How to Pray the Jesus Way
Notes
Transcript
Intro
We are intentional about many things. Getting dressed. School work. We put effort and focus into these things.
Need: Intentionality in prayer. Consider how we pray and the manner in which we pray. Jesus gives much instruction on prayer, and we need to return to it.
Main Idea: Pray with Intention
After the meeting with Mary and Martha, Jesus was praying. The disciples wanted him to teach them. Verse 1. It wasn’t that they didn’t know how to pray. Jews had a rhythm of praying, and his instruction isn’t far from the Jewish norm. They wanted to know how he prayed so diligently.
Ill. Like social media. You see someone disciplined in using it at times, and you want to know how they do it. You know how to turn your phone off or delete apps. It’s the discipline you need help with.
Luke 11:1-13
Truth #1: Pray the pattern (1-4)
Exp. Like the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus will give them a pattern for prayer. This prayer is similar to Eighteen Benedictions in Jewish tradition = outline for prayer. Verse 2-4. “When you pray” not “if you pray.” Here’s the breakdown:
Father. Jesus uses this as the Son of God. Also implying that it is for believers to call him Father.
Hallowed be your name. Hallowed = sanctify. Who sanctifies God’s name? Not us. We do not make his name great. Ezekiel 36:22-23
22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. 23 And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes.
Jesus is invoking God to make his name great.
Your kingdom come. We cannot make his kingdom come. Day of the Lord in Zechariah 14:9
9 And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one.
Final form of the kingdom. The one we await mentioned in Romans. These requests are what God is doing in the world.
Give us each day our daily bread. We come to supplication for us. Asking for bread necessary for living. Exodus 16:12
12 “I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’ ”
Forgive us our sins, for we forgive everyone indebted to us. Forgive us. Not because we forgive others, but before we forgive others. Deut. 15:2
2 And this is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release what he has lent to his neighbor. He shall not exact it of his neighbor, his brother, because the Lord’s release has been proclaimed.
Lead us not into temptation. Not asking for God to not bring us into trials good for us. Proper interpretation: “Do not permit us to enter into temptation.”
Exp. Here is the pattern. The pattern is what we should follow. Ordered a very specific way.
Ill. Lego. If you don’t do it in the correct order, things will get jumbled up. Jesus’ order is specific and one we should follow.
Arg. Before he asks for supplication, he invokes God’s will for his own name and for his kingdom. God make your name great and bring your kingdom. THEN give us what we need today. Forgive us.
Christ - The pattern is good. God’s name is sanctified: Jesus’ name is exalted. God’s kingdom has come in Christ. God’s provisions are no greater than Christ himself. Jesus is the bread that nourishes us and he is the forgiveness and leads us away from temptation.
App. What do we do? Pray the pattern.
Pray for God’s will first. This aligns your hear with his plan.
Pray for what you need second. You can absolutely pray this.
Truth #2: Pray persistently (5-10)
Exp. Next, Jesus will give a parable to explain prayer. Verse 5-8. A modern version of this parable would be…
Ill. Someone calls you over and over at like 10pm. You keep hitting ignore. They keep calling. Finally you answer and give in.
Exp. Two things to note about this parable:
The man asking for help ties to the previous petitions from prayer. We are the petitioners of the story.
The man trying to sleep must show hospitality and so he will give to save face. Impudence = shamelessness. The man’s reputation is at stake. He represents God. God also has a reputation to preserve. Makes his name great by redeeming his people.
Exp. Verse 9-10. Not “You must ask in order to receive” but “If you ask, you will receive.” Invitation to prayer. Asking, seeking, and knocking all align with the parable. The man is doing these things. He applies the parable with the same imagery of prayer.
App. What do we do? Pray persistently.
Ask. You will not always receive it. First God’s will, then my needs. Even just prayed “Not my will, but yours.”
Seek. Seek him out. Deuteronomy. He is not far from you. You will find him.
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.
Knock. His door is available for knocking. He doesn’t get tired of your prayers.
Christ - How do we do this? Jesus persisted in prayer going off by himself regularly praying to the Father.
Truth #3: Pray expectantly (11-13)
Exp. Pray expectantly = expect good things. Verse 11-12. What father would give something hurtful to his son. The parable reasons that a child asks for what he needs: food. No father would give them something dangerous instead. When the son asks, he expects the father will give him something good. Then, he applies it. Verse 13. Takes what a good father would do, then calls them evil. Contrasting. Evil people can do good things. How much more does God give?
Arg. He already said, ask, seek, and knock. There is an expectation of God answering.
Ill. You walk into a restaurant, you expect service and food. You drive to a gas station, you expect gas. As we pray, we should approach God with same expectation.
Exp. Why the HS? Because nothing is greater than the giving of the HS unto salvation and the work of the HS producing fruit in us. Daily bread is good, HS is better. We can forgive if the HS is working in us. The HS leads us away from temptation.
Christ - How do we acknowledge the work of the HS? Jesus ushers in the Holy Spirit which produces good in us. It’s through his sacrifice.
App. What do we do? Pray expectantly
Expect an answer. It might be no.
Expect that it’s good. Even if it doesn’t seem like it.
Conclusion
God’s glory is for our good. His will is for our good. Let’s pray now through the pattern, with persistence, and expecting good things.
