Prayer, Relationship and Transformation

Luke 11:1-13

Father Mark reflects on Luke’s version of the Lord’s Prayer, emphasizing that Jesus teaches his disciples not just how to ask for things, but how to enter into deeper relationship with God. Unlike the transactional model of prayer many assume—asking and hoping to receive—Jesus starts with the holiness of God and a desire for God’s kingdom, not human needs. Prayer, then, begins by orienting the heart toward God, aligning with God’s will rather than bending divine power to our own purposes.

He addresses the tension many feel when prayers go unanswered. Father Mark references C.S. Lewis, who wrote that prayer is not magic, nor does it guarantee a specific result—even Jesus’ own prayer in Gethsemane was not answered in the way he hoped. Instead of viewing prayer as a vending machine, Father Mark encourages us to see it as a spiritual posture of openness, rooted in trust that God is always giving—most especially the gift of the Holy Spirit, God’s very self.

Ultimately, praying as Jesus prays is not about changing God’s mind, but about transforming ours. The Lord’s Prayer, repeated faithfully, reshapes our consciousness into the likeness of Christ’s. As we ask, seek, and knock, we are not overcoming divine reluctance, but becoming receptive to the love and presence that God is constantly offering. In this way, prayer becomes not a means to gain control, but a way to join in the divine flow, receive the Holy Spirit, and participate in the coming of God’s kingdom.

Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.