I had been anticipating my fly-fishing trip in northern Georgia for some time. The day finally came when I met my guide before the sun came up and we began our float on the river. I listened to his instructions and watched everything he did. I took note of the bait he used, the length of his casts, and even watched the water for signs of trout movements. Finally, I experienced the incredible joy of catching several trout on my own. I was able to land 2 large brook trout along with some good-sized rainbows. I had begun to learn how to catch trout. Whenever we need to learn a new skill or to improve an important area of our life it always helps to learn from a master.
The disciples were with Jesus one day when He separated Himself and spent time in prayer to His Father. When he had finished, one of His disciples asked Him to teach them to pray. They witnessed His intimacy with His Heavenly Father. They listened to His praise and His petitions. They saw the peace and power that came from His time in prayer. They then asked Him to teach them how to pray. Jesus gave them a pattern for prayer in what we call “The Lord’s Prayer” and then related to them how eager their Heavenly Father was to hear them and answer them.
Prayer is the Christian’s greatest privilege. We are encouraged to approach the very throne of God’s grace; what an honor. Prayer is the believer’s greatest weapon. When we face any type of spiritual battle, we array ourselves in the armor of God and surround ourselves with the powerful weapon of prayer. Eph. 6:18 tells us: “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints”. Prayer is also the Christian’s greatest neglect. We all must admit that we need to do a whole lot more praying in our daily life.
My trout fishing trip was such a joyful and memorable experience because I chose to learn from the expert. Prayer is so vital, and so powerful. Let’s learn from our Master.