In today's gospel Luke tells us that Jesus was at prayer and after he had finished his time of prayer, one of the disciples asked the Lord to teach them to pray.  Luke offers us some wonderful insights here about prayer and about our relationship with the Lord. 

            First of all, Jesus himself prayed.  The life of the Lord was firmly grounded in prayer.  Prayer was the source of the Lord's strength, his conviction, his power.  Before every major decision in his life the Lord spent the night in prayer.  He teaches us that prayer is not a task to be accomplished, but an experience of communication with a father who loves us. 

            In today's reading from the book of Genesis, Abraham walks with God.  What a powerful symbol of our relationship with God.  We do not journey alone, our creator journeys with us.  There is an intimate relationship between Abraham and the Lord.  Yahweh does not hide his intentions from Abraham.  Abraham, in turn, does not hesitate to speak up on behalf of the innocent.  Prayer is first and foremost about honest communication.  We raise our hearts and minds to God who refreshes and strengthens us.  In prayer we seek to discern God's will for us and to share our needs and concerns with the one who loves us.

            In Luke's gospel the Lord reminds us that like any good father, our God wants to give us what is good.  His greatest gift is the gift of his own Spirit.  The Spirit of the Father, the Spirit of Jesus is the ultimate gift of the Father.  Jesus reminds us to never stop asking for this gift of the Spirit.  It is the Spirit that gives life to our prayer, our faith, and our service in the world.