Forgiven and Forgiving, Part One, A

When You Pray, Say

In the Christian life, nothing is more important, and nothing more difficult to establish and maintain, than a meaningful prayer life. Although we find time to do just about everything else—good things, industrious things, ministry things—it often seems that when we get to the issue of prayer, everything works against us. In this series, Alistair Begg examines the pattern for prayer provided by Jesus in Luke 11, traditionally known as the Lord’s Prayer. Martin Luther referred to this prayer as “the greatest martyr on earth,” because, he said, it is so frequently used without thought, feeling, reverence, or faith. When we look carefully at its words, though, we realize that it models profound principles for what, how, and why to pray. As Christians, we must commit to seeing prayer become a central part of our daily walk with Christ. Jesus’ example makes it clear: prayer shouldn’t be supplemental—it should be fundamental.