatience, my doubt. Make me more like You.

"Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" Lord, quiet the doubts inside me. Help me not to be led by fear. With You, anywhere I go is holy ground.

He might have prayed just like that. And if he had prayed like that, then even without seeing the number 7:47, his heart would have already found peace and clarity within God’s will. Or rather, let me put it another way, he himself would have become the answer to the prayer.

This is my prayer. To know the prayer Jesus taught us is a sign that we are His disciples. So, so important! To pray that prayer is to say, “I will follow you Lord.” So today, let us ask again: “Lord, teach me to pray, even today.”

If you have a deep prayer in your heart today, is there something you've been praying for, perhaps for a very long time? Then I invite you: Take the prayer that Jesus taught us, and make it your own story. Let His words shape your words. Let His heart guide your heart. Because when we pray as He taught us, our lives begin to align with God’s will. He will bless us. And often, the answer we’ve been waiting for doesn’t just come to us, it comes through us.

So may our knees bend in prayer again. May our heart awaken through prayer. May we live like Jesus, think like Jesus, and become more and more like Him. And may your life itself become a living prayer saying, “Jesus teach us to pray.”

Amen.