Some reflections on prayer to get us under way in term 3 Luke 11:1-13

  Luke 11:1-13

The law-based context in which Jesus responded to the disciples' request: "Lord, teach us to pray" was quite different to where we find ourselves post-cross. So a contentious question is ... Did Jesus really intend that we too should pray (all of) this prayer in the 21st Century? Take for example the petition "Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us." Is that a prayer that we really want to or need to pray today? Do we still have to ask God to forgive us our sins? (After all, we know that it is a done deal!) In any case would we want that forgiveness to be dished out to us in proportion to the way we forgive others? (or getting closer to the original Greek, the way that we respond to other people in poverty out of our plenty?) I'll leave that thought with you! I know that it really makes me think when I pray the Lord's Prayer these days!

I want to weave in one other thread here. Immediately after the commissioning of the Lord's Prayer there is a mysterious little parable : Luke 11: 5-8, where we see Mr Grumpy begrudgingly getting up in the middle of the night to do what is expected of him under cultural hospitality obligations, by providing some bread for his neighbour. Initially he tells his neighbour to get lost, but the neighbour is persistent, so Mr Grumpy eventually submits. Note that he gives him ... "as much as he NEEDS." (Key word that!) Often we ask God for what we WANT and think when we don't get that, that our prayers have not been answered, when in reality God has more than likely already given us what we NEED.

The whole exchange ends with the well-known ask / knock / seek / find words and the scorpion / snake analogy as a prelude to these powerful words ... "how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

Note in those final words, Jesus does not actually refer to God giving us the things we ask for, but his willingness to give us (again what we need) ... the Holy Spirit!

As we move into a new school term and the second half of 2010, may we be reminded that God's perspective of WHAT WE NEED is a far more balanced and desirable view than our version of WHAT WE WANT.

Lord, help us to come to you to help uncover and focus on what it is that we really need in our lives and in our school communities ... your Spirit to be furiously at work in us, around us and amongst us. We ask your blessing Lord on the term that is before us. Amen