Sermon: Lord, Teach Us to Pray

Preacher:

Paul Thompson

Date:

Sunday 27th July 2025

Venue:

Guildford Cathedral

Service:

Cathedral Eucharist

HOMILY

"Lord, Teach Us to Pray" – Luke 11:1

There seems to be a variety of cooking shows on our TV screens and with it a plethora of well-known celebrity chefs. We are fascinated with how these professionals can transform ordinary ingredients into extraordinary yummy meals. Whether through creative flair or well-honed shortcuts, they manage to unlock new flavours or breathe new life into the everyday…even beans on toast it would appear !!!

Watch closely, and you’ll see that each chef brings their very own unique touch - a signature seasoning, a special twist, a favoured combination of herbs and spices, perhaps a little more salt or pepper. Often, their achievements lie not just in the recipe, but in the instinctive way they are able to season the meals. Possibly an instinct shaped by years of practice, successes, and, yes, a few spectacular kitchen disasters, and strangely we never seem to see these in the edited show itself. Although perhaps an outtake show focusing only on these disasters could be fun to watch.

In much the same way, the disciples were watching Jesus. Not on TV by the way !!  Looking to add to their own portfolio and gaining an insight into one of his signature aspects as a spiritual leader.

They had observed the rhythm and depth of His devotional prayer life - how often naturally, and regularly he turned to God, especially during moments of key significance.

So, when one disciple asks, “Lord, teach us to pray,” it is more than a request for mere words. It is a desire to understand the heart of Jesus’ spiritual practice - his “signature” way of communicating with God.

However, this wasn’t a particularly unusual request. As St Luke hints, John the Baptist had in fact already given his disciples a traditional and distinctive way to offer prayers. Jewish tradition already presented substantial set prayers and routines, and different religious groups developed characteristic forms of prayer as a way of expressing their own identities.

But Jesus’ response - what we now know to be the Lord’s Prayer/Our Fr is far more than a formula to memorize. It’s a pattern for prayer, yes - but more importantly, it’s a framework for our lives centred on God.

St Luke’s version of the Lord’s Prayer is much shorter than St Matthew’s, yet the essentials remain in place.

Jesus isn’t just giving us something to recite. He’s offering a model of how to approach God and what to focus on when we do.

At its core, this prayer teaches us about the nature of the One we are addressing.  It begins with “Our Father” - a term of intimacy and trust.

In Jesus’ time, the image of a father was of someone who provides, protects, and loves. This would have allowed listeners to relate to a normal family relationship that most people could both understand and therefore cherish. To call God “Our Father” begins from a place of security, knowing that the One we pray to, listens with care, and responds with what is truly best, just as any father who loves their children would want to attend to their daily needs and support them.

The prayer then moves from “your”, Your Kingdom Come, Your will be done etc to “us” – give us this day, and lead us not etc, from God’s name and kingdom, to the needs of a vibrant community.

It speaks of daily bread, (pointing us back to the wilderness journey of the Israelites and the manna/bread provided day by day) - a reminder that our own survival and flourishing, can come only through God’s own provision.

This Our Fr/Lord’s prayer then speaks of forgiveness – Forgive us our trespasses etc, both received and given - as central to any healthy community. And it asks for deliverance, Deliver us from evil, not from everyday challenges, but from trials so severe they may possibly threaten to undo us.

St Luke then follows this specific teaching with additional sayings of Jesus about prayer, underlining God’s openness to our needs. And just as a good parent knows how to respond wisely to a child’s request, so too, God listens and responds - not necessarily always with what we want, but always with what we truly need.

If we were to think of Jesus like a master chef for one moment, (and I hope He won’t take offence at my comparison), the Lord’s Prayer really is his go-to signature recipe - a reliable blend of spiritual ingredients that nourish us as individuals and communities.

But you will notice that there is never an “I” in this prayer. Not at any time is it focused on private requests, but on the collective Christian good.

It begins with a reverence for the creator of the world - “Father, hallowed be your name” and moves to a spiritual vision – of “your kingdom come.”

And finally in conclusion, to the practical: food, forgiveness, and the strength to face trials.

Each prayer petition allows us to be shaped into a people who are thus more attuned to God’s purposes, more connected to one another.

It is a total trust in God, rather than in one’s own resilience.

Of course, the emphasis on each part of the Our Fr, may shift depending on the times we live in, or the struggles we face. That’s the beauty of the prayer.

It is so much more than a signature text – as it remains constant, and its relevance adjusts over time and for today.

It isn’t just a text to be monotonously repeated; it’s a measuring stick of faith and our priorities. Perhaps when we recite it today it may even have a little more meaning for us.

So, go on step into your Christian kitchen with joy and confidence. Try out these spiritual signature ingredients. Work them into your life with care and creativity. 

Let us learn the seasoning of grace, the spice of forgiveness, and the daily nourishment of trust in God.

And above all, keep praying: “Lord, teach us to pray.”

Amen.