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The misconception about prayer? What kind of topic is that? After all, isn't prayer simply talking to God? Maybe not. I wouldn't even question this except for one little section of scripture in Luke 11.

Verse 1 starts out with Jesus praying, then, when He finishes, the disciples come and ask Him, "Teacher, teach us how to pray." Then it goes on to say that they are asking him to do the same thing that John did for his disciples.

The weirdest thing to me was that they would need to be taught to pray. And if that wasn't enough, Jesus does not tell them, "Ah, just talk to God" He actually goes into a lesson on how to pray.

You see, the idea behind the word pray is not the same as simple conversation. You don't pray to your friends whenever you are hanging out. The idea behind the word prayer is that of a loyal subject entering the throne room and having an audience with the King. Imagine in Old England, the poor beggar making his way into the Kings court and asking for royal assistance to, say, feed his family, or to beg forgive for the taxes he owes. He would not walk in and just talk to the king.' It would take great humility and would be a celebratory thing that the King would even hear him.

So what does Jesus say, then? Obviously the first thing He does is to give then the model prayer' or the Lord's prayer'. I am sure most of us can quote it from memory. The Message Bible says it like this, "Father, Reveal who You are. Set the world right. Keep us alive with three square meals. Keep us forgiven with You and forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil." I use that version because it is new to probably most of my readers.

Notice that, first off, He isn't demonstrating to them to just talk to God. What He does is very specific. Everything He says is directed at the sovereignty and ability of God. It is not just asking for things we need, but rather it is glorifying God for being the giver of those things. The statements, underneath the words, declare that God is praiseworthy.

But Jesus doesn't just give this model and stop. He continues to teach them how to pray. He begins comparing prayer to persistently imploring your friend for some food in the middle of the night. After this story is the great verse, "Ask and you'll get; seek and you'll find; knock and the door will open.

I think the thrust of this story and verse is that God cares more for you than a friend willing to get up in the middle of the night. He is a benevolent King willing to see that

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