Hablas Ingles?

What’d You Say?

Communication is a learned skill. Language arts is taught in the schools and some of us are very artistic in our language skills.

So many different ways to say so many different things.

Sara used to travel to New York w/ her job before we had kids. She was w/ a company that developed computer aided systems for clothing designers and manufacturers. The sales ppl would set up appointments w/ prospective buyers and Sara was one of the ppl who would come in and demonstrate the system then train those who bought it on the system.

About every month she spent a week in New York, in the fashion district. We’d talk on the phone daily and she’d tell me stories about asking a policeman for directions and not understanding a word he said.

They were both speaking English. But it may as well have been a foreign language.

Every married couple knows the importance of learning how to communicate. And, even though our primary language is English, you might be surprised how hard it is to understand each other.

Sara and I had our own issues, particularly early on in our marriage. We both spoke English, but it was from entirely different points of view.

It’s challenging enough to share thoughts and feelings honestly in ways that accurately represent what you’re feeling and thinking. And, getting on the same page when it comes to disciplining the kids. That’s tough.

Money management, time management, life management all require using words we both understand to mean the same things.

All that’s tough, but just trying to decide what and where we might want to eat can be even harder.

I grew up in the midwest, in Wichita. Sara grew up in the SW, in Tucson. English is spoken in both regions. That said,

For instance:

What did you call this where you grew up?

In Wichita this is pop.

In Tucson it’s soda.

Sara and I met and were married in Dallas, TX. In TX, these are Cokes. What kind of Coke do you want? Dr. Pepper, Mountain Dew, or what?

We’d decide to go out for dinner, or is it supper? Anyway. I’d suggest we go to a Mexican restaurant.

In Wichita, this is Mexican: Taco Tico or Taco Bell

In Dallas, there El Fenix or Poncho’s Mexican Buffet

They don’t spell Phoenix right. And they don’t make Mexican food right.

And Poncho’s is an all you can eat buffet. They have little flags on the tables. If you want more anything, run the flag up the little pole and a waitress would run and get us more tacos, beans, rice, burritos, enchiladas, whatever.

My college baseball team would come down to Dallas to play one of the schools there. After, we’d stop at Poncho’s to eat before we drove back to Sherman.

Coaches love all you can eat buffets to feed college athletes on a limited stipend budget.

Let’s just say the hour-long van ride back to Sherman was difficult to breathe. That food did bad things to your gut.

Sara’s like, Mexican food? I had no idea Tex-Mex wasn’t Mexican food. I learned when we came out to visit her family what authentic Mexican food really is.

At the same time we learn to communicate w/ our spouse, kids, and friends, we must learn to communicate w/ God. The Creator of the Universe.

Are we supposed to tell Him what to do and expect it? Are we supposed to sit quietly and not say a word? We can get locked up not knowing what to say, how to say it, and then what to expect which can lead us to not even trying.

But prayer is a vital part of our relationship. It’s a powerful tool and weapon in the spiritual building and battles we face.

There are so many misconceptions about how God wants us to talk to Him. Jesus was asked and Luke wrote it down, hitting the highlights. Matthew added a few more details. But we are studying the Luke passage this morning.

If you’re struggling w/ how to pray, how to talk to God, privately on your own, or even in a group setting like this; Jesus gave us the model to follow, topics to address, and attitudes to have.

If we this model, we will have excellent communication with God as we tell Him what we are thinking and feeling and He can tell us what we need to know next.

This comes from Luke 11. Jesus prayed often. His discs knew that and one of them asked Him to teach them, and us, how to pray more effectively.

Here’s what He said.

Model Prayer

Luke 11:1–4 NIV

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.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: “ ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’ ”

Let’s just start here. Jesus prayed to God, a lot. If He did, then how much more important is it for us to pray like this?

This is model, and example, a guideline to follow.

Due respect to those who attend liturgical churches in the valley, but Jesus never intended for these words, or Matthew’s words, to be repeated verbatim. In fact, Jesus even spoke out against the Pagan who recited the same words over and over in their prayers.

He intended for prayer to be communication between 2 parties, a dialogue, interaction.

Remember, too, He had just been asked what the 2 most important commandments are. This passage on prayer is the last of Luke’s 3 unit teaching. They are tied together contextually.

Love God w/ all your heart, soul, strength, and mind. Love your neighbor as yourself. Be all in w/ all of you w/ God. Prayer is the opportunity to share the feelings in your heart, thoughts in your head, breakings in your body, and your experiences in your soul.

Next, he mildly rebuked Martha for spending so much time and energy being occupied for Jesus and commended Mary for taking her time to be occupied with Jesus.

This teaching prayer culminates this section about how to develop and maintain a healthy relationship God.

No relationship is improved when one party repeats the same thing over and over again. synthesize your thoughts and feelings, change it up, make it personal and relevant to where you are the day you are praying.

Jesus starts out by encouraging us to address God as our Father. It’s a personal, intimate relationship.

When we refer to God as the Big Guy in the Sky or Upstairs. That’s insulting and reflects no personal knowledge nor relationship w/ God.

Right away He shifts away from the religious leadership who kept a distance between God and themselves and the ppl by stressing rites, rituals, and rules. He encourages us to recognize and acknowledge the personal nature of the relationship we have w/ God.

After starting out emphasizing the personal relationship, Jesus taught us to make 2 statements, or declarations.

The first: “Holy is Your Name”

By addressing God in a personal manner does not negate the proper respect we should have for Him.

This is a statement of worship. Communicating to God His worth or value to you. By calling His name holy we are saying He has no equal in all Creation and certainly not in our life. No one, nothing is as important to us as He is.

He is the Creator and sustainer of life. W/out Him, we would not exist, we would have nothing and be nothing.

This is also a statement that we wish the entire world’s population would acknowledge the same. There is only 1 true God. And the God of the bible is Him. There have been few times in history when the ppl of the world have needed God more than today.

How would you tell God that He is the most important thing in all the universe? It would take many words. But be creative as you do.

The 2nd declaration: “Your Kingdom come”

Soon! Jesus was being rejected as he offered His kingdom to anyone who would listen. It’s now been delayed b/c of the rejection. We have the opportunity to welcome more ppl into his kingdom when it arrives b/c of the delay.

But, this is another way to say, “Come quickly Lord Jesus.” Please, end it all. We don’t want to have to suffer any more. There will be no suffering in your kingdom.

When His kingdom is established it will be far greater than any human established kingdom on earth.

This clause has a strong eschatological emphasis, that is, end-time, future focus.

Come quickly and show the world Who the King really is. Our Heart’s desire is for the near future, full realization of God’s promised kingdom.

Justice, fairness would become the norm around the globe. Eradicate all evil and manifest goodness.

There is a sense of wanting what God wants to happen now on earth even before the establishment of the kingdom. But the real emphasis of this is the future. It could start tomorrow. Or many years from now.

God wants to hear us declare that we want it sooner rather than later. Who wouldn’t?

So, we start our prayer personally. Then make 2 declarations about His uniqueness, greatness, and the desire to see His kingdom happen soon. This sets the tone of worship and awe.

Next, a few simple requests.

“Give us our daily bread”

Needs. Not wants. Recognize God is out ultimate provider. These are our basic, fundamental needs.

God knows what we need. He wants to recognize what we need.

We don’t need 2 houses. We don’t need 2 new Toyotas. We need protection from the elements and transportation. Know the difference. We need protection from forest fires. Whether that means rain or way of escape.

We take for granted the extra blessings God gives assuming we need all of it. We don’t.

What do you need today? Name it. Ask for it.

Next, “forgive our sins as we also forgive everyone who sins against us”

It’s too easy to offer this generic repentant statement. Sure I sin. Doesn’t everybody?

Yes, but can you name your last sin?

This is where reciting this verbatim doesn’t really mean what you think it means.

Isn’t a little disrespectful to say you’re sorry w/out acknowledging what you’re sorry for?

I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings is no apology. If? Let’s be clear. You hurt me. Now, own it.

I’m sorry but… is no apology. An excuse or attempt at explanation as to why you did what you did. You did it. It was wrong.

If you can’t name your last sin, then either the HS is not in you meaning you’re not saved or your not listening. These or you’re really Jesus in disguise, perfect, sinless.

And, this is a request w/ a qualifier. Ask to be forgiven just like you forgive everybody else. BTW, do you know what the Greek work for ‘everybody’ means? Everybody.

No they don’t deserve it. Maybe, probably, they didn’t even apologize and ask you to forgive them. The apology is not the qualifier or condition that must be met for us to forgive. There is no condition.

You didn’t deserve to be forgiven by Jesus when He did it. But He did it anyway.

The sins we commit create problems in our relationships. 2 relationship commands. Love God. Love your neighbor. Sins don’t do that. So, stop it. And forgive those who don’t stop hurting you.

It does not mean you need to be close friends. Closeness, reconciliation of the relationship is conditional where forgiveness isn’t.

Forgiveness means letting God handle the get even. W/ them, w/ you. He will do the right amount of whatever needs t/b done. Put it in His hands, let him handle it, don’t take it back.

This demonstrates whatever we ask for we should be willing to do ourselves.

Forgiveness is not presumed. But it comes from an awareness that a forgiven person is a forgiving person. God is quick to forgive the humble who are willing to face their mess ups w/out demanding their rights t/b forgiven.

God has forgiven you. But He wants us to appreciate what it took to do that. If we continue to sin in the same way over and over, it devalues and disrespects Jesus on the cross.

Asking t/b forgiven includes stopping the behavior that needs t/b forgiven. If I apologize for hitting my wife then hit her again did I really mean it what I asked her to forgive me?

Of course if I hit my wife, she’d kill me. Then, she’d know what sin she needed to ask forgiveness for. And, I’d be gone so she wouldn’t have to put w/ my stuff any more. Kind of a win/win.

The 3rd request is “Don’t lead us into temptation.”

God doesn’t tempt. Satan does. That’s not what He is saying here.

What He is saying is, “Get me outta here!” God sends us into trials. Like sending us to the gym where must exercise our muscles and get stronger. In His trials we exercise our faith and trust and they get stronger.

But, in the trial, Satan will tempt us to cheat God’s process. And the draw will be strong b/c Satan knows our weaknesses.

God has a plan. It’s the best plan. Satan doesn’t want us to follow God’s plan. He has a plan. And it’s a fight to stay on God’s plan.

1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

So, show me the way out. Give me the courage and strength to take it. It may be hard, but w/ God’s help I can do it.

IOW, we just confessed sin. Now, help us not do it again.

This is the model the prayer.

Make it personal. Father.

Communicate to God that He is more important to you than anything else. And wish it were true for everyone one earth.

Come quickly Lord Jesus. Eradicate evil and fill the world w/ your goodness.

Forgive me of this:

And, help me get outta that so I don’t do it again.

Your own words. Creatively. Uniquely. And said differently each time.

After Jesus gave them this model, then He told 2 parables about prayer

The first one is about be bold when we pray.

Pray with Boldness

Luke 11:5–8 NIV

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; a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 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.’ 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’re talking about talking to God here. He’s pretty busy running the universe. So, we may get the idea that it’s rude to interrupt Him from His busy work. Maybe he is unapproachable.

But Jesus said here, no, interrupt Him. He is very approachable.

The attitude of prayer is humble dependence, though. Not demanding to be served.

This story. It’s about a problem that reflects the ancient culture. There were no 24-hour stores for late night runs. Food was not readily available. Bread was baked each day only to meet the needs of the day. When it was gone, it was gone.

Another cultural norm was being a good host. And the community was expected to help. Neighbors expected neighbors to ask if there was an issue. In fact, if a neighbor was asked for help he was obligated to help.

One neighbor had a problem. A late night visitor came by unexpectedly and the host had no food to offer.

Dilemma was, go ask a neighbor for help even though he was probably already asleep. Or, just don’t feed the visitor. Either be a bad neighbor or be a bad host.

A typical house was a 1-room box. Everyone slept on the floor on mats. If the master had to get up then he would probably wake the entire household up. Who has the nerve to go and wake everyone up in the house next door after midnight.

If you ring my doorbell after midnight somebody better be dead. If they aren’t, someone else will be soon.

3 loaves would have been enough. It was a loan and would get paid back.

The tension is real.

God is not to be compared to the irritated neighbor but contrasted to him. If the neighbor, though reluctantly, was willing to get up and an inconvenient time to help out, then how much more would a gracious and loving God be willing to do so.

This shamelessness and boldness in our prayers is the point. The neighbor did not help b/c of friendship, but b/c of the boldness. Have the nerve to ask even at an inappropriate hour.

Here the asker is willing to go to great lengths and face the wrath of his friend to be a good host.

We don’t have to wrestle the answers to our prayers out of God. He gives them freely. He already knows what we need. But He wants us to ask anyway.

So, this first parable Jesus told was to encourage us to be bold. This next parable is to encourage us to be persistent.

Persistence

Luke 11:9–13 NIV

“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. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 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!”

The Greek grammar construction means that we should ask, seek, and knock continuously.

Ask is an invitation to pray.

Seek is an invitation to pursue God and His plan for your life.

Knock is an invitation to come into His presence.

As and it will be given.

Seek and you will find.

Knock and God’s door will be opened to you.

We don’t always get exactly what we ask for. But God always answers and gives graciously according to our request and what is best to be given to us. He is always ready to give.

For instance, as parents, we want to know what our kids want. But we’re not going to give it to them if it’s bad for them no matter how badly want it.

At first, when they are young, if you ask them what they want for dinner it might be a dozen donuts or ice cream. No loving parent in their right mind would do that for their young child. Maybe a little for dessert but only after the meat, fruit, and vegetables were eaten.

When they get a little older they may request pizza and cheeseburgers for every meal. No. Do you know the fat content of these treats? Maybe once in a while.

W/ a little maturity, our adult children should ask for their broccoli, cauliflower, beans and peas before they ask for their fatty little sweets.

God is developing us in the same way. He wants us to ask. But, like a loving father, He is not going to give us what we ask for if it’s not good for us. It’s not that He ignores us or our request. He answers always only what’s best for us and His eternal plan. It may work out great for us on earth. Or, the benefit may not show up until the next life. Either way, it’s best.

We are too much like our young children than maybe we’d like to admit. And in our limitations we don’t have to come up with all the answers and solutions.

It’s not like God is depending on us to figure out what needs t/b done. He’s God. He knows so much more about our situ than we do. It’s not up to us to ask for exactly the right thing in the right way or He won’t do it.

He will always answer, but it will always be what’s best.

And sometimes the answer is wait. Right thing, wrong time. Be persistent.

Ask continuously expecting God to respond. Seek all the time expecting to discover God’s desires for you. Knock expecting to be comforted by His presence in your life.

By comparing His Father to our earthy father, He is saying, as good as our father may have been to us, His Father will be even better.

So, be bold. Be constantly in the ear of God. Be humble and respectful. Don’t be demanding but ask and expect to get what’s best, if not exactly what you ask for.

God has a tender concern for His children and wants us to grow to know what He wants for us. If we ask for what God already wants to do He will eagerly do what we ask when we ask for it.

If we use this model and the points from these parables our prayer lives will be vibrant and alive. God is waiting for us to admit to ourselves what need to know and need to get from Him.

Follow the model, listen carefully and speak humbly.

Applications

Need

Do you know what you need? Or, are you too caught up with what you want?

Work to figure out what your needs are. We have them. Just maybe not as many as we thing we do.

Figure out what you need and ask for that.

Forgive

Forgiven ppl forgive. Is there someone or something you need to let go of and let God handle?

Is there something you need to admit to doing, own up to it, let it go, and stop doing it?

Now’s your chance.

God has forgiven you. He just wants you to know what for. And if you have been forgiven, then it’s time to forgive everyone else who’s hurt you.

Boldness

Pray boldly. Pray continuously. Ask, Seek, knock.

Make it personal.

Communicate to God that He is more important to you than anything else and how you wish everyone on earth felt the same way.

Pray that His kingdom come quickly.

Daily needs, forgiveness, and get me outta here!

Can you do that more often than you have been?

Prayer is a vital part of our relationship. It’s a powerful tool and weapon in the spiritual building and battles we face.

If you’re struggling w/ how to pray, how to talk to God, privately on your own, or even in a group setting like this; Jesus gave us the model to follow, topics to address, and attitudes to have.

If we use this model, we will have excellent communication with God as we tell Him what we are thinking and feeling and He can tell us what we need to know next.