A Certain Place

As His disciples watched Jesus praying, one of them asked Him to teach them how to pray, just as John (the Baptist) had taught his disciples (Luke 11:1). From this one verse we can learn quite a lot.

Firstly, John the Baptist had disciples who followed him, just as Jesus also had disciples following Him. Actually, John the Baptist was big news in his day. He was the first prophet to come to Israel after four hundred years of silence. The people recognised him as a true prophet of God and flocked to hear him speak, wanted to be baptised by him, and gathered around him to hear the voice of God.

Secondly, John taught his disciples how pray.

It seems that John’s disciples had a form of prayer, or a way to pray, which he had taught them. It helped them band together as a collective group. From this interaction, it sounds as if one of Jesus’ disciples had seen Jesus praying, and hoped that He would provide a similar way to pray for them too.

Sadly, we don’t have access to the way of praying that John’s disciples used. But we do have the prayer that Jesus went on to teach His disciples. And that prayer, which we know as ‘the Lord’s prayer’, is still something that unites the disciples of Jesus to this day.

However, another thing to note from this opening verse of Luke 11 is that Jesus was praying in ‘a certain place’. The text doesn’t tell us where that place was, and presumably places would keep changing as Jesus led His disciples around the area we know as Galilee, then on beyond it, travelling towards Jerusalem.

But Mark helps us fill in the gaps. In Mark 1:35 we read: ‘Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.’ It seems that part of Jesus’ spiritual rhythm for life involved Him seeking the solitude of a special place where He could be alone with God.

In Matthew’s gospel we also read that Jesus gave instructions to His disciples about prayer. Matthew 6:6 says: ‘But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.’

In each case there is something that Jesus modelled for His disciples, not just about the content of His prayer, but the essence of it. Prayer is something that should include time spent alone with God, not for show, but simply a time for one-to-one intimacy with our heavenly Father.

As I read this, I am challenged to ask myself, “Is this a part of my daily rhythm too?” Because if Jesus needed to do this, then how much more do I.