Powerful Prayer – Luke 11:1-13
When children first start coloring, they have two problems: First, they often choose the wrong colors, colors that are not appropriate. Second, they have a problem staying inside the lines.
The same thing is often true of our prayers to God. First, we often do not know what to pray for. Second, we sometimes pray outside of the will of the Father. But, as we learn more about prayer from God, we can more appropriately pray to God.
On one occasion, the disciples of Christ come to Him with the request that He teach them to pray. If Solomon can teach us how to handle our money, surely Jesus is the One to teach us how to pray!
THE REQUEST – 11:1:
This whole discussion about prayer is instigated by Jesus, Himself, praying! If we want our children to do the right thing, they must see us doing the right thing!
THE FRAMEWORK – 11:2-4:
Consider the highlights of the prayer as a framework for our own powerful prayers.
1. Address your prayers to the Father.
2. Sanctify the name of God.
3. Pray that God’s rule in the hearts of men will increase and spread.
4. Pray for your daily needs.
5. Forgiveness is always a key aspect of our prayers.
6. Finally, pray that God will keep you out of situations in which temptation to sin is greater than you can handle.
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In the parable, you are the friend who receives a visitor at night. Jesus suggests that your friendship may not be what motivates the friend to help you out! It is, rather, your persistence that will cause your friend to give “as much as [you] need.”
If a friend will give in to your persistent request, will not the God of heaven do similarly…?
THE RESULT – 11:9-10:
With that parable in the immediate background, then, Jesus encourages us to be persistent with the Father in our prayers. These three commands are all present tense verbs. Be persistent!
The result of this persistence in prayer is given by Jesus in verse 10 – “For.” The one
ILLUSTRATIONS – 11:11-12:
Jesus, again, uses illustrations to bring out His point. A human parent is not going to give something hurtful when his/her child asks for some necessity.
THE ANSWER – 11:13:
In this final verse, Jesus gives us the answer to our prayers. The “Holy Spirit” in context here likely refers back to the promise of the forgiveness of sins in verse 4, the fulfillment of Joel (2:28-32) and Ezekiel’s prophecies (36:26-27) that forgiveness of sins would come with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). So, the Holy Spirit, as He brings to us the message of forgiveness of sins through the blood of Christ is the greatest of all gifts that we can receive.
If God is willing to give us the greatest of all gifts, He will surely give us the lesser gifts like food, clothes, and shelter. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus says God will give “what is good” (Matthew 7:11).
Powerful prayer is persistent prayer. He’ll give you want you desire, consistent with His will for your life.
–Paul Holland
