Title: The Prayer That God Hears
Text: Luke 11:1–13
In today’s passage, the disciples were the ones who first asked Jesus to teach them how to pray.
Before Jesus taught them, it is important to notice why they made this request.
Why did they ask Jesus to teach them to pray?
Did the disciples simply want to become good at praying, just like others?
It seems that in every community there were established ways of praying.
They mentioned that “John taught his disciples,” implying that their own community should also have such a prayer.
As members of the community of Jesus, we too must know this prayer by heart.
That is why many people memorize it completely.
However, instead of memorizing it blindly, we should understand why Jesus said, “Pray like this.”
There must have been a reason and a background behind His instruction.
This guidance implies that there were wrong ways of praying at that time.
When Jesus said, “Pray like this,” He was also saying, “Do not pray like that.”
Therefore, before learning the Lord’s Prayer, we need to understand what those “wrong prayers” were.
One characteristic of a wrong prayer is that it is a prayer which God does not listen to.
It is a prayer offered without thinking about the One who listens, and often includes things that God does not want to hear.
God is righteous — so if we ask for something unjust, He will not listen.
God is full of love — so if we ask Him to do something cruel or unloving, He will not grant such a request.
The result is obvious.
In short, a wrong prayer often comes from not truly knowing the One who hears it.
When someone does not personally know who God is, wrong kinds of prayer naturally arise.
What does it mean to know someone personally?
It means having a relationship — like that of a friend.
In such a personal relationship, mutual respect always comes first.
It is not one-sided.
Another form of wrong prayer is one that has no interest in the answer.
Some people pray earnestly but care little about the outcome.
Such people become thoughtless and insincere.
It is like someone who makes a request, receives what they asked for, and then forgets all about it.
From God’s perspective, that can feel like being ignored.
What does God desire through our prayers?
Rather than seeking a reward, God desires a deeper personal relationship with us.
He already knows all our needs even before we ask.
Yet prayer is still important, because through prayer our fellowship with God grows deeper.
That is what God truly desires.
It is directly related to our spiritual growth and maturity.
Through the prayers God listens to — and even through those He does not — we come to know Him more deeply.
When I was young, I always wanted a bicycle.
I kept asking my mother (or grandmother) to buy one for me, but she never did.
In the end, she did not grant my request.
Only later did I realize her love through that unanswered prayer.
Likewise, in human relationships, if we only demand what we want and insist on our desires being met, that is not a healthy relationship.
A proper attitude in prayer includes remembering that God may not answer, and respecting that.
The choice belongs to the One who hears.
Through that process, we come to know what pleases Him and what does not.
Although today’s passage does not include them, Jesus Himself mentioned examples of wrong prayers.
The first example is the prayer that exalts oneself.
A self-exalting prayer is a wrong prayer — one that God does not hear.
The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector is a perfect example.
Luke 18:10–13 (KRV)
“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’”
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled.
A prayer that exalts oneself falls to the ground.
That is why Jesus said that prayer should be done in secret — to avoid praying just to be seen by others.
“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.” (Matthew 6:6)
Here, we see what God is like:
God hates pride.
He dislikes when people lift themselves up, and He desires humility from us.
Why does He dislike pride?
Because He loves us.
He knows that pride can lead to our spiritual harm, so out of love He warns us against it.
Even in our time, there are many wrong kinds of prayer.
We can recognize them easily by this simple principle:
God does not listen to prayers that exalt oneself.
Any prayer that lacks humility and is filled with pride will not be heard.
Prayers that aim to impress people, to promote oneself, or to use religion for display are not what God wants.
The kind of prayer God desires is honest, humble, and open — a prayer that reveals one’s true heart before Him.
When we are honest, our sins and weaknesses naturally come to light.
That is why Jesus said that the tax collector, not the Pharisee, was justified before God.
So, what kind of prayer does God truly hear?
It is the prayer offered by someone who truly knows Him.
If we know who God is, we will not pray like the Pharisee did.
And who knows God best?
Jesus does.
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.”
— Colossians 1:15
Jesus knows the Father perfectly.
Through the prayer He taught us, we too can know what God is like.
The more we pray, the more we come to know Him.
Amen.
May you and I continue to grow in knowing the God who hears our prayers.
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