Luke 11:5-13

-parable on prayer

-that even when a friend’s motives are annoying, one will still respond to the request of the neighbor in need

-it is a lesson to be faithful in prayer even when an answer is not immediate, similar to what we find with the unjust judge in Luke 18:1-8

Luke 18:1–8 ESV

1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ ” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

-Jesus instructing His disciples to be persistent in prayer is based on the assurance that God answers prayer

-It is not the idea to continue to pray to pester God into answering, it is go on praying because God faithfully responds to the needs of His children, we find that thought in v 9-13

-The reasoning for the parable is to answer the concern of what to do when there seems to be no answer to prayer: the answer is keep praying because we know our Father is faithful to care for us

-perhaps the point is a friend will not ignore an inconvenient request, so why would our Father not answer our prayers

-situation in which shops were closed

-the irritation is having to answer the door, being awakened

-often the door would have metal rings and an iron bolt thrust through them to keep it shut

-so here lies the question why did the man of the house give the friend the bread?

-you might understand as the man at the door was persistent in the request, one thing to keep in mind, does not say that he continues to knock

-impudence = shamelessness, his shameless at coming at such an hour to request, unreasonableness of the request - could also mean the man in the house does not want the shame of having been known as the refuser of the request

-notice he gives whatever he needs, the generosity

-v 9-13, Matthew 7:7-11 -

-encouragement for the disciples to pray, and the way in which God answers prayer

-If you ask, you will receive

-seek - verb used

Acts 17:27 ESV

27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,

-seeking

Deuteronomy 4:29 ESV

29 But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Isaiah 55:6 ESV

6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;

-associated with prayer

Jeremiah 29:12 ESV

12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.

-knocking

v.10

-God’s willingness to respond

v.11-12

-God gives good gifts, not harmful gifts

-thus we should not hesitate to come to Him in prayer

-Father

Hebrews 12:7–10 ESV

7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.

-We can be confident when we pray, that our Father knows what we need and gifts us with what we need