The purpose of this teaching is to make us aware of the need to take a serious look at our life of prayer, rather than take it for granted and just let it be… whether it be ok, or in great need of improvement, or even revival.

This is the start of a sort of School of Prayer, which I believe is much needed in the Body of Christ, as my experience shows:
– I have taught several Schools of Prayer over the last 20 years
– I have founded and am the Pastor of a House of Prayer over the last 17 years
– I was an active participant of the European Prayer movement of the late 90’s and a prayer leader in the prayer movement in my own nation between 1999 and 2008

Even so, I know that there is so much still to discover when it comes to the life of prayer today, as when the Lord drew me into this fundamental activity that defines our God-given calling to be the Royal Priesthood of Jesus on earth; in other words, His priests in the order of Melchizedek, who serve under the Lordship of our High Priest Jesus, whose primary job is to pray from where He is seated, at the right of God.

Prayer is probably the most essential foundation of the life of faith and relationship with God. We can see that in that children seem to know by instinct how to pray, even if no one has taught them to pray.

Children know how to pray instinctively, same as when you throw them in the water; they know how to hold their breath even with open mouth, and how to stay afloat.

In the same way, humans know how to pray by birth, as it is the means of communication with the Creator God, who placed that innate ability within us so that we may converse with Him, and He with us.

However, we need to ask this question… is the innate, instinctive ability to pray sufficient for a life of prayer when we become born-from-above children of God?

Since prayer is the essential foundation of all the religions of the world, including Satan-worshipers who pray to their own master, is it really enough that we pray in that same basic, instinctive form of inward communication with God?

Or, ought we rather consider the role-model of Jesus and of the early Church, and seek to be trained to pray as they did?

The babies know how to stay afloat when you throw them into the water, but that is not enough for them to become adept swimmers who know how to swim fast or long distance, or how to overcome the waves of the sea, etc. Staying afloat, or the instinctive movement of the hands and feet same as the animals in the water, does not make you a swimmer, but training does.

In like manner, the early disciples of Jesus grew up in a theistic society where prayer was a part of their religious lifestyle, since Judaism was (and is) almost identical to their national identity. Still, when they saw Jesus praying, they realized there was more to prayer than what they already knew. Let’s read:

Luke 11:1 Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, [that] one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” 2 So He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as [it is] in heaven.