Only when I pray is a short series of thought-provoking reflections based loosely around the theme of prayer as found in Luke 11:1-13.

Introduction to this series

Read this passage as an introduction to these daily reflections. If you have more than one translation of the Bible read it through in each one that you have and you may taste a slightly different flavour in each of them.

In this passage you will note that Jesus had been in a time of prayer at an unspecified place. When He had finished, one of His disciples asked Him to teach them [how] to pray. Jesus’ response is one of the two recorded places in the gospels where He teaches them what we have come to know and love as The Lord’s Prayer – the other place this is recorded is in Matthew 6:9-13 and Matthew 7:7-8 where it is split with other teaching in between. Read these passages, too, as a comparison.

The Matthew record is part of the Sermon on the mount which is found in Matthew chapters 5-7.

The Luke record appears to be set much later in Jesus’ ministry while He and His disciples were on their way to Jerusalem (as revealed slightly earlier in Luke 10:38). This may mean Jesus shared this prayer advice on two occasions. However, the way Luke 11:1 is written it could be referring back to the hillside where the sermon was delivered, like Luke was actually saying, “At one other time Jesus gave us this advice…”

Let’s not get bogged down with this as these reflections are not a theological or chronological study into the scripture; rather, they are a series of thoughts developed while reading and studying the passage for myself in a number of different translations. These are simply and only the thoughts, reflections and personal musings of the author. Sometimes it was a phrase that caught my attention. Sometimes it was a single word. Other times it was a memory that side-stepped to a situation or life event that I or a friend had experienced that aligned with the passage.

But what is the aim of these reflections? If they bless you and help you turn (or return) to scripture then I’m okay with that. If they help draw you closer to the Lord, I’d be delighted by that. If you simply listen to the songs for your own enjoyment that’s okay, too.

In all sincerity, there was no specific early aim other than capture my thoughts and develop them as songs. I shared some of the songs with KeeNote – but they were not a normal “fit” for us; they were not worship songs, they were not standalone songs and they certainly weren’t concert/musical/story material.

I also shared the raw transcripts with a friend without sharing the music who prompted a further idea – i.e. to develop them as daily reflections as this was how she had chosen to read them. And that is what I have now done. So, you will see this represents something of a departure from my normal song-writing and Biblical story-telling in music.

You, too, may decide for yourself to use these reflections as part of your daily prayer time. If so, I would love that the Holy Spirit would nudge your own thought process (and potentially your personal prayer focus) in the direction of some of the topics that are revealed. You may be prompted to pray for others in a way that aligns with the topics.

We know Jesus prayed regularly and privately - and so should we.

We know His disciples were a mixed bunch with their own personalities and individual “baggage” – and so are we.

These reflections touch on a number of topics. Some are quite obviously meditative while others are more direct and challenging. Others still are a direct musical version of the scripture rather than with any specific accompanying thought. Hopefully you will find them all useful in how you choose to use them, encouraging and, perhaps even, reassuring.

Starting tomorrow you will receive each day a link to one song video (this will be solo work – not KeeNote) and a reflection with scripture references on the topic of the verse the song refers to.

For today, by way of introduction to this series of 15 reflections, please read through Luke 11:1-10, Matthew 6:9-13, Matthew 7:7-8 and pray that God might reveal something He wants for (or from) you.

I promise you, this will not be heavy-going, deep or cumbersome and you can decide for yourself to either read the reflection, read the scripture within the reflection, or just listen to the song – that is entirely up to you.

Today’s accompanying song is Close to You sung by KeeNote for today only.

Many blessings.

Al