THE FRIEND AT MIDNIGHT
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And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
All people have needs.
God desires to meet these needs, and often meets them through His people.
In this parable we see a man with a need who would not give up or accept defeat.
If you are praying according to God’s Word, then keep praying.
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
Don’t give up—the answer will come; perhaps not in the way you expect, but according to God’s will.
I. Seeing the Need
And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
A. Present need—v. 5. Food was needed for visitors. God wants to meet our needs—Phil. 4:19.
B. Pressing need—v. 6. Note, “I have nothing.” As Christians, we show our love by helping those in need.
1. Showing our love—1 John 3:17. Love always gives.
2. Sharing our love—Luke 6:38. As we give to others, God will give to us in return.
3. Spiritual love—Prov. 25:21. Feeding our enemy.
4. Surrendered love—Luke 10:34. Like the good Samaritan, help those in need.
All around us are the needy, depending upon us for help. Will you help them?
II. Selfishness and the Need—v. 7
The friend didn’t want to get involved.
A. Selfish attitude. In the story of the good Samaritan, the priest and the Levite had no time to help. Surely God was not first in their lives—Matt. 6:33.
B. Selfish ambition—Luke 12:16–20. The rich farmer was preparing for himself, with no thought for others. God called him a fool.
C. Selfish affection—Matt. 22:37. When we love God, it is easy to love others—Matt. 22:39.
III. Sharing the Need—v. 8
Persistence will help us meet the need.
A. Daily prayer—James 5:16. Note the importance. David prayed three times daily—Ps. 55:17. Daily prayer means daily power and daily persistence.
B. Determined prayer—James 5:17–18. “He prayed again.” He didn’t quit when the answer didn’t come—he kept praying.
C. Dedicated prayer—John 15:7. If we live according to God’s Word, He will answer. (Cf. Ps. 37:4–5.)
True Christians will not only see the needs of others—they will supply. Love toward the Lord, as well as others, is more than mere words. The man at the door would not give up. His persistence brought results. God will answer our prayers as we persistently seek Him.