Ever watch young boys walk around with their fathers? Careful observation reveals an illustration of what we would call “monkey see, monkey do.” A few years ago I recall watching a young boy walk alongside his father. You could tell they were father and son by the similarity of their walk.
The disciple’s request in Luke 11 stirs me. Observing Jesus and prayer and connecting that with his life seems to have led to the request to “teach us to pray.” Already bent to learn, the disciple’s then hear the distinct requests that should be made by a disciple. These requests appear to create the evnironment for soul transformation. So, prayer then, in the disciple’s sense, is transformative. The disciple learns the proper requests that place him/her in the way of the transformative work of the Father who is near to us.
The image then is of an ongoing learning process for the disciple. Again, one more illustration of the necessity of life long learning…