Praying for the One

I. Praying for the One

- New Series/God a God of mission/Since Creation-Blessed Hope/Lk. 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.

- /Missions mo/Lindale/Global Ministries/BUT the ONE

- Who is ONE/Lost sheep/Father & Prodigal/Woman & Coin/Daily we see them/God knows them/Not ONE He doesn’t want 2 save.

God is burdened for the one. Am I?

Pray

- Rdg. Plan/This AM-Parable/Start w/ Lesson Jesus was teaching

II. Luke 11:1-4

1It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, when He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.”

2 And He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation.’”

- Longer version in Mt./Entire series/Just some key facets/Jesus providing template through relationship w/ God

- OUR FATHER-groundbreaking/OT references but not addressing Him/Matt & Laura

- Jesus maintained tension of intimacy & awe w/ “IN HEAVEN.”/HEAVEN/Representing FAMILY (OUR Father)

- “It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place…”

- “…when he had finished.”/Disciples respected Him/What is it, how do I get it?

III. When it comes to prayer, we need less ‘how to’ and more ‘want to.’

- Dscpls not asking 4 pattern 2 pray, but the passion of prayer/ Saw His faithfulness & passion of prayer/Not how to pray, but to pray/

- Actions overflow of his prayer life/Sproul- “…those who R pwrfl in min. are those who R also earnest in prayer.”/

- holy envy/Miss Clara/Disciples saw in Him living rep of prayer rooted in rltnshp w/ Father in Heaven, made them hungry

- Wisdom to recognize not how-2 formula but get-to w/ Father

- Wanted to WANT prayer/

- my prayer: not momentary high but lifeline that connects us to heart & will of God

LESSER 2 Gr8er

- Psg. Has 3 movments/1. Q&A of Prayer/2. Parable of further expl./3. Goodness of God as Father

- Technique – Lesser 2 Gr8er/Sons at dinner if your cousin who is 4, how much more should you

- Parable of lesser 2 shed light on greater/Not to get us to do something, but understand something.

V. Luke 11:11-13 (NASB 2020)

11 Now which one of you fathers will his son ask for a fish, and instead of a fish, he will give him a snake?

12 Or he will even ask for an egg, and his father will give him a scorpion?

13 So if you, despite being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”

- Summary: humans know wrong give harm when asked for help/ how much more will Father give H.S./You can give Nintendo, God gives H.S./v. 8 is contrast not comp.

- V 5-8 out of contxt could lead to wrong concl./Jesus not saying God sees our prayers as inconv. Interrup.

-  Following shows us flawed man can help, how much more…

VI. Luke 11:5-8 (NASB 2020)

5 And He said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves,

6 because a friend of mine has come to me from a journey and I have nothing to serve him’

7 and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’

8 I tell you, even if he will not get up and give him anything just because he is his friend, yet because of his shamelessness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

- Some may draw premature conclusions, ie. “nag God ‘til he answers/God has business hrs/But again—CONTRAST

- CULTURAL: Knocker – late-traveling common/

- Shame & honor – Travelers/Would B shameful 2 not B hospitable/Hosting travelers normal

- Mt. 10:11 “And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart.”

- Homes in Bible times/Owner wouldn’t want to be dishonorable

- Not just persistence/What caused host to act was boldness

VII. Prayer is one beggar boldly asking God to meet the need of another beggar.

- “I don’t beg God.”/We’re helpless & lost w/out Him/Other beggars need what we can’t give, but know who can

- We go 2 Father w/ boldness rather than persistence

- Persistence is good (Judge & widow)/But this passage is about shamelessness

- Not crude, childlike/After 1 bite, donuts?/Big b/c he knows I’m capable of doing it!

- Biblical Examples: Abraham, Lot, Sodom/Moses, God, Israel/Church prayed for Peter

- Bold childlike shamelessness says, “I don’t have power for brother, money for family, answer for sister, but YOU DO”

GOD WANTS 2 ANSWER

VIII. God has the desire to answer if we have the burden to ask.

o Let’s stand together.

IX. Luke 11:9-10 (NASB 2020)

9 So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, it will be opened.

- Response: you will NEVER want to stop praying once you understand that God is our Father & He LUVS 2 answer those who pray w/out shame

Altar/Response:

- Jibu & Solomoni:

- IN Feb in DR Congo, person in need knocked for help w/ urgent call/Door was church/Knocker was local chief/Hospital one was Pastor Kibi & his church

- Jibu & Solomoni orphaned in heart of militia territory. DR has highest concentration of widows & orphans b/c of violence

- Father killed in war, mother abducted and later killed/Solomoni, 5 cared for Jibu, 2

- When knock came, Pastor and SOW opened/ Church opened homes and took in children/2019: Capacity reached/Asked God for what they didn’t have/US churches responded

- RH purchased land for Open Spring Children’s Home/Pastor & SOW staff responded & took in Jibu & Solomoni

- Staff spent days treating 4 parasites, malnourishment, possibly days from death/but God

- Today, 70+ children receive daily bread

§ Weary trav./Knocked to see who may answer

§ Hosp. Host-Your heart is stirred and you want to be safe place

§ PRAYER: Jibu & Solomoni, weary trav., hosp. hosts.