Mr. McFarland

We can never run out of things to pray about if we focus our attention on the Lord's Prayer, on the Ten Commandments, and on the Apostles' Creed. Master Peter could not thank Dr. Luther enough for teaching him the secret to a simple way to pray.

We can never run out of things to pray about if we focus our attention on the Lord's Prayer, on the Ten Commandments, and on the Apostles' Creed. Master Peter could not thank Dr. Luther enough for teaching him the secret to a simple way to pray.

When Mr. McFarland ended his story, he said to his children, Do you see why every night during our devotions I want to make sure that you are learning the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and the Apostles' Creed? From now on in our devotions, when you pray, I'm going to ask you to practice praying in the simple way that Dr. Luther taught his barber.

When Mr. McFarland ended his story, he said to his children, Do you see why every night during our devotions I want to make sure that you are learning the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and the Apostles' Creed? From now on in our devotions, when you pray, I'm going to ask you to practice praying in the simple way that Dr. Luther taught his barber.

Delaney said, Thank you for telling us that story, Daddy. I can hardly wait to try Dr. Luther's way to pray. In fact, can we have family devotions again tonight so we can try it? The other children said, oh yes, Daddy, please. Mr. McFarland was delighted to see his children's new interest in prayer. He said with a smile, let's pray.

Delaney said, Thank you for telling us that story, Daddy. I can hardly wait to try Dr. Luther's way to pray. In fact, can we have family devotions again tonight so we can try it? The other children said, oh yes, Daddy, please. Mr. McFarland was delighted to see his children's new interest in prayer. He said with a smile, let's pray.

In the time that's left on our broadcast today, I've asked Chris Larson to be with me in the studio so that we can discuss some of the application of this story. Thank you, Chris, for being with us today, and let's just get right into it.

In the time that's left on our broadcast today, I've asked Chris Larson to be with me in the studio so that we can discuss some of the application of this story. Thank you, Chris, for being with us today, and let's just get right into it.

Chris, it was many, many years ago. I've spent a lot of time studying the life of Luther, and one of the things that I found striking in his ministry was was how deeply dedicated he was to prayer. I mean, he would pray for at least an hour every day, and sometimes two and three hours a day.

Chris, it was many, many years ago. I've spent a lot of time studying the life of Luther, and one of the things that I found striking in his ministry was was how deeply dedicated he was to prayer. I mean, he would pray for at least an hour every day, and sometimes two and three hours a day.

He had first learned that discipline while he was in the monastery, and after he came out of the monastery, he never abandoned it, and it was with him for his entire life.

He had first learned that discipline while he was in the monastery, and after he came out of the monastery, he never abandoned it, and it was with him for his entire life.

Well, my good friend Archie Parish, who's the president of Serve International, goes around the country and does clinics in churches on what he calls kingdom-focused prayer. And Archie is himself a prayer warrior extraordinaire. And he and I were having a conversation once at dinner about Luther and his prayer life and about the episode in which he taught his barber how to pray.

Well, my good friend Archie Parish, who's the president of Serve International, goes around the country and does clinics in churches on what he calls kingdom-focused prayer. And Archie is himself a prayer warrior extraordinaire. And he and I were having a conversation once at dinner about Luther and his prayer life and about the episode in which he taught his barber how to pray.

And so we came up with the idea of republishing that little book of Luther's, A Simple Way to Pray, with some introduction to it. And we did that. And Archie and I did that together. And Archie has used that all over the country in the churches and for pastors. And frankly, that method that Luther taught the barbers, a method I've used myself, and I find it absolutely exciting and incredible.

And so we came up with the idea of republishing that little book of Luther's, A Simple Way to Pray, with some introduction to it. And we did that. And Archie and I did that together. And Archie has used that all over the country in the churches and for pastors. And frankly, that method that Luther taught the barbers, a method I've used myself, and I find it absolutely exciting and incredible.

And I was thinking this, Chris, let me just back up a little bit. People in the church, in many cases, are overwhelmed with guilt because of their ineffective prayer lives. And pastors are always saying, you need to pray, you need to pray, you need to pray more. And people just feel more and more and more guilty. because nobody teaches them how to pray.

And I was thinking this, Chris, let me just back up a little bit. People in the church, in many cases, are overwhelmed with guilt because of their ineffective prayer lives. And pastors are always saying, you need to pray, you need to pray, you need to pray more. And people just feel more and more and more guilty. because nobody teaches them how to pray.

The disciples themselves were in that bind, and they came to Jesus, and they didn't say, teach us how to turn water into wine or how to walk on the water or calm the storm, but they said, teach us how to pray, because they saw the connection between Jesus' power and his own prayer life.

The disciples themselves were in that bind, and they came to Jesus, and they didn't say, teach us how to turn water into wine or how to walk on the water or calm the storm, but they said, teach us how to pray, because they saw the connection between Jesus' power and his own prayer life.