Daily Devotion for April 8 - Luke 11:1 - 4

Verse

Luke 11:1–4 – “Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’ And He said to them, ‘When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.’”

Meditation

The disciples asked for what every believer must learn: how to pray. And the Lord answered, not with lofty formulas, but with a pattern both profound and simple. In few words, He teaches us to call God “Father,” to set our hearts on His kingdom, to trust Him daily for what we need, to confess our sins and extend forgiveness, and to seek His leading in the battle against temptation. This prayer is not only a model but a means of daily dependence, humility, and communion. It gathers all of life into a few petitions and lifts it up to the One who hears.

Old Testament

Psalm 86:6–7 – “Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace. In the day of my trouble I call upon You, for You answer me.”
The psalmist’s confidence that God hears and answers prayer echoes the same trust Jesus teaches His disciples to have in the Father.

Collect

Almighty Father, who in Your mercy taught us through Your Son to pray, give us steadfast hearts to call upon You in faith, confident that You hear and answer according to Your good and gracious will; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Hymn Verse

“Our Father, who from heav’n above
Bids all of us to live in love
As members of one family
And pray to You in unity,
Teach us no thoughtless words to say
But from our inmost hearts to pray.”
— Our Father, Who from Heaven Above – LSB 766:1