LEARNING FROM AN EXPERT
“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.” - Luke 11:1
I am not an expert on any subject. I am more of a dabbler. I dabble in this and I dabble in that. I know a little about several things, but I'm an expert at none of them. There is not a long line of people waiting at my door, asking for my advice. I will never be an old sage that grows a beard and sits on a hilltop as pilgrims come to learn from my vast knowledge and worldly wisdom.
There are experts in our world. These are individuals who've taken a subject and have become so proficient that millions admire them and seek to learn from them. John Maxwell, for instance, heard that if you studied a subject one hour a day for five consecutive years, you'd become an expert in that field. He applied himself to learn about leadership for five years. Today, he is considered a leadership guru. His books on the subject have sold millions.
Many athletes, actors and musicians fall into the category of experts. Yet it is important to learn the right subject from these experts. For instance, it wouldn't be wise to learn about basketball from Warren Buffet or finances from Michael Jordan. If you reversed the roles, you'd find them to be very proficient in their field of expertise.
When it comes to the subject of prayer, I find that a lot of Christians are dabblers, but few are experts. In fact, the best prayer warrior would probably admit that prayer continues to be a work in progress. We are all still learning about this subject. I heard of a preacher who was approached by someone wishing to conduct a seminar about prayer. The preacher was asked if he knew an expert on the subject who'd be willing to talk about it. The old preacher rubbed his chin and responded, “Well, there are people who pray and don't talk about it and those who talk about it but don't pray, so no, I can't recommend anyone.”
There's some truth in that, isn't there? The best prayer warriors would rather keep certain aspects of their prayer-life private. There are some things that are too personal and holy to talk about. On the other hand, there are many who are anxious to be interviewed about the subject. Yet if the details of their daily quiet time were exposed, we'd learn that their prayer-life is rather deficient.
Perhaps you know someone that seems to be a mighty prayer warrior. When you hear them pray, you feel like you are transported to the throne room of heaven. When I was growing up, we had a dear man in our community that seemed rather shy. His name was Virgil Lambert. He rarely spoke. God radically changed his life and he eventually became a deacon at our church. Even though he remained rather quiet and shy, he had great wisdom and was a bold witness for Christ. Often, he would be called upon to lead the congregation in prayer. That old man would weep and pray with great sincerity. Many times the peak moment of a church service was his prayer. He has since gone to glory. I still miss him. We need more men like him.
Yet when it comes to the subject of prayer, there is an expert we can learn from today. His Name is Jesus. His prayers inspired His disciples so much that they asked Him to teach them how to pray.
The disciples never asked Jesus to teach them to heal. They didn't request a seminar on how to cast out demons. Neither did they request a teaching session on preaching. Instead, they asked Him to teach about prayer.
Why did they request Jesus to teach them about prayer? First, they were a little jealous that John the Baptist taught his disciples and Jesus hadn't taught them yet. Secondly, Jesus had modeled prayer to them. They knew He spent time talking with His Father. The best teacher is the one who first of all models the subject to his students. That was certainly the case for our Lord.
Fortunately, we are blessed with a copy of the Scriptures. In the pages of the four Gospels, we learn about Jesus and prayer. We are taught about His example. He modeled prayer in a very practical way. Also, we learn from the lessons He taught. He taught His followers to pray.
Lord willing, in the coming weeks, I hope to write about the prayer-life of Jesus. Additionally, I hope we'll learn some things from the lessons He taught.
Most of all, I hope all of us will learn to pray like Jesus did.