Hello Friends!
Welcome back to our Bible study series titled
“Luke 11: The Biblical Boldness of Prayer!”
In our previous study we considered several
poignant passages and points of reference from throughout
God’s Holy Word concerning our amazing PRIVILEGE and RESPONSIBILITY to “pray” with
Biblical BOLDNESS. And with
that “truth” firmly
established in our “hearts’ and “minds” we will continue on our fabulous
journey – By the SOVEREIGN GRACE of God!
It is here at this juncture in our study of
Jesus’ amazing parable and “teaching” on the PERSISTANCE and BOLDNESS of the “friend” in “need” where we
will “seek” to enhance
our Biblical “understanding” of “prayer” regarding the “perfect” thrice
Holy CHARACTER and NATURE of God in direct contrast to the “fallen” sinfulness of man. We will further address this next phase of
our study on Biblical “prayer” through the solidification of two very
important and critical points of “doctrine” found
throughout the Holy Scriptures:
God’s Sovereignty coupled with Man’s Responsibility
known as the “doctrine” of – Concurrence!
Luke 11: The Biblical Boldness of Prayer! (Part 2)
Let’s
continue with the full context of our fabulous foundational passage as we
continue in our study…
5 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;
6 For a
friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before
him? 7 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. 8 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. 9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye
shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10 For every
one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that
knocketh it shall be opened. 11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he
give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?
12 Or if
he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If ye
then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more
shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? – Luke
11:5-13
OPENING POINTS TO PONDER: God has not only “ordained” the ENDS of His “predestined” plans, He has also ordained
the MEANS of His wonderful
“will” and we are BLESSED to be a part of God’s “plan” rather than just being “useless” spiritual couch potatoes! In
other words, we can be eagerly engaged in and involved
with being the MEANS to
God’s ENDS and the
residual spiritual impact in our “lives” is incredible!
God’s “goodness” and “blessing” in this
life and our “eternal reward”
in the “life” to come
are amazing “promises” from
God Himself! Therefore, Biblical “prayer” is not about changing
God’s “mind” nor
His “plans” and it is not
about giving Him any kind of information He doesn’t already
have. And it is certainly not about a tweaking of the circumstances
in “life” of which God might
not have already anticipated in His PURPOSEFUL
plans – It’s ALL about GOD!
In fact, here are TWO poignant points to “consider”
and “think” about concerning this very
critical Christian “doctrine” of
truth…
ONE: God is Sovereign over His
ENDS to include: salvation (Ephesians
2, 1 Corinthians 15 & 2
Corinthians 5), all things Romans 8 & 9) and history ~
past & future (Genesis – Revelation).
TWO: God is Sovereign over His
MEANS to include: sharing the Gospel
(Romans 10), praying (1
Thessalonians 5), planning (Proverbs), bible
study (1 Timothy 2) and ministry (1
Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus & 1 Peter) just to
name a – FEW!
Therefore, as a part of our “walk” with
our Lord Jesus Christ, we must “learn” through
a “sound study” of God’s Word to deeply “discern” the Sovereignty
of God (Romans 8 & 9) along with
the Responsibility of Man (Romans
10 & 11). This can
indeed be a difficult deep “doctrine” to FULLY “understand” in our finite
and fallen “fleshly” minds.
And although we will NEVER
completely “comprehend” the “mind of
God” in this life or the next,
we are “commanded” to “seek” the “wisdom” of God the
Father through His “perfect” Word “empowered” by the Holy
Spirit to BETTER thus “understand” our “God,” our “sin” and our
“salvation” in Jesus
Christ for the benefit of a “life”
willfully “lived” in “obedience’ to our
“Savior” – Praise the Lord!
Since God Knows Everything… WHY Pray?
This
excellent “teaching” from our
“Savior” concerning Biblical “prayer” found in Luke’s Gospel raises an important
question to ponder: “Since God has
already established His Eternal KINGDOM, His WILL and His PREDETERMINED
purposes, why do WE even PRAY at all?” This
is indeed a – Great question!
To
begin answering this sincere inquiry, “Jesus Christ”
Himself poses this powerful parable
with an equally inquisitive question pointed directly towards His personal “disciples” as “He said to them”:
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 – Luke
11:5-7
You might again ask: “Shouldn’t WE
be RELUCTANT or even ASHAMED to bother God with OUR
troubles since HE is going to DO what HE is going to DO
anyway?” – Another GREAT
question!
HISTORICAL HINTS: Jesus Christ considers daily life in this sweet story of a dear
“friend” and neighbor in “need.” In Israel, as in other parts of the
world in ancient times, people who didn’t have much in the way of personal
possessions were dependent upon their “neighbors” to survive
everyday life. HOW? They would make just
enough bread for that day, eat that bread for that
day and then it would be GONE!
Then the next day, they would make bread again… And so on…
Much DIFFERENT than 21st Century “grocery store” living! Therefore, Jesus
addresses the “neighbor” who
has a “friend” in “need” of whom “goes” to him at the “midnight” hour. Really? And in those days, when
the darkness
of evening arrived, you went to sleep. Why? Because you had to start work at sunrise
the next morning as the agrarian work day began – NO ONE was AWAKE
at midnight!
However,
this
particular “man” goes to his “friend” at “midnight”
and obviously wakes him up, along with his entire family
saying:
Friend,
lend me three loaves… – Luke
11:5b
Incidentally,
three large “loaves” of bread
are not
in view here. All he wants is three little pieces of flat bread which would be
a normal helping sufficient for an evening meal in those days. It is also important
to note that this is actually a very generous
and unselfish act on the
part of the “friend” in “need” here. Why?
Because he too has been awakened by his
“friend” of whom was also
in “need” – More context is added!
POIGNANT POINT: Therefore, this “persistent “ disturbance was for
the benefit of another person:
For a
friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before
him? – Luke 11:6
People
in the first century often traveled at night in that hot part of the world and
would have had to wake up this “friend” to host his other
“friend” in “need” here. Why?
Because hospitality was of
great importance among the Jewish culture of that day and
was a part of their religious duty – However… This other
friend in need arrived unexpectedly!
And
there’s a rather understandable response from this tired “friend” who is being “troubled” from “within” his “bed’ at home and out of his sound
sleep:
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 – Luke
11:7
“Trouble me not” is exactly
what you would expect to hear from someone who is “in bed” sound
asleep, right? In fact, the whole
conversation seems very presumptuous and quite bothersome!
Then skipping any prolonged narrative, Jesus moves the conversation along to
another important point of this story:
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 – Luke
11:8
This
“friend”
is going to “get” what he “asks” for here. Why? Because of his – anaideian
– shamelessness! The partial emphasis
here in this particular verse is on the boldness of
the “friend”
in “need.” It isn't so much on
the “persistence” of the “asking” in and of itself, it is in the boldness
of “asking” at such an inopportune
time to meet the legitimate “need” of ANOTHER person. The picture here is one
of shameless boldness in which seems almost ludicrous
to us by going into the “presence”
of the God of the “universe”
in this manner. But to the CONTRARY,
our Lord is further “teaching”
us here to be INVASIVE and
BOLD in our “prayers” to Him. However, not
according to our selfish “wants”
but “according” to our
personal “needs” and the “needs” of OTHER people – That’s
the CONTEXT here!
IMPORTANT NOTE: Sadly, this “man” did not respond
out of his “friendship” TO this “neighbor”
but out of his “troubled”
irritation TOWARDS him!
And thankfully his unloving
“heart” attitude is in stark
contrast to the LOVING
“heart” of our Creator God in Heaven who “never sleeps and never slumbers” according
to His perfect purposes!
Therefore, we are not waking up or disturbing God with our
BOLD “prayers” of “persistence” to Him! And if this
disgruntled “neighbor” would “give” his “friend”
what he “needs”
just because of his “importunity”
and shameless boldness, how much more will God who “loves” us perfectly “give”
to “us” when “we” come to Him with
our specific “needs” for “life” in Him – Praise the Lord!
And
now this poignant parable
of the “friend” in “need” further leads us to even more
incredible “truth” from Jesus
Christ regarding our “needs”
and “prayers” to God:
And I
say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock,
and it shall be opened unto you. For
every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that
knocketh it shall be opened – Luke 11:9-10
Beloved,
this isn’t just someone’s opinion being espoused here.
This is Jesus Christ the “incarnate”
God “speaking” to us! There
are actually THREE present
imperative verbs noted here: “ask,”
“seek” and “knock.” In other words, Jesus
instructs us to keep on “asking,”
keep on “seeking”
and keep on “knocking”
until your “needs”
are MET according TO God’s will – Be Biblically BOLD!
QUIZZING QUESTIONS: Did YOU ever think about “prayer” like that? – AMAZING!
But, wait a minute… Isn’t this apropos approach toward “God” nothing more than a “blank check”
promise of sorts to simply “ask”
God for anything we selfishly desire?
Isn’t this BOLD approach
to “prayer” just another
mangled message of the “name-it-and-claim-it“ crowd
espoused by the “false”
gospel “prosperity” preachers we see on “Christian” television today? – NOT AT ALL!
Why not? Because Jesus already qualified
this BOLD approach earlier in verses
2-4! And although Jesus did not intend to institute a rote mantra of
meaningless repetitious “words,”
we find here the proper CONTEXT
of which our Lord has instructed in His framework model concerning “our” Biblical FOCUS on intentionally
offered “prayer” to God:
And he
said unto them, When ye pray, say, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be
thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth” – Luke
11:2
WHAT is our FOCUS to be in proper prayer? Can you DISCERN the BIBLICAL answer
here in this POWERFUL passage? Jesus
instructs us that our prayers are ALWAYS to
be petitioned according
to God’s NAME, God’s KINGDOM and
God’s WILL when
we ASK of
Him – This is the KEY!
In closing:
Here
is another affirmation
from the “Scriptures” of God’s
perfect “knowledge” and “sovereignty” as He is working out His “plans” and “purposes”
in our lives:
For I
know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected
end – Jeremiah 29:11
However,
beginning in verse 12 for further CONTEXT God says:
Then
shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken
unto you. And ye shall seek me, and
find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart – Jeremiah
29:12-13
In
a sense, these few passages from the Old Testament Prophet Jeremiah seem to contradict
one another, don’t they? God
indeed has His “predestined”
and perfect “plans” in set place. However, He also
commands “us” to “call” upon Him, to “go” to Him and to “pray” to Him! In doing so, He promises to make “us” a part of the MEANS to His ENDS in the fulfillment
of those “plans” when we “seek” Him with “all our hearts” according to His “will” for life. Again, this is the Biblical combination “truths” of God’s
Sovereignty coupled with
Man’s Responsibility – The doctrine of concurrence!
REAL REFLECTIONS: Beloved, this parable contains the richness of what we
“enjoy” in this
“life” and in the “life” to come. It is
ultimately our eternal “reward”
for being eager participants
in the Divine “purposes” of
God in our “lives” today. What
comes out of this “faithful”
life of “prayer” to the Lord?
A true “relationship” and “communion” with Him through Jesus Christ as well as “ministry” & “service” for
Him and other people
empowered by the Holy Spirit! Therefore, the next time you “pray” to God, be bold
and “without ceasing” when
pouring out your “heart” to
Him according to His “will”
– For all of life!
Charles
Spurgeon wrote of Psalm 60 in his Treasury
of David collection concerning the desperate NEED
for the “church” to behold unto BOLD BIBLICAL PRAYER:
“So far gone was Israel that only God’s
interposition could preserve it from utter destruction. How often have we seen
churches in this condition, and how suitable is the prayer before us, in
which the extremity of the need is used as an argument for help….
For the truth’s sake, and because the true God is on our side,
let us in these modern days of warfare emulate the warriors of Israel and unfurl
our banner to the breeze with confident joy.” – Charles H. Spurgeon ~ 1885 (emphasis mine)
Our
generation TODAY needs not only a “spiritual” sort of REVIVING...
It also GREATLY needs a RESTORING of God’s Biblical TRUTH!
And to this PRAYERFUL pursuit “we” also cry – Amen!
This
wonderful CONTEXT of Biblical “prayer”
is a great “truth” and “promise” perfectly built upon
the eternal “Word of God” – His divine foundation!
Don’t miss our next exciting study – “Luke
11: The Biblical Boldness of Prayer!”
We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!
If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com
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Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><
Encouraging Concepts
Truth for Today
"Living Life From a Biblical Worldview"Lighthouse Publications <><
