INTRODUCTION:

1. There are three aspects to the Christian life: doing, hearing, and praying.
2. We saw the Good Samaritan in chapter 10 as an excellent example of a doer. When the Good Samaritan saw the man who had fell among thieves, and was beaten and robbed and left lying on the side of the road half dead, he immediately did something about it.
3. Our Lord said the Good Samaritan had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, and poured in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
4. And then on the morrow when he departed, "he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee" (Luke 10:30-35).
5. Then we have the story of Martha and her sister Mary. Mary is an example of a good hearer. Luke 10:39 says Mary "sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word."
6. Now tonight, we have another important aspect of the Christian life -- praying (11:1).
7. These lessons on prayer were part of the training which our Lord gave to His disciples during the latter months of His ministry on earth.
8. It has been truly said that, "No lesson was more vital" (W.H. Griffith Thomas).

 

I. THE NECESSITY OF PRAYER (11:1, 2)

1. First we see our Lord's example -- "And it came to pass, that, as he was praying..." (11:1). A preacher can preach often about prayer (and he should), and a teacher can teach about prayer, but the preacher and the teacher will be far more effective when they teach by example.
2. Consider our Lord's habit of prayer, and His times of prayer (cf. 3:21; 5:16; 6:12; 9:18, 28).
3. Consider also the disciples' desire to pray more effectively -- "Lord, teach us to pray" (11:1).

Teach me to pray, Lord, teach me to pray;
This is my heart-cry day unto day;
I long to know Thy will and Thy way;
Teach me to pray, Lord, teach me to pray.

Living in Thee, Lord, and Thou in me,
Constant abiding, this is my plea;
Grant me Thy power, boundless and free,
Power with men and power with Thee. -- Albert Simpson Reitz

4. Consider also the example of John the Baptist -- "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples" (11:1).
5. We see here the disciples' request, and our Lord's response (11:2ff).

 

II. THE MODEL OF PRAYER (11:2-4)

1. This is often referred to as "the Lord's Prayer," but actually it is "the model prayer." I prefer to call it the model prayer because Jesus said, "When ye pray, say " (Luke 11:2).
2. I prefer not to call it the Lord s prayer because He Himself could never have prayed a prayer such as this (cf. Luke 11:4).
3. Actually, if you are looking for the Lord s prayer, you need to go to John 17 there we see the Lord praying to His Father in heaven. As a matter of fact, the only reference in Scripture to the term "Holy Father" is found in John 17:11.
4. The model prayer is not to be prayed ritually or repeatedly. In Matthew 6:9, our Lord said, "After this manner therefore pray ye..."
5. Our prayers are addressed to our Father in heaven -- "Our Father which art in heaven " (11:2). God is our Father, through the new birth.
6. "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name" (John 1:12).
7. We can pray with confidence, because God is our Father.
8. He is our "heavenly Father" (11:13). He resides in heaven -- "Our Father which art in heaven..." (11:2).
9. "Hallowed be thy name " (11:2). God s name is hallowed, i.e., holy, respected, honored, exalted. W.H. Griffith Thomas says we are to pray "not as beggars but as worshippers...True worship takes one out of self and into the presence of Almighty God" (Outline Studies in Luke).
10. The prayerful believer is concerned with God's Person -- "Our Father which art in heaven " (11:2). God is our Father, through the new birth. He resides in heaven. "Hallowed be thy name " (11:2).
11. And the prayerful believer is concerned with God's program -- "Thy kingdom come" (11:2)
12. All history until the end of time presses toward God s kingdom when the Lord Jesus Christ will return and rule from the throne of David.
13. Revelation 11:15 says, "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever."
14. "Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth" (11:2b). We should be careful to make sure that we are praying according to God s will, and if our requests are according to God's will, than we know they will be granted.
15. First John 5:14, 15 says, "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him."
16. Spurgeon preached a message on this text, and said, "Right prayers get the right answers."
17. "Give us day by day our daily bread" (11:3). Bread is to be asked for, not luxuries. First Timothy 6:8 says, "And having food and raiment let us be therewith content."
18. Hebrews 13:5 says, "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."
19. The prayerful believer is concerned with God's Person (our Heavenly Father), program ("Thy kingdom come"), purposes ("Thy will be done"), provision ("daily bread"), and God's pardon -- "And forgive us our sins..." (11:4).
20. Our Lord said in Matthew 6:14, 15, "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
21. The prayerful believer is also concerned with God's purity -- "And lead us not into temptation" (11:4). We are living in a wicked, sinful world. Our culture has become filthy and pornographic.
22. "And lead us not into temptation" (11:4).
23. The prayerful believer also asks for God's protection -- "deliver us from evil" (11:4b). There is a definite article in the original Greek text, so this means literally "the evil one" (Satan).
24. We come to God in prayer as:

1. A son -- "Our Father which art in heaven"
2. A saint -- "Hallowed be Thy name"
3. A subject -- "Thy kingdom come"
4. A servant -- "Thy will be done"
5. A suppliant -- "Give us day by day our daily bread"
6. A sinner -- "And forgive us our sins"
7. A soldier -- "And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us..."
   (W.H. Griffith Thomas, Outline Studies in Luke)

 

III. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PRAYER (11:5-13)

1. The emphasis here is not on the unwillingness of the friend, but on the persistence of the man with an important need (11:5-8).
2. Evangelist R.A. Torrey said, When we have decided that we should pray for something, we should keep on praying until we get it. This is what our Lord is saying in Luke 11:9, 10.
3. In Luke 11:9, 10, our Lord is using the imperative mode in His command to pray. The force of the words literally means, Keep on asking keep on seeking keep on knocking
4. In other words, don t give up. Don t be impatient. Don t get discouraged. We must persist until the answer comes (Luke 11:5-10; cf. 18:1-8).
5. Importunity (11:8) is a strong word, stronger than "persistence." It literally means "shamelessness, impudence" (cf. 18:7, 8).
6. Albert Barnes says the word refers to "troublesome perseverance; and refusing to take any denial. The word importunity denotes perseverance in an object, without any regard to time, place, or circumstances -- an improper perseverance."
7. Like Abraham pleading for Sodom and Gomorrah before God destroyed those wicked cities. He said to the LORD, "Oh let not the LORD be angry, and I will speak" (Genesis 18:30).
8. Like the Syrophenician woman who would not be denied. The disciples tried to send her away. Our Lord said, "It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs" (Matthew 15:26).
9. But she kept pleading, and her request was granted. Jesus answered and said unto her, "O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt" (Matthew 15:28).
10. And her demon-possessed daughter was made whole from that very hour.
11. "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16).
12. God moves in response to effectual, fervent, persistent prayer. In Luke 11:11-13, our Lord stressed this important truth by using three illustrations from daily life. When a son asks for bread, will his loving father give him a stone? (Luke 11:11).
13. Or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? (Luke 11:11b). Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? (11:12).
14. To do so would be contrary to human nature. Even evil men love their children. How much more does our heavenly Father ("Our Father which art in heaven" -- 11:2) love us? (11:13).
15. Arguing from the lesser to the greater was a popular teaching technique and our Lord is using it here. He also used it in Matthew 6:26. Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
16. If God feeds the little birds, He will certainly feed His disciples. Are ye not much better than they?
17. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? (Matt. 6:30).
18. Horatius Bonar said, "There is here both a comparison and a contrast; a likeness and an unlikeness" between earthly parents and our Heavenly Father.
19. The comparison is obvious: If an earthly father will give his son what he asks, how much more will our heavenly Father?
20. Here is the contrast:

1. Earthly parents are feeble God is almighty
2. Earthly parents are ignorant God is wise.
3. Earthly parents are easily provoked God is patient.
4. Earthly parents are changeable God changes not.
5. Earthly parents are often perplexed God is never at a loss.
6. Earthly parents are but imperfectly happy God is the blessed One. VII. Earthly parents cannot be always giving but God can.

21. No loving father would deceive his child by giving him a stone for bread, a serpent for a fish, or a scorpion for an egg (Luke 11:11, 12).

 

CONCLUSION:

1. The conclusion of this wonderful lesson on prayer is found at the end of Luke 11:13 how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?
2. Our Lord is referring to the fulness of the Holy Spirit. This is the greatest gift of all!
3. We are to pray with confidence -- with the same confidence a child has when he asks something from his father.
4. And we are to pray for the Holy Spirit's enabling.