Importunate Prayer (Luke 11:5-9)

Intro

The Person (5) (friend)

The Period (5) (go unto him at midnight)

The Problem (6) (I have nothing)

The Prohibiting (7)

The Persisting (8)

This friend wasn’t going to answer this man’s request, but because he wouldn’t stop pounding on the door and screaming for bread, this friend answers his request.

Importunity - Bearing on; pressing or urging in request or demand, persistent. The little faith we put on our prayers is evident by the time we put into it.

Complete Works of E. M. Bounds VI. Prayer and Importunity

the pressing of our desires upon God with urgency and perseverance; the praying with that tenacity and tension which neither relaxes nor ceases until its plea is heard, and its cause is won.

The Occasion of Importunate Prayer (5) (Midnight)

PRAYER GOES BEYOND A CLOCK. IT SHOULD BE CONSISTENT.

It’s easy to pray at the altar during church. It’s easy to pray in the morning when you get up and pray with your family at night before bed. BUT PRAYER SHOULD BE MORE. (Prayer should be habitual, but be much more than a habit!)

Romans 12:12 “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;”

Luke 18:1 “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;”

Luke 21:36 “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”

James 5:16 “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

This focuses the soul to be knit with the throne of God constantly. In a world where Christians focuses on temporal things, our focus should be toward the throne.

This type of prayer is not accidental. This man went to his friend at midnight. This prayer pushes through the inconvenient and presses on to the Intercessor.

Genesis 18:23-33, Abraham prayed for the salvation of Sodom and Gomorrah over, and over, and over again. (50, 45, 40, 30, 20, 10)

Genesis 32:24 “And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.” (Jacob wrestled with God all night) (Genesis 32:26 “And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.” )

1 Kings 18:41-46, Elijah prayed 7 times for rain, and the 7th time, there was a little cloud like a man’s hand and the heaven became black with clouds and wind and there was a great rain.

Matthew 26:36-44, Christ prayed 3 times in Gethsemane saying the same prayer!

Those who are weak in prayer go silent when answer is denied or delayed. The warrior in prayer keeps begging at the throne of God. There will be refusals, but keep on replaying in the heart of God your request.

Complete Works of E. M. Bounds VII. Prayer and Importunity (Continued)

Laxity, faint-heartedness, impatience, timidity will be fatal to our prayers

The Observation of Importunate Prayer (6)

Prayers for his friend. (a friend of mine)

Prayers for himself. (I have nothing to set before him)

The Overwhelming of Importunate Prayer (8)

He will rise and give him as many as he needeth.

Notice the man asked for 3 loaves, but the friend gave him as many as he needed.

GOD ALWAYS GIVE WHAT WE NEED AND THEN SOME!