1. The Lord’s Prayer

Introduction

General: Texas Church prayed against a bar next door that later burned down. Bar owner sued the church, who claimed no responsibility. Judge said, “I have a bar owner who believes God answers prayer, and an entire congregation that doesn’t.”

Personal: What is prayer? Does God answer prayer? Is prayer effective? What does “effective prayer” even mean? If God is going to do what he wills anyway, regardless of my prayer or lack thereof, then why pray at all? /// If we’re honest, we must admit that many of us pray out of obligation, and… it’s boring.

Biblical: Clearly, prayer is important. Luke’s Gospel highlights Jesus’ practice of prayer.

Luke 3:21 — Jesus prayed during his baptism.

Luke 5:16 — Jesus often withdrew to solitary places and prayed by himself.

Luke 6:12 — Jesus prayed all night before choosing his Twelve Apostles and preaching the Sermon on The Mount.

Luke 9:18 — Jesus prayed together with his disciples.

Luke 9:29 — Jesus prayed before his transfiguration.

Luke 10:21 — Jesus prayed when his disciples experienced success in ministry.

Luke 11:1-4 — Jesus prayed as an example to his disciples.

Luke 22:31-32 — Jesus prayed for Peter before Peter denied him.

Luke 23:34, 46 — Jesus prayed from the cross as he was dying.

Luke 24:50-51 — After he was resurrected, Jesus prayed before his ascension.

Practical: Prayer is one of the most important things we can do as Jesus’ disciples and as his church. Acts alone mentions prayer more than 50 times! Prayer is vital to the success of the church, but we don’t see it that way today. We depend on programs, events, classes, ministries, and marketing for success, and we add on prayer as a perfunctory 3-minute opening to our meetings and events. But prayer isn’t an add-on to our ministry; prayer IS our ministry.

10 days, 10 minutes, 3000 people joke…

Subject: Luke 11:1… “Lord, teach us to pray…” How do we pray?

Body

Come to God as your Father (Luke 11:1-4). Relate to God as a child to a parent.

Exposition: Coming to God as Father means…

Love — “Father…”

Respect — “hallowed be your name…”

Priorities — “your kingdom come…”

From our problems to our Father

From our wants to his will

From our agenda to his kingdom

Dependency

For our physical needs — “Give us each day our daily bread…”

For our salvation — “and forgive us our sins…”

For our spiritual formation — “for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us…”

For our protection — “And lead us not into temptation.”

The primary purpose of prayer is NOT to fix our problems but to grow in a relationship with our heavenly Father.

Illustration: I used to think prayer was to fix my problems. And I hated prayer because it felt impersonal, transactional, and most of the time it didn’t work. But when I understood that prayer is about spending time with my heavenly Father, it changed everything.

Application

“Everything that Christ taught, everything that makes the New Testament new, everything that is distinctively Christian… is summed up in the knowledge of the Fatherhood of God. ‘Father’ is the Christian name for God.” —J. I. Packer, Knowing God, p. 201.

Prayer isn’t about saying the right words or using the “right” method; it’s about growing in your relationship with God. Are you coming to God as Father?

Ask with the shameless audacity of a child (Luke 11:5-10). Don’t be afraid to ask God!

Exposition: Childlike faith is audacious faith!

It’s desperate.

The neighbor went to his friend in the middle of the night because he was desperate and had no other choice.

Do you ever notice that when we get really, really sick, or something really bad happens to us, we suddenly spend more time in prayer?

Maybe we struggle to pray—not because we lack discipline, but because we’re not desperate for God.

It’s impudent (persistent… in an annoying way).

The neighbor didn’t go home until he got the bread… Kids are a great illustration: “Can I have a sucker?”

Funny enough, this is how Jesus is teaching us to pray!

Illustration: Carol prayed for her neighbor for 19 years until she finally received Christ!

Application

We can be impudent, like an audacious child, because God is a loving Father who is not annoyed by our asking.

Desperation — Discipline — Devotion — Dependence

Have the faith to accept what God gives (Luke 11:11-13). Trust that God’s answer is the best answer.

Exposition: God is a good Father, not an evil one. He always gives us exactly what we need—not always what we want.

Illustration: Potty training with Skittles… wants Skittles all the time! But that’s not what’s good for him.

Application: Ask whatever you want. Trust whatever he gives.

Faith is not just believing that God is real but trusting that God is good. Even when…

What he says it not what I wanted to hear.

I still have questions.

I don’t understand the why.

I’m not sure it will work.

Like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego…

Conclusion

How to pray: Come to God as your Father. Ask with the shameless audacity of a child. Have the faith to accept what he gives.

Prayer isn’t about the process. It’s about the relationship.

Challenge: Spend 5 minutes a day with the Lord for the next 30 days. Prayer book to help guide you.