Lord, Teach Us
By Toby Crowder
Mitchell County
Luke 11:1 “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.”
This verse stands out in Scripture because it is a specific request from the disciples to learn something from Christ. For some time, it has interested me that of all the miracles that the disciples witnessed Christ perform and all the sights that they beheld, what they asked Him to teach them … was simply how to pray. This request I believe was made by a sincere heart; one who wanted a deeper relationship with their Lord. While this verse leads into a wonderful passage on prayer, I want to discuss the attitude of the disciple who made this request of Christ. I believe that he had a teachable spirit, which is something that is becoming less and less prevalent in the days in which we live.
Being teachable speaks of learning. What are the things that we are interested in learning? Some choose to learn a sport, an instrument, or perhaps a second language… But how many of us determine in our hearts to learn more of our Savior? We are instructed to learn of Him in Matt 11:29 “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” We also remember Paul’s statement in 1 Cor 2:2 “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” A heart that remains teachable will be tender to the voice of the Lord and receptive to the Word of God. These disciples sincerely wanted to learn from the Lord, and so may we “learn of Him” when our heart is inclined to some things:
First, we must have a heart that is inclined to LEARN. These disciples, though unnamed, show us that they wanted to be teachable. Many Christians believe that they know enough… and do not want anymore! In the verse above, we see that these disciples had noticed that others were learning (John’s disciples), and they recognized their desire. A heart that is inclined to learn will look for opportunities to do so. Sunday School is a great opportunity to learn, as are small group studies, prayer meetings, and other ministries that are usually offered through the local church. As we see attendance at these gatherings diminish across our churches, it bears the question “Do we really want to learn more of Him… or are we comfortable with what we have?” To be inclined to learn…. We must have a heart that is desirous of a deeper relationship with Christ.
Secondly, our hearts must be inclined to GROW. I believe that a desire to learn of Him is a desire to grow in Christ… they go hand in hand. We are exhorted throughout the Scriptures to grow!
2 Peter 3:18 – “But grow in grace, and the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.”
Eph 4:14-15 “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:”
1 Pet 2:2 “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:”
It is important that we grow in our walk with Him, and not remain in the same place or become stagnant. We look for growth in all things as a sign of health… and this should apply to our Christian life as well.
Lastly, I believe that we must have a heart that is inclined to SERVE. Sadly, we are living in a day where servanthood is almost unheard of. Many churches struggle to operate because of a lack of willingness to serve, but when we have a servant’s heart, it affects every area of our lives. It does not show itself in activities, but rather in an attitude. Wherever we are serving the Lord, my prayer is that He will foster in us a heart that is inclined to learn, inclined to grow… and inclined to serve Him for He alone is worthy!
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Toby Crowder serves as Pastor of Mt. Carmel Baptist Church in Spruce Pine. He and his wife Leslie have been married for 26 years and have two daughters, Emilee, and Katy. He can be contacted via the church’s website MCfamilyforChrist.org or mtcarmelsprucepine@gmail.com
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