Luke 11:1-13
We Go To A Father
Introduction
1. When you pray, do you know you go to a Father?
2. Luke 11:1-13 we learn about prayer, but the focus is on the Father.
I. THE CRAVING FOR PRAYER 11:1 The Fellowship With The Father
A. His Prayer
* Jesus is praying. Some of His disciples must have been watching.
*There was something in His interaction with the Father. His prayer time was different
from theirs. They longed for that connection.
B. His Place In a certain place…
*We don’t know where, but when man meets God that becomes holy ground.
*He had been with the Father in that place.
C. His Pause When He ceased…
*We don’t know how long. We only know that He touched heaven for a period of time.
D. His Pupil One of His disciples…Lord teach us to pray…
*One speaks for the whole group. This is the only record in Scripture of the disciples
asking Him to teach them anything.
*Whatever He had they didn’t have. Whatever He had they wanted the same thing!
*Just as John taught his disciples…Jewish groups had different styles of prayer. Jesus’
disciples wanted a Jesus-style prayer. They wanted more than a prayer to recite. Teach
us to pray.
*The Lord’s prayer is not something merely to recite. Nowhere in the New Testament is
it commanded or anyone found using these exact words.
When you pray, do you know you go to a Father?
II. THE CONTENT OF PRAYER 11:2-4 The Foundation Of The Father
We will not try to plumb the depths of this great prayer, but set forth some principles.
A. Our Relationship Our Father
*To be our Father, we must be in His family. But as many as received Him, to them gave
He the power to become children of God, even to those who believe on His name. (Jn. 1:12)
*Father is at the heart of all that Jesus came to do. Old Testament believer never addressed
God in this manner. Prayer is not fancy language, but a conversation between a Father
and child that He loves very much.
*The central purpose of prayer is not to transfer information. What can we tell an all-
knowing God that He doesn’t already know? It is to deepen a loving relationship with
One who is all that a Father could be and so much more!!
B. Our Reverence Who art in heaven…hollowed (holy) be thy name…
*This is honor for the Father, not the want of the child.
*Prayer is about who He is, not who we are.
*That is why we bow low. That is why we don’t tell Him how to do things. He is bigger,
wiser and sees more than we ever could.
C. Our Resignation Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth…
*Prayer is about His will and what He wants, not our will and what we want.
*Thy kingdom…He is sovereign. WWJD: What Would Jesus Do? The will of God is
found in the Word of God. In prayer, we conform our will to His.
D. Our Recognition Give us…Forgive us…Lead us…Deliver us…
*We admit our absolute, utter, total dependence on Him.
*God must do it! We live completely by Him. He doesn’t need me, but I desperately
need Him!
*Prayer is about our needs. There is not a concern the Father doesn’t want us to bring to
Him. Give us daily bread. Forgive us, because we are sinful. Let’s remember this as we
deal with others. Release them, and let them go! Lead us, because we are drawn away,
and we are lost without Him. Deliver us from evil, because temptation and evil are all
around us and it is so easy to fall.
*It’s Him that we need. We can live without Him, but we will pay the price. Recognize
your weakness. Acknowledge your frailties and inadequacies. Call sin…sin!!
When you pray, do you know you go to a Father?
III. THE CONTRAST OF PRAYER 11:5-10 The Friendship Of The Father
The Lord continues His instruction by telling a story. The focus of the story forces us to think
about the One to whom the prayer is made. Its circumstances would not be unusual to those
of Jesus’ day.
A. The Parable 5-8
The traveler in Jesus’ day was hot. In ancient Judea the traveler would do so in early
evening. The man in the story had some unexpected delays. His journey took longer
than expected, so he arrived later than intended. He arrives unexpectedly at a friends
house. Unprepared, the host, as was the custom, was to feed his guest. Not to do so would
have brought disgrace on the man as well as the entire village.
Desperate, he turns to a friend who could supply his need past bed time. Friend, lend me
loaves of bread (v. 6)it’s helpful to recognize this wasn’t a selfish request, his guest
had a need!
We need to picture a one room peasant’s house. The whole family slept in one room on
mats on the floor. v. 7 he is saying, ‘I won’t’. His refusal is against everything in his
culture. v. 8 Friendship may not get him up, but because of the man’s boldness, he will give him
as much as he needs…importunity and persistence. The boldness reveals the importance
of the request. Such late requests are not selfish. I don’t knock unless it is absolutely
necessary.
B. The Point Our Father is just the opposite. He is a Friend who is never sleepy. He never
goes to bed. He is never out of touch. If this drowsy neighbor will respond to the
boldness of a friend when his need is real and urgent…how much more will my faithful
never tiring Father respond to my plea! My God is all the more eager to help and all
the more anxious to respond to my deep need.
C. The Principle 9, 10
1. The Persistence…Ask…Seek…Knock each occur in the present tense in the Greek…
Keep on Asking…Keep on Seeking…Keep on Knocking A Father is committed to
meeting our needs. The basis of our prayer is not our persistence, but the character
of our God.
2. The Problem 11 Does this mean that I always receive what I ask? Such a concept
would reduce God to my slave, whose role is to cater to the whims of His spoiled
children. I do not want a God to give me what I want, I trust Him to give me what
I need. What He gives is BEST!
When you pray, do you know you go to a Father?
IV. THE COMFORT IN PRAYER 11:11-13 The Faithfulness Of The Father
A. The Comparison…Good Gifts 11, 12 The comparison is between earthly fathers and
the heavenly Father. Normally, earthly fathers give their children their best. What God
gives is not only good, it’s the BEST for us at the time. It’s nearly blaspheme to say,
“God didn’t answer my prayer.” It’s either, yes, no or wait, but it is always the BEST!
B. The Compassion…Greatest Gift 13 We do not have to ask for the Holy Spirit, but the
Holy Spirit is God’s Greatest Gift! He is the One who meets the deepest needs of our
heart. This is hard to understand if you are praying for a want (assumed need) and end
up with a Holy Spirit experience. The Holy Spirit is God’s greatest gift. Through Him:
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self control…while
we desire God’s gifts, what we really need is God Himself, made real to us through
the indwelling Spirit!
Most of our problems with prayer is our misconception of God.
When we pray, we also experience our Father.
We enjoy His presence, and we receive His answers.
We pray, not to give Him directions, but to discover His will!
WHAT HE GIVES IS RIGHT AND BEST!!