*[[Luk 11:1]] KJV* 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.
*[[Joh 14:8-11/KJV]]*
8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
They heard his teaching, saw the miracles,the lame walking, the blind seeing,they could feel his compassion for them and others regardless of imperfection,they had even tasted of his bread as he multiplied a few loaves to feed thousands...how did one attain to such power and favor with God.
What gave him this great favor with God. Surely his prayers where like the incense of the temple; rising up into the presence of God as a sweet smelling saviour. So it was that they would come to ask him to teach them to pray; so they to could show such favor with God, that God might work through them in this way.
With two words he shifts focus 180° from their thoughts.
"OUR FATHER" the words reverberate through the human soul...they echo across the carnal mind. With just two words Jesus shows the answer; prayer is not to build the self up toward heaven but that heaven may be poured out upon all.
Isaiah spoke much the same about fasting when God spoke through him that a fast of God was not a day for a man to afflict his soul, but to deal ones bread to the hungry and cloth the naked.
Everything God speaks comes from him and is him. In this way all he created reflects something of him. Yet man was made to be exactly his image...to that end unlike the rest of the cosmos that was spoken into existence man was formed then breathed into...his life was the life of God.
Adam was set before two trees to eat of one continued his life being one with Gods life. The other would set the source of his life from himself...God forewarned that self life would generate death.
We know that fateful decision and how Adam has passed onto his children a self life. So man lived for generations deciding what was good and what was evil within self; deceiving themselves that if they did some good mixed with evil they could please God. So it is that even redeemed man, whom Jesus declared by his obedience unto death to be once again able to be one with God, struggles to release the death of self and embrace the life of God as their own.
How do we pray, or fast, or give, or minister, or live...
With no thought or desire for self but that the life of God would be poured out upon every dry and thirsty man.
