Luke 11:1-13

Luke 11:1-13 vs. 1-4. A. Here Christ taught His disciples how to pray. Sometimes we need instruction concerning prayer. ROM 8:26. B. Use the plural pronoun. Pray for others of God's family as well as yourself. C. Begin by acknowledging your relationship to God as His children. You have inside help here. GAL 4:6. D. Seek the honor of God's name first. E. Express a desire for the divine government and a submission to the will of God. Make His desires foremost. Be not like those found in LUK 19:14. F. Acknowledge your daily dependence upon God for your needs. There is no benefit received outside of God's control. 1CH 29:11-12. G. Prayer is to be a daily matter. Remember Daniel. DAN 6:10. H. Confess your sins and apply for forgiveness. 1JO 1:9. I. Pray for holiness and deliverance from further sin. 1. This acknowledges God's sovereignty over evil. 1CO 10:13. 2. This also acknowledges our weakness in temptation and our complete dependence upon God for deliverance. MAT 26:41. vs. 5-8. A. Pray with importunity (persistence, especially to the point of annoyance). B. We supplicate a heavenly Father instead of just a friend, though God may be a friend to us as well. JOH 15:13-15; JAM 2:23. C. God does not reluctantly give us our needs. JAM 1:5. D. Unlike an earthly friend, we never find God asleep. PSA 121:4. E. If this annoyed friend gave what was needed, how more will our heavenly Father give us our needs? F. One man's importunity may be another's opportunity. GAL 6:10. G. Consider examples of importunity that God honored. MAT 15:21-28; MAR 10:46-52; 2:1-5. H. God is a righteous judge who certainly in time will honor your importunate pleas. LUK 18:1-7. I. Fear not to come to God with your requests. HEB 4:16. vs. 9-10. A. Asking, seeking and knocking should be foremost for God's kingdom and righteousness. MAT 6:33. B. A major hindrance to prayer is the seeking of carnal things instead of spiritual things. JAM 4:3. C. “Ask and it shall be given unto you.” 1. This promise is qualified by other passages; it is not a signed blank check. a. It pertains to the righteous. PRO 15:29. b. It pertains to those who receive and obey God's word. JOH 15:7; PRO 28:9; 1JO 3:22. c. It is to those who ask in faith. JAM 1:5-7; HEB 11:6. d. It is to those who ask according to God's will. 1JO 5:14-15. 2. Failure to ask results in failure to receive. JAM 4:2. D. “Seek and ye shall find.” 1. Seek means “to go in search or quest of; to try to find, look for.” 2. We must not only ask God for things, but we must seek those things by the means that He makes available to us. Luke 11:1-13 2-11-24 Page 1 of 2  3. Prayer demands actions in accord with its desires. 4. David prayed and acted to defeat Ahithophel's counsel. 2SAM 15:31-37. 5. Nehemiah prayed for mercy in the sight of the king, then petitioned the king for it. NEH 1:11-2:6. 6. If we ask God for understanding, we must also study His word by which understanding comes. PSA 119:104. 7. If we ask God to lead us not into temptation, we must also avoid situations which promote temptation. ROM 13:14. 8. If we pray for daily bread, we must also work for it. 2TH 3:10. E. “Knock and it shall be opened unto you.” 1. Knocking suggests a closed door, an obstacle to be passed. 2. EPH 6:18 and 1TH 5:17 teach perseverance in prayer which means continuing stedfast in prayer despite obstacles. Again, remember Daniel. DAN 6:10. vs. 11-13. A. God does not mock acceptable prayer. He rather answers it. B. Christ here reasons from the lesser to the greater: the Heavenly Father has compassion far above that of evil men who give good things to their children. C. God will give us anything we ask that is good according to His definition of good. D. Compare v. 13 with MAT 7:11. 1. The good things that God gives are equated with the Holy Spirit. 2. Christ is teaching us to seek spiritual things first. EPH 1:17; 3:16. Luke 11:1-13 2-11-24 Page 2 of 2