THE NO-OPTION PRAYER – Following Jesus From the Edges.

Following Jesus From the Edges –
The No – Option Prayer –
Pastor Calvin Cook
May 20, 2026

“This, then, is how you should pray:” Matthew 6:9 A (NIV)

I struggle with prayer. Not the purpose of prayer or the need to pray but more so of the position we should take in our prayers. What should be the center of our prayers and what does the focus of prayer mean in the end results?

The words and request of the Disciples recorded in Luke 11:1 should give us instruction as to effective – God centered praying –
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When He finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples. He (Jesus) said to them, “When you pray, say:” Luke 11:1-2 (NIV)

And Jesus continues to teach by praying what has become known to us as the Lord’s prayer.

In the Gospel of Matthew the teaching on prayer comes right in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount”. In Matthew 6:5-15 – Jesus gives some deeper instruction about our posture of prayer and coming before God or as Jesus prays “Our Father in Heaven” we see a submission to the holiness and hallowedness of the only one true God.

My first position to avoid struggle is to position myself in a place of trust so that as I pray I acknowledge God as the one, the only one the holy of holy’s – the ultimate power. This means surrender. Of clearing my head, my heart, my soul of all things and submitting to be in the presence of God. Two words and actions here we don’t like – “surrender” and “submission”.

I am often reminded regularly as I pray the Lord’s prayer, and by the way the instruction of the early church fathers was to pray the Lord’s prayer at least three times a day “without interference” (according to the Didache on prayer and fasting). Humbly I ask what is interfering with an unceasing prayer life. I’m not talking about the simple sentence prayers or breath prayers which I also believe God hears but the set aside time of prayer and communion with God should be essential to our lives.

The push back is this first of taking the time, second being willing, and third the excuse “I don’t know what to pray.”

This is where we see care of Jesus both in his teaching on prayer during His sermon to the followers on the mountainside or when responding to the Disciples question in Luke 11 – Here becomes the no – option prayer –

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.” (Matthew 6:9-13 NIV)

Seriously a life changing prayer that can be prayed in 30 seconds – we don’t have 30 seconds to give to Jesus. We are so busy we can’t seek in prayer escape and protection from the things of this world that are consuming and taking over our lives. We can’t grab hold of the life saving power of prayer through surrender and submission that we have in prayer, in listening, in responding, in living in the name of Jesus.

Maybe that is why we need to linger in prayer especially in “Forgive us”.

I don’t see prayer anymore as a option. It is a necessary part of my salvation, my trust, and my surrender to the one who saves me from myself.

Prayer can no longer be an option and Jesus didn’t say it was.

Pray for me and I will pray for you, but the power will be when we pray together !