CHURCH MATTERS: Prayer Matters (Luke 11:1-13)

many Christians offer their prayers

like sailors use their pumps

only when the ship leaks

so why don’t we pray more?

Prayer Matters

for us to be a healthy church

early church valued praying together (corporate prayer)

didn’t have “prayer meetings”

could you have a meeting without prayer???

Arab world

when Christians “go to church”

say “I’m going to pray”

single out prayer because central to church

Jesus — My house shall be called a house of prayer

American world

prayer is for transition

cover prayer—is it really prayer?

priority of prayer known by

ladies on Wednesday mornings

young adults @ 7a

now let’s consider how we can grow in understanding that prayer matters

pew Bible # 1033

11:1

Jesus prayed a lot

if Jesus prayed as much as He did (fully God, fully man)

we need to prioritize prayer

disciples wanted help in praying

what does He do? what does He talk about? how does He pray for that long?

Lord, teach us to pray

pray collectively

11:2-4

focus on communal aspect

When you (y’all) pray

Give us this day our daily bread

forgive us our sins

for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us

lead us not into temptation

11:9 is plural

y’all ask; y’all seek; y’all find

prayer is meant to bind us together

I feel closer to my brothers and sisters when we pray together

Jesus was teaching us how to pray TOGETHER

Jesus also taught us what to pray

pray obediently

don’t pray just how you want

don’t rush to your want list without recognizing who you are praying to

Lord’s prayer / disciples’ prayer

cannot be Jesus’ prayer (forgiveness)

Lord’s prayer

John 17—High Priestly Prayer

instructive prayer, not rote prayer (not mechanical or habitual — like tying your shoes)

model or pattern

not same as Matthew 6

manuscripts are considerably different than Matthew

yet Luke has same structure as in Matthew

Jesus taught His disciples about prayer more than once

start vertical then move horizontal

pray with our Father at the center

Father

unusual for Jews

Abba used of God (14x in OT) but not personally

Abba is transcendent

think about God who spoke 125 (+10) billion galaxies into being

too personal and familiar, except…

Psalm 23: “The Lord (infinite) is my shepherd (personal)”

prayer is based on a relationship

Jesus addressed all His prayers as God, His Father (60x in Gospels)

GOSPEL

do you give this Father your full attention?

“You can’t develop intimacy while multitasking.”

vertical

hallowed be your name “may Your name be held in reverence” BDAG

stop and consider who you are approaching

Jesus is instructing us to pray that the whole world will come to know God in this way

deep desire for honor and glory of God

your kingdom come

missionary prayer (kingdom will advance)

when you pray

do you begin with God? His glory? His majesty?

or do you skip him and head straight to the buffet line of your requests?

we want God’s kingdom to advance in how we respond to stress, family, government, everything

Lord, let your kingdom advance in me

pray for what we need most

horizontal

no need is too small

God glorifies Himself by supplying what we need

but we have tendencies to pray for wants (selfish things)

“God hasn’t designed prayer as a means of making idols work.”

so let us pray for the things Jesus instructs us to pray for

and the things God desires to answer

give us this day our daily bread

manna—daily

Deuteronomy 8:3 “And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

prayer is the means God uses to give us what we need PHYSICALLY

are you tempted to ignore this prayer since you have a paycheck and Kroger?

forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us

no Christian reaches point where stop needing to ask for forgiveness

realize what we have been forgiven and extend forgiveness

Love Matters — hang around people long enough (even God’s people) and will have to forgive (be given opportunity)

Matthew records Jesus’ warning

Matthew 6:14–15 “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Augustine called Matthew’s version “the terrible petition”

because if we pray “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” with an unforgiving heart,

we are actually asking God not to forgive us.

Puritan Thomas Watson said, “A man can as well go to hell for not forgiving as for not believing.”

Charles Spurgeon said, “Unless you have forgiven others, you read your own death-warrant when you repeat the Lord’s Prayer.”

even Christians will struggle to forgive

warning is for those who claim to be a Christian but will not forgive or have no desire to do so

forgiveness isn’t forgetting

it is taking all of your rights to be upset, mad, seek revenge

and laying them down never to pick them up again

thus not a one time decision, but every time the anger and resentment creeps back in

is there someone you need to forgive? Jesus says to pray about it, your Father wants to help

lead us not into temptation

God does not tempt us (James 1:13)

we ask for God to keep us from situations where we would sin,

especially from falling away from Him

how should your prayers be different considering Jesus’ teachings?

how to pray

11:5-8

middle eastern hospitality was important

no hotels

host provides for guests

unexpected guests leaves host in desperate need

impudence (11:8)

“lack of sensitivity to what is proper, carelessness about the good opinion of others, shamelessness” BDAG

like a child that keeps asking no matter how inappropriate the question

Daddy, can I have a pony?

pray shamelessly

Jesus exposes our reluctance to pray and God’s willingness to answer

in this situation, we wouldn’t bother our neighbor

we are not like socially, awkward friend

many of us would starve before wake friend up in the night

this is Jesus’ point,

we think we are too independent and God is too busy

uncertain of what to ask, too small, don’t know how, etc.

we need to hear this parable

shameless is opposite of the dignified

just like we get comfortable in our pajamas at home

we need to get comfortable going to our Father for everything

what do you hold back from asking God to help you with?

Jesus has more to say about prayer

11:9-10

keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking

lifestyle

Jesus doesn’t ask us to persist in prayer to earn a favorable answer

if pray Your kingdom come, then forget tomorrow and for the rest of the year

did we really want His kingdom to come?

we show what we value when we consistently ask for it

pray persistently

ask a child what they want for their birthday 6 months in advance, 3 months, etc.

take a child down the toy aisle

want everything then but never hear about most of it again

by persistently asking, what we truly want rises to the top

prayer is not about getting what you ask for

it is about spending time with the Father

and Him molding you as you spend time with Him

even if God says no to our prayer,

we have spent time with the almighty God

no one enters the presence of God and stays the same

ever asked God to change others

kinda like Jonah

‘God, I knew You would do that. As soon as I started praying for her, You started working on me.’

can you change our spouse? maybe have tried

can you change your children? at wits end

can you save someone?

can you make them more spiritually aware?

then why do we exhaust a lot of energy on things we can’t change instead of going to the One who can change things?

what should you persistently pray for?

Luke 2:2-4

why pray

11:11-13

pray expectantly

we have a good Father

lesser to greater argument

He knows how to give greater gifts than our earthly fathers

God wants to give His children good gifts

if we want our prayers answered more, then we should pray for the things God wants to give us

not mansions and Lamborghinis

Holy Spirit

how could you pray more for the things God wants to give?

pray for the things in God’s Word

pray with us tonight

commit to pray with your church family

practice prayer

no standing

no public singing