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LUKE - Christ, the Savior of the World
A Bible Study Course on the Gospel of Christ according to Luke
PART 4 - JESUS' MINISTRY DURING HIS JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM (Luke 9:51 - 19:27)
7. The Principles of Prayer (Luke 11:1-13)
LUKE 11:05-13
5 And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’”? 8 I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many 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. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer 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!”
Christ taught us to pray that we may know to whom we pray, how we pray, what we say in prayer, for whom we pray, and his answer to our prayer. Every man is your friend. Sometimes you meet a dear friend by chance, and you discover that he is hungry for love, truth, forgiveness, and eternal life; but you are poor, and cannot forgive any man or open his eyes to God and his love. Then you are like a man who goes to ask his neighbor for bread for his friend that came unexpectedly to him. Do you come to God and ask him for the bread of life for others, or do you ask only for yourself? Are you cold and selfish, or do you realize that the Lord’s Prayer is the prayer of supplication for others, that it is filled with love, and directed to your brother man?
Sometimes it appears as if God is absent from his creation, or asleep and not concerned about you. In fact he has many children in the eternal rest and joy of his glory. Here faith begins, your love appears, and your hope continues. Ask your Lord to hear you. Make persistent and pressing requests until he answers. Knock at his door until he opens to you. If he does not open, knock until he responds and gives you the bread of life for your friends. This persistent supplication is the foundation of God’s response, as Christ promised.
The verses including the absolute promise of answering requests are few in the Holy Bible. So learn them by heart, and understand the meaning of these words. Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Christ encourages you to ask blessings for others and for yourself too, and to believe that God hears what you say, answers the cries of your heart, and showers you with the fullness of his grace. Do not forget that God is your Father. He loves you in person, and answers wherever love speaks. But he who prays selfishly is like a man who dials a wrong telephone number. Examine your prayers, and ask forgiveness for your sins during your prayer, that your petitions may be filled with the love of God, and you may grasp the stages of prayers and their increased necessity which we are taught by the Holy Spirit: Ask. Seek. Knock. Each request is stronger than its precedent. Ask your heavenly Father for grace that he may grant you and your friends forgiveness. Seek his answer in the Holy Bible and he shows you that God is your Father. Knock at the door of his heart with the prayer of repentance that he may pour out on you the Spirit of his love. Do you frequently, or rarely pray? The apostle Paul said many times, “Continue earnestly in prayer. Pray without ceasing.” May your hearts be filled with the spirit of prayer.
Christ said in one word that all men are evil. So we have no right to pray, or to have our prayers answered. God is greater than our injustice. He offers himself to us through his Holy Spirit. This goes beyond our understanding. Neither bread, nor money, nor jobs are the goals of the Holy Spirit, that he wants us to ask for. He guides us to ask one for another that he may be present in us. Repent and say, “O Lord, I am evil. Forgive my sins for the sake of Christ’s death on the cross, and fill my purified heart with your Holy Spirit.” Continue in this petition, and you will certainly receive everlasting life. He who cries, “Father, my brother man is ruined because of his pride. He is evil as I was. Please open his mind to your glory, and forgive his sins.” He who asks in this manner will see how the Holy Spirit works in the man prayed for. When the prayer continues, the Holy Spirit comes down on the repentant one, and drives the evil spirit out of him, renewing his mind, and filling him with the love of God. So where is your prayer for the dwelling of the Holy Spirit in you and your friend?
PRAYER: O Father, you are the Most Gracious. Please forgive my selfish prayers, and be merciful to my neighbors that they may repent as I repent to you. I believe that you will fill us with the power of your Holy Spirit. We will not leave you until you have blessed us.
QUESTION 80: Why are most prayers selfish?