Readings: Genesis 18:20-32; Psalm 138; Colossians 2:12-14; Luke 11:1-13
Grace and peace to you dear brothers and sisters in the Lord.
Our Gospel begins with a profound request: The disciples of Jesus – faithful Jews – ask Him, “Lord, teach us to pray.” This would have been a surprising request.
They had grown up reciting the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9), memorising Psalms, attending synagogue services, and observing daily prayers. Yet, they noticed that something was different about the way Jesus prayed.
They saw in Jesus a depth of communion, an intimacy that was not just ritual but relationship, not mere recitation, but a life saturated with the presence of God. His prayer had an aura, a fragrance of holiness and restfulness.
Their request, “Lord, teach us to pray,” was not just about words- they were asking:
“Teach us how to see God as You do.”
“Teach us how to feel what You feel when You pray.”
“Teach us how to desire what You desire.”
This simple plea is itself a prayer- a yearning, a longing to be drawn into divine communion.
In response, Jesus didn’t only give them a prayer to say, He gave them a theology of prayer – great principles of prayer.
Let us look at the Lord’s Prayer as a framework for learning how to pray well, drawing out seven principles of authentic Christian prayer, and we shall reflect on four.
A Good Prayer is Ordered, Directed, and Inspired by the Holy Spirit.
A Good Prayer is a Lifestyle, Not Just an Emergency Line
A Good Prayer Requires a Life Striving for Righteousness
A Good Prayer Requires Forgiveness of Others
A Good Prayer Surrenders to God’s Will
A Good Prayer Requires Patience and Perseverance
A Good Prayer Flows from a Deep Understanding of God as Father
All of these are expressed in the Lord’s prayer.
Let us now focus on four principles:
I. A Good Prayer Requires a Life Striving for Righteousness.
God, in His mercy, listens to us when we pray, unfaithful though we may be. However, God desires that we make an effort to live a good and holy life. Righteousness also gives efficacy to prayers.
No wonder the Bible says,
“The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16).
Prayer is a sweeter fragrance ascending to heaven when it comes from a heart that seeks to please God, even in weakness.
This is why in the Lord’s prayer, we are taught to pray that God’s name be held holy – that is, we should desire not just to receive from God but to honour His name and His holiness not just in words but in our lifestyle.
It is not right to continually mock God’s name with sin and expect a fruitful or powerful prayer life and experience.
Again, this connects with the prayer ‘lead us not into temptation,’ that is, do not allow us to fall when tempted, help us to avoid temptations so that we do not dishonour you.
This part of the Lord’s prayer can only be said or meant by someone who really wants to please God. In many cases, we are not even trying to avoid temptation; we are either looking for temptations ourselves or we are the one leading others into it.
Abraham in today’s First Reading is an example of a man whose life gave efficacy to His prayer. He intercedes for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, and God paid attention because He was a man who was intentional about honouring God. He even seeks ten people whose lives honour God to intercede for this city, but he couldn’t find ten.
Effort to live a life of righteousness honours God and gives strength to our intercession.
Am I striving to live a life that honours God in thought, word, and deed?
III. A Good Prayer Requires Forgiveness of Others.
Jesus teaches us to say, “Forgive us our sins, as we forgive everyone who sins against us…” (Luke 11:4)
Unforgiveness impedes the flow of grace. Jesus connects divine mercy with our willingness to forgive others (see Matthew 6:14-15, also Sirach 28:2-4)
“Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone…” (Mark 11:25).
In today’s Second Reading, St. Paul reminds us that we were once dead in our trespasses, but God forgave all our trespasses, by cancelling the record of debt that stood against us.
Our confidence before God is not ultimately our righteousness because truly, we rely on grace and mercy. Even to live a good life that honours God, we need God’s grace. So if we rely on mercy, it means we must also be willing to forgive others or at least be willing to allow God to touch our hearts and give us the grace to forgive.
Forgiveness doesn’t excuse the wrong but frees the soul to commune with God.
When we harden our hearts against forgiveness, we do not just shut people out but we also shut ourselves from the reach of mercy.
Who am I holding in my heart?
Is there someone I need to forgive today?
III. A Good Prayer Surrenders to God’s Will.
Jesus teaches us to say: “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth…” (Luke 11:2)
To say your Kingdom come doesn’t only mean that God should reign in our world or that Jesus should come again, it also means that He should reign in our personal lives – in our desires, thoughts, words and decisions. It is an act of surrender, asking God to dethrone sin and self in our hearts and replace them with His rule of love and His holy will.
Someone once said, “To say ‘Thy Kingdom come’ is to say ‘my kingdom go.’”
This surrender comes from trust in His wisdom, love and goodness. It connects with “Your will be done on earth.”
Prayer is not about asking God to approve our plans, but asking for His reign, His agenda, His will, and His glory.
The more we mature in our relationship with God, the more we understand that His will and not our will should prevail. What He wants for us is often bigger and better than what we want or ask for.
Ultimately, our prayer is not to change God’s plan or bend His hands but to teach us to discern and accept His will.
Even Jesus in Gethsemane prayed:
“Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).
Do I surrender my desires to God’s perfect will?
Or am I trying to bend His will to mine?
VI. A Good Prayer Requires Patience and Perseverance.
God is patient with us, and He wants us to be patient and persevering in prayers too, just as we have in the First Reading – Abraham intercedes with boldness and perseverance.
Also in the Gospel, Jesus tells a parable about a friend who keeps knocking at midnight until his request is granted.
“Ask… Seek… Knock…”
These are present continuous verbs in Greek, meaning – keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking.
God is not annoyed by our persistence; rather, He delights in our dependence.
This also connects with the intention “Lead us not into temptation…” (Luke 11:4).
How? Because temptation often arises from impatience – wanting quick answers, shortcuts, or urgent relief. Prayer is not magic. It is the ongoing training of trust.
Sometimes, God delays granting our request so as to test our love and trust, to purify our desires and prepare us for the blessing that He has already prepared for us.
Have I stopped praying about something God wants me to continue seeking?
Conclusion
The disciples asked, “Lord, teach us to pray.” Let us ask the same today, not just for words, but for transformation in our lives and our communication with God.
Let Us Pray
Lord Jesus, teach us to pray not only with our lips, but with lives surrendered to You. Help us to live holy lives that honour Your name, to forgive as we have been forgiven, to trust in Your will above our own, and to persevere with faith when answers are delayed. May our prayer be not just a moment of request, but a way of life that glorifies You. Amen.
Sermon preached by Fr Emmanuel Baraka-Gukena Okami on July 27, 2025