Luke 11:1

This verse gives the setting for the teaching that follows. This is the fifth time that Luke referred to Jesus praying (Luke 3:21; Luke 5:16; Luke 6:12; Luke 9:18; Luke 9:28; cf. Luke 22:32; Luke 22:40-44; Luke 23:46). It was apparently Jesus’ frequent praying that alerted His disciples to its importance and made them feel their need for His help in their praying. This is the only time the Gospel writers recorded that someone asked Jesus to teach them something, another indication of the importance of this instruction. They seem to have felt the need for help in learning to pray more than in learning how to preach. The disciples did not ask for instruction on the subject of prayer theoretically. They wanted help praying. Evidently they wanted Jesus to give them a prayer that they could use that would be appropriate in view of their distinctive relationship to God as believers in Jesus. Other Jewish groups, such as John’s disciples, had their own distinctive prayers. [Note: Marshall, The Gospel . . ., p. 456.] Perhaps being in the area of John’s former ministry brought him to the disciples’ minds.