This section of Scripture that we will dive into in this study is really an extension to what we looked at in our first study here in chapter 11. We remember that one of Jesus’ disciples said in Luke 11:1b Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples. It was this statement that showed the importance of prayer for this disciple. Jesus was their example of someone that was always in prayer. Jesus in His humanity needed to pray for strength because of the weakness of the flesh. Jesus who is the Son of God had lived far from sin in eternity and now had come to earth in flesh. Jesus’ example of a person that prays often should show us our need to pray more than we do now.
We looked at the contents of this prayer in our last study that showed us our direction of prayer which is in knowing that God is sovereign over all things. He is the ruler of all things, He is our provider, the One that forgives, the One that gives to us mercy and the One that protects us. But often we are impatient with God in our prayers. We tend to pray for selfish desires expecting God to do what we say when we say it. Even when our prayers are not selfish we often times find ourselves discouraged because the fact that we are not seeing God move in the way we think He should.
Now that we have the model for what the contents of our prayers should be and the direction of giving glory to God, we now come to look at the fact that we must be persistent in coming to God. The lesson will point to the fact that when we ask, God will give. But there is always something that we must keep in mind in any prayer we pray and that is God’s will and purpose. If we go outside of the walls of God’s will in prayer then we will not receive what we ask for but if we ask in God’s will then we will receive. Let’s look at this as we work through this section of Scripture.
1.A lesson of PERSISTANCE in prayer.
Look with me at Luke 11:5-9 that says Then He said to them, “Which of you has a friend and will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot rise up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not arise and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. 9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
The story that Jesus just told is given to us to show us the persistence we must have in prayer. I do want to point out that this is just a story. Not everything in this story is parallel to the reality of prayer but it is the principle that needs to be the focus. For instance God will not speak to us in the way this friend did to the man asking for help. God will never tell us to not bother him, God will never be asleep and unable to rise up to help us.
The story is not meant to be deceptive in this sense but the principle of the persistence is the focus. With that in mind I do want to look at the original word here that we see as persistence. It is the Greek word anaideia (an-ah’-ee-die-ah’) which means the shamelessness a faith-led believer has who is not halted by human fears. The idea shows a boldness with persistence. It isn’t that we come to God in arrogance or thinking that we deserve anything that we ask for but the idea is that we will not leave from prayer or go to prayer with the idea that God will not answer our prayers.
The boldness to continue to go to God in prayer about something shows that we trust God, it shows that we believe that we will receive what God has promised to us as His children. This story points to the fact that we must not give up on God’s promises. But let’s make sure that as we have seen already in our last study is that the reality of what our prayer consist of and that is God’s will and purpose.
This persistence will pay off in God’s time as we will receive what God has promised to us. This will carry us into the next verse and our next point.
2.We will RECEIVE what we ask for in prayer.
Look with me at Luke 11:10 that says For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.
I do want to point out that many people use this verse to say that God will give to them anything they ask for. If you were to take this statement of Jesus alone then I could very well see why your theology of prayer would say that. But we must take the whole of Scripture to determine what we should be asking for.
For some people when they do not get what they ask for in prayer then they blame God. They say that God must not love them or that God isn’t even real because they did not receive what they asked for. James 4:3 says You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.
We see that when we don’t get the answer we want it is because we have prayed a selfish prayer. Some people say that God answers prayer with a yes at times, a no at times and wait at other times but we need to make sure that this is a biblical principle. I think this is a good assumption but we need to be certain that when we think that God did not answer with a yes then we need to examine our motive of our prayer.
James had previously spoke of this very thing concerning praying in chapter 1, he says in James 1:5-8 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith, doubting nothing, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Be certain that this is not the name and claim it theology that is out in the Christian culture of our time. This is back to the same reality of prayer that we have been speaking of since last study. We must trust God will give to us what He has promised so when we do trust, we will pray for the right thing and therefore we will receive what we pray for. It is just as Jesus has said in verse 10 here in Luke 11, everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.
The circles back to the fact that not only are we to trust God but we must be persistent and patient. Once again we see in James this very clear command. James 5:7-11 says Therefore be patient, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the soil, being patient about it, until it receives the early and late rains. 8 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not groan, brothers, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged. Behold, the Judge is standing right at the door. 10 As an example, brothers, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we count those blessed who persevere. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.
We must trust God and we must allow that trust in God to help us to continue to be faithful in ministry and in prayer. We can be patient in knowing that God will fulfill every promise that He has given to us in Christ. That goes back to know that God is a loving God who gives to us His grace daily. This leads us to look at our next 3 verses in our last point for this study.
3.God’s gracious GIVING in prayer.
Look with me at Luke 11:11-13 that says But what father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? 12 Or, if his son asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”
So the idea that our asking in faith, our asking in God’s will and us receiving comes into to full focus here. Our prayers are not selfish therefore we should not be asking God for selfish things. Instead our prayers are towards God, for the glory of God because of His gracious giving of all that we ask. Now we see here that we don’t see superficial things as what we receive but the Holy Spirit.
I do not think that we can find anywhere in the Bible that praying to God for someone to be healed or for some direction in a situation is sinful but that should not be our primary focus as to why we pray. Our prayers should be to help us in spiritual growth. To have this happen we need help because we can not on our own power grow. We need the Holy Spirit and when we come to God with the right attitude, motivation and direction then we will receive from God exactly what we need.
Jesus makes it clear here that not even us as sinful, wretched and evil people will give to our own children things that will harm them. So if we being evil and sinful will give good things to our children how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”
So often I hear people talk about how God is interested in the little things in our life and I would agree but never are we told to pray about those things. In fact Jesus says in Matthew 6:32-34 For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
We are to acknowledge that God is the giver of all of those things but that should not be the focus of our prayers. I have been guilty of this in the past and what we do when these things are the focus of our prayers instead of getting the Holy Spirit to help us to grow is we start to doubt. The more we focus on the things we think we need instead of what God wants to give to us, the more we turn from God’s will and start to live our life for those little things. We must keep our focus on God and what He wants for us as we pray.
As we come to a close for this study I want to magnify the fact that Jesus specifically uses the Holy Spirit as the center of what we ask for. In Matthew 6:7-8 Jesus says before His example of prayer or commonly known as the Lord’s prayer: And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Therefore, do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
Jesus says in Matthew 7:11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!
When we look at all of this combined with what we briefly hit on in this study, we conclude that our prayers must be centrally focused on asking for the Holy Spirit to work in our life. There are many ways the Holy Spirit works in us that include salvation, sanctification, illuminating of the Scripture, discernment, encouragement, unity with Christ, glorifying of God in the way we live and many more. I encourage you to think about how it is that you are praying. Follow Jesus’ example that shows us the urgency to pray daily, to glorify God, to thank Him for His provision, protection and for His gift of the work of the Holy Spirit in us who have been saved.
Disciple's Direction 