When the Apostles approached the Lord and said, "Teach us how to pray," they gave expression to feelings that must have dominated many believers since. So many feel frustrated in prayer. They seem to derive no benefit from it. Of course, prayer means more than merely closing the eyes in reverence, and uttering words devoid of concrete meaning. Certainly more is required than that. Indeed, it is possible to be blind to the requirements of prayer. Consider the two parables that the Lord spake concerning prayer, recorded in Luke 18. The first is the parable of the importunate widow whose much pleading of the unjust judge finally brought results; the second in the parable of the Pharisee and the publican in the Temple praying.

The first parable teaches that we should never give up praying; the second parable demonstrates that we must learn to pray aright.
The Pharisee was a hypocrite; yet he was blind to the fact. He searched his heart, and found only good. He stood upright in confidence and self-justification. He stood apart in pride, and in consciousness of his supposed superiority.

The publican was a worldling. He searched his heart and found only evil therein. He stood with head bowed recognising the fact. He stood apart like the Pharisee, but it was in shame. He realised his need of God, and in doing so, came to acknowledge the first essential of acceptable worship, which is a realisation of his need of God.

Notice the egotism of the Pharisee: his use of the pronoun "I" (Luke 18:11-12); the eloquence of his claims of self-righteousness; the pompousness of his thanks to God: "That I am not as other men are ... ."
Contrast the humility of the publican; his inability to express himself. There is no oratory in his appeal. He thinks of his failures and in grief smites his breast; he thinks of the holiness of God, and cannot lift his eyes to heaven; there is much that he would like to say, but all that he can stumble out with is, "God be merciful to me, a sinner."

That was the full extent of his prayer, but it pleased God more than the eloquence of the Pharisee. Yet, obviously, the publican was laden with sins. It was a realisation of his weakness and misery that caused him to seek God's mercy. But though a sinner, he was not guilty of the worst of common sins: the sin of pride. The Pharisee had a surfeit of that, but was blind to the fact. He imagined that his prayers were pleasing unto God, but they were not. His eloquence and oratory were but expressions of his pride and arrogance, and of no use to God, Whose ears are closed to such.

In the parable, one prayer was powerful, and one was not. It is not difficult for the simplest of minds to learn the lesson and to apply the principles expressed.

Let us consider what the Bible says regarding prayer. We will set out Scripture references with but the briefest comment, to permit the reader to meditate upon them, and allow them to guide his approaches to the Father.