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, as John also taught his disciples.
What an interesting request. One would think prayer is simple and one would not need to be taught. But it seems obvious that these were not praying men when Jesus called them. It wasn’t that prayer was unknown, because the Pharisees prayed, often in public. And the disciples knew that prayer was important to Jesus.
And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
What is most remarkable about this prayer is its brevity. In almost any reading, it lasts less than 30 seconds. It calls to mind something that Solomon said. We’ll find it in Ecclesiastes, the third chapter…
