Luke 11:1 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Watching Jesus pray made His followers long to learn how, and He answered by giving them words.
The Context of Luke 11:1
The disciples have just watched Jesus at prayer, as they often did. When He finished, one of them spoke for the rest. His reply that follows is the prayer we call the Lord's Prayer (verses 2-4), a shorter form of the version Matthew records. John the Baptist had given his own followers a pattern of prayer, and they wanted the same from their Master.
What Does Luke 11:1 Mean?
Something about how Jesus prayed made the disciples want what He had. He had slipped away to a certain place to pray, as was His habit, and when He finished, one of them found the courage to ask: Lord, teach us to pray. They did not ask Him to teach them to preach or to heal. They asked for this. They had seen John give his followers a way to pray, and they sensed that prayer was the wellspring of their Master's whole life. So they came, like children, ready to be taught.
It is moving that the One who needed nothing still prayed, and prayed so that others ached to learn from Him. Jesus did not turn the request aside; He gave them simple, trusting words to say to the Father. The same Lord still welcomes the honest prayer of the beginner, teach us to pray. We come not as experts but as learners, and He is glad to teach.
Luke 11:1 in the Original Language
proseuchomai (προσεύχομαι), 'praying' -- to pray, to speak with God, the most common word for prayer.
Where Luke 11:1 Echoes in Scripture
Matthew sets the same prayer within the Sermon on the Mount, beginning 'Our Father which art in heaven' (Matthew 6:9). The pattern Jesus gave here is the one the church has prayed ever since.
How to Apply Luke 11:1 Today
The disciples' request can be ours: Lord, teach us to pray. We do not need to arrive skilled or sure of the words. Jesus welcomes learners, and the simple desire to pray is already the beginning of an answer.