Luke 11:1-13 Lord, Teach Us to Pray

Lord, Teach Us to Pray

Luke 11:1-13

Introduction: We have talked quite a bit about the working relationship God has asked us to have with him. It is a challenging thought, and to many of us a concept we simply didn’t know or understand. Remember in our previous lesson from Hebrews 2, Jesus calls us brothers. In other texts, we are called the family of God. In 2 Corinthians 6:1, Paul referred to us as “working together with God…” We often forget that the nature of God has always been to include angels and humans in his work. God could certainly do anything he desired independently of us, but that is not his choice. We are called to work together with him because he is growing us so we are prepared for the world to come.

That brings us to the question of the his disciples. Pay careful attention to this request. The question is not “Teach us how to pray,” the question is “teach us to pray.” The difference between how to pray and learning to pray will become evident in Jesus’ answer. Growing up as Jews, the disciples certainly would have known how to utter a prayer. We also are in a similar position. Most here would know how to pray. But just because we know how to pray, does not mean we actually pray as we should. Teaching us to practice prayer is what we need to most because of our consistent weakness of primarily praying when we experience a need. In other words, we fight against dependency on anyone other than ourselves. We think prayer is nothing more than making requests when we cannot figure out any other way of solving a problem.

1. Three Parts to Jesus’ Answer
   1. First, the model for prayer. We think we are acquainted with it, but this is revealed to us a different context than Matthew’s account and a different purpose. 
   2. Then there is the parable of the friend at midnight that often confuses us. Is he telling us we are praying too much or praying too little? How does the parable answer the question?
   3. Finally, there are illustrations, primarily of a father with a son.
2. The Model of Prayer
   1. You will notice it is a shortened version of the one in Matthew’s account. It is very brief and to the point. But keep in mind, Jesus is answering the question, “Teach us to pray.” 
      1. There are two principles in the prayer that are subtle, but are foundational to the question of the disciples: Notice Jesus begins his answer with, when you pray say, “Father.” Addressing God as Father is not surprising to us; we have heard it all our lives. But that is the problem. We are so accustomed to it that it becomes an introductory title instead of a description of a description of our relationship with him. The word “Father” bookends the entire text. In verse 11, Jesus concludes with, “What father among you…” 
      2. With that said, how does “Father” teach us to pray? The answer right before us. We are not addressing a distant God. We are not trying to get the attention of monarch who is so busy running the world that it will take forever to get his attention. This is our Father. He is a Father far greater than any earthly father. Thus, verse 13, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give…” If any of my sons or grandchildren call me and ask me to do something for them, there is no question in their minds as to whether I will do it. Therefore, the Lord just taught us to pray! 
      3. The use of the plural in the prayer: “Give us…forgive us…” Our prayers are not to be self-centered. It is not “I,” “me,” and “my,” it is us. That will certainly teach us to pray. The Lord wants us to beware of selfishness in our prayers. If we are always thinking of others as we pray, we will have a lot to pray about, and we will be thinking more broadly about kingdom needs and not just personal needs. 
   2. Further the model prayer tells us a lot about prayer and how we approach it in our lives. While our prayers are typically filled with thanksgiving—and so they should be—this brief model highlights what should be on our hearts. The prayer is all about God. The first two requests shows us where our heart ought to be in regard to God’s purposes for himself and for us. God’s name being holy and God’s kingdom/kingship in the world being the end goal of God’s whole creation purpose should be the burning desire of our hearts. I would say that if we listen to our own prayers, what are we learning about where our treasure is?
   3. Consider for a moment the phrase, “Your kingdom come.”
      1. The meaning of that phrase has utterly been destroyed. For at least 100 years now we have been told we cannot prayer that prayer since the kingdom came in Acts 2. That is such a poor understanding of God’s kingdom and a poor understanding of what Jesus is asking us to do. The kingdom refers to Jesus’ reign, a reign that has a purpose not yet fully accomplished. “He will reign until all enemies are put under his feet.” That has not yet happened. Further, the “restoration of the kingdom” (Acts 1:6), is still happening since Jesus’ reign has to do with capturing the hearts of all mankind as indicated in the Parable of the Sower. 
      2. Therefore, we must connect the “kingdom” to Jesus’ work in bringing his reign to completion. In Luke 19:10-11, Jesus proclaims that “the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Jesus follows that statement with an explanatory parable of the kingdom of God. Praying for the Kingdom to come is essentially a prayer for the success of the Kingdom in seeking and saving the lost.
      3. Please consider the word “lost” that Jesus used. How do you think of that word? When Jesus speaks of the lost, it is not just that a person has lost their way, it is that Jesus has lost a person. In the Parable of the Prodigal, who was suffering the most pain, the father or the one who had gone astray? It is without doubt the father! In every case, it is the parent that is enduring the most agony. Therefore, to pray your kingdom come is to share in the agony of our Father who has children he has lost. 
      4. Now remember Jesus is answering the question, “Teach us to pray.” Well, now how much do I have to pray for? I am at least praying for every person with whom I have a connection. “Teach us to pray!” Well, there you are, he just taught us.
   4. The second two requests are also about God, but in this case God’s desire for us. What is God’s primary concern for us? It is physical sustenance coupled with spiritual sustenance. Without physical sustenance/health we are unable to serve God with our strength. When Jesus healed people, what was their typical response? Their response was to serve the Lord and serve his kingship. That is our purpose, and we cannot do it without the physical, nor can we do it unless our sins are forgiven. Those are God’s concerns and ought to be ours as well. 
   5. Therefore the question, “Teach us to pray,” is first answered by fixing the desires of our heart. We are good at quoting from Ecclesiastes that all is vanity. Yes, we know that everything outside of our pursuit of God and his kingdom is but a breath and there is no permanence to be found in it, but then we pray for the vanity! 
3. The Parable of the Friend at Midnight
   1. The parable is an enigma to many people because it is typical to conclude that that Jesus is urging persistence in prayer. Not so! As G. Campbell Morgan states, “It teaches nothing of the kind. It teaches that there is no need when we are dealing with God, to hammer and hammer at the door. God is not asleep.” This parable is a contrast to how God would respond. God is not troubled by our knocking! God does not answer because our persistence is wearing him out and he wants it go away so he can go back to sleep!
   2. You will notice in the parable, that the friend does not get up and give his friend bread because he is a friend! It is on the basis of his “impudence,” or some versions, “shamelessness” (literally meaning of the word) that he answers the request. That is not God! In fact, Jesus explains the contrast when in verses 11-13 he refers to God as our Father, not friend, but Father. It is not necessary to beat on a father’s door to get help. A father does not answer his son/daughter because there is no other way to get rid of him beating on the door in the middle of the night. And even if that were true of some fathers, it is certainly not true of our heavenly Father.
   3. Finally, we note the contrast between an earthly father and our heavenly Father. Earthly fathers, whom Jesus describes as “evil,” still know how to give good gifts to their children. Then he offers another contrast: “…how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” 
   4. To explain the above quote, consider the subsequent message in verses 14-23. Jesus is being accused of casting out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons. Jesus explains that it is impossible that Satan would destroy his own kingdom. In fact, he is protective of his kingdom. Therefore, there is only one alternative. If Satan won’t cast out Satan, then “the kingdom of God has come upon you.”
   5. Notice Jesus’ words in verse 20: “but if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” What is the “finger of God?” Matthew 12:28 translates, “the Spirit of God” instead of finger of God. 
   6. Based on that context, Jesus is teaching that it is the power of the Spirit that is by which Satan’s kingdom is being destroyed.
      1. Compare this with Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21.
         1. Vs. 16-17 “…according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith…”
         2. Vs. 20 “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us…” 
      2. 1 John 4:4 “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” 
   7. What then do we need most? We need power, power to overcome sin, power to comprehend and understand God’s will as we study the words of the Spirit. Jesus says that power is a gift that comes from the Spirit of God.
   8. Ephesians 1:17, which is the beginning of Paul’s prayer, states, “…that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened…”
      That is our goal in Bible study, but that is also our goal in prayer! Does that not teach us to pray?

Conclusion: We are back to the question, “Lord, teach us to pray.” What did the Lord teach that instructs us concerning our regular need to pray?

• We will be eager to pray because we have a perfect, heavenly Father. 
• Praying has to do with God’s kingdom, which is our eternal home.
• Praying for our physical and spiritual welfare is necessary for us to serve God.
• God’s answer to our prayers is always for our good so that we are prepared to work together with him both in this life and the life to come.

Berry Kercheville

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