In this meditation, I want to share three thoughts on Prayer. I am basing what I share on Luke 11.
At the beginning of the chapter the disciples came and asked Him to teach them to pray and He gave them what we refer to as the Lord’s prayer. (1-4) One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’”
Then He continued to give them further teaching on prayer. I am sure they had prayed many times but they saw something in our Lord’s prayer life that was much deeper than theirs.
In verses 5-8, Jesus taught them to PERSEVERE in prayer. Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.
We are so used to instant gratification – that is, if we don’t get an instant answer to prayer we move on. Jesus wants us to keep asking, seeking, and knocking until He answers.
In verses 11-13, Jesus wants us to know that the Father, takes a SINCERE INTEREST in our prayers. “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
Our heavenly Father is interested in anything that concerns us. He wants the best for us. He will answer when He is ready so don’t let Satan make you think that God isn’t interested. He is.
In verses 9-10, Jesus promised that our prayers will be HEARD AND ANSWERED in God’s own time. So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
One of the things that I see in these verses is that prayer is something we learn to do. One of the very first lessons we learn about prayer is that we need to ask according to the will of God. In 1 John 5:14-15 we read, Now this is the CONFIDENCE we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will HE HEARS US. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”
Why would we ask for anything that we know is not supported by Scripture and in accord with God’s will? He will only give us what is best for us.
I want to close with one more verse that shows He cares and that is Jeremiah 33:3 where God says, Call to Me, and I will answer you, and will show you great and mighty things you do not know.
I hope and pray that exploring these verses where Jesus is teaching prayer will be helpful to each one reading it. Please go back and re-read the verses and put yourself at His feet willing to learn what He is teaching.
God bless you and He will,
Pastor Leonard
