Luke 11:1-13
Luke 11:1-13
Do we value prayer? I think this is an important question for us to ask. Do we value prayer? How would you currently describe your prayer life?
My feeling is that for most Christians we feel like it could be better. Prayer is one of those abstract things that we don’t fully understand. We know it's how we talk to God yet it still leaves us confused. Ultimately we pray because God:
Have you ever been around someone who really gets prayer? Like when they pray it makes you want to pray? This is what the disciples were feeling with Jesus.
What stuck out to me reading Luke 11 was how the disciples said… “Lord, teach us to pray.” WOW! I feel like, if we could, we would often say… “Lord, teach me another way other than prayer.” Having a faithful prayer life is hard. But it is so rewarding.
In Luke 11:1-13 we learn a few things about a healthy prayer life… about how to pray.
1) PRAY STRATEGICALLY (v.2-4)
When we pray, we are converting with God Himself. We should not just “throw up prayers”. We should be intentional and strategic. This is what Jesus modeled for us in verses 2-4.
We know from the rest of Scripture that this is both STRUCTURED (by a list at a specific point in the day) and WITHOUT CEASING (as we go through life) but one way Scripture never describes prayer is haphazard. It is strategic.
When we understand that God listens and responds to our prayer in His perfect character, we will be strategic.
2) PRAY PERSISTENTLY (v.5-10)
Jesus tells this story of a man who was asking his friend for some bread. He didn’t want to get up and give it to him in that moment YET “because of his persistence” he did (v.8).
When we pray we need to pray persistently. We give up too quickly. Yes we need to trust God and His timing but we also need to beg God for what we want to see Him do.
What are you begging God for?
3) PRAY THANKFULLY (v.11-13)
Jesus closes with a story about a Father and his son. The point was to say that when you know your Father loves you and has your best in mind, then you trust what He gives you.
When we pray, we never have to question God’s heart. He is for us. He loves us. He has our best in mind. We can trust Him and because of that we pray differently. We pray trusting God and we pray with thankfulness for who God is.
How do you think God wants to use Luke 11:1-13 to grow your prayer life?
By: Nick Parsons
Do we value prayer? I think this is an important question for us to ask. Do we value prayer? How would you currently describe your prayer life?
My feeling is that for most Christians we feel like it could be better. Prayer is one of those abstract things that we don’t fully understand. We know it's how we talk to God yet it still leaves us confused. Ultimately we pray because God:
- Commands it.
- Delights in it.
- Is Sovereign (has full authority)
Have you ever been around someone who really gets prayer? Like when they pray it makes you want to pray? This is what the disciples were feeling with Jesus.
What stuck out to me reading Luke 11 was how the disciples said… “Lord, teach us to pray.” WOW! I feel like, if we could, we would often say… “Lord, teach me another way other than prayer.” Having a faithful prayer life is hard. But it is so rewarding.
In Luke 11:1-13 we learn a few things about a healthy prayer life… about how to pray.
1) PRAY STRATEGICALLY (v.2-4)
When we pray, we are converting with God Himself. We should not just “throw up prayers”. We should be intentional and strategic. This is what Jesus modeled for us in verses 2-4.
We know from the rest of Scripture that this is both STRUCTURED (by a list at a specific point in the day) and WITHOUT CEASING (as we go through life) but one way Scripture never describes prayer is haphazard. It is strategic.
When we understand that God listens and responds to our prayer in His perfect character, we will be strategic.
2) PRAY PERSISTENTLY (v.5-10)
Jesus tells this story of a man who was asking his friend for some bread. He didn’t want to get up and give it to him in that moment YET “because of his persistence” he did (v.8).
When we pray we need to pray persistently. We give up too quickly. Yes we need to trust God and His timing but we also need to beg God for what we want to see Him do.
What are you begging God for?
3) PRAY THANKFULLY (v.11-13)
Jesus closes with a story about a Father and his son. The point was to say that when you know your Father loves you and has your best in mind, then you trust what He gives you.
When we pray, we never have to question God’s heart. He is for us. He loves us. He has our best in mind. We can trust Him and because of that we pray differently. We pray trusting God and we pray with thankfulness for who God is.
How do you think God wants to use Luke 11:1-13 to grow your prayer life?
By: Nick Parsons
1 Comment
Wow! Great message about prayer! By praying, God has carried me through these difficult 2 years. Prayer is so important especially the times we are living in now.