The Lord Jesus does not only teach his disciples about God, he also teaches them how to experience God in prayer. It is in prayer, after all, that we come into contact with God. "Abba" -- this is the name Jesus calls the Father; translated into the Greek (Latin) "Pater", it loses a lot of its Aramaic flavor as a term of endearment and a word that expresses the intimacy between father and child. It's use in prayer is unique to Jesus, expressing the kind of unique relationship he has with the Father. And he wants his disciples to experience that same unique relationship in him and through him.
Read the relevant article from the links below and use the rest of the page as your guide for reflection.
1. The "Lord's Prayer" is so called because it is the prayer that Lord was wont to pray and that he wants his disciples to make it their own.
Reflect. The Lord's prayer carries with it the sentiments Jesus himself has and the way he looks at His Father. When the Lord teaches us to pray thus, he actually wants us to enter into his heart and mind and address God from there.
Exercise: Trying praying Luke's version of the "Pater". Pronounce the words slowly as if you want each word to be engraved in your heart. Pray it twice or thrice. At the end of the exercise, ask yourself: "What does it mean to you that Jesus wants you to pray as he did?"
2. Through the parable of the friend who comes for help at midnight, Jesus teaches his disciples to pray with persistence even to the point of shamelessness.
Reflect. When was the last time you really prayed? Did you pray believing that God will grant your prayers?
3. Exercise. Memorize Luke 11:9-10. Note that asking, seeking, knocking bear results. Jesus wants us to be confident in prayer, trusting in God's goodness.
Reflect. Do you remember of a time when your parents or any significant person in your life disappointed your request for something? Did that disappointment color the way you prayed? Does that disappointment prevent you from praying now?
