Luke 11:1-13 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Luke 11:1-13. Let’s go!
Luke 11:1-4 (NIV)
1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
2 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 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.'”
On verses 1-4: Notice that when Jesus teaches his disciples to pray, Jesus gives them an actual real time example of how to pray. (It’s a reminder that the best teachers lead by example and show you with their life what they’re teaching.) This prayer recorded in verses 2-4, known as the Lord’s Prayer, is the most famous and most commonly recited prayer in history. There is certainly benefit in memorizing this prayer and reciting it as your own prayer. But in addition, I believe the Lord’s prayer was not simply meant for us to recite word for word; even more, there are lessons and principles about prayer that we can learn from the Lord’s Prayer, including the following:
1. “Father” – When you pray, remember that God is your Father and you are His child. God loves you and knows you personally and wants to have a close relationship with you. You can relate to God as Father and call Him “Father”.
2. “Hallowed be your name” (“Hallowed” means holy) – When you pray, begin with worship. If the only time you pray is when you’re asking God for things, then your prayer life and your relationship with God will be shallow and superficial. Remember who it is You are approaching and take the time to worship Him.
3. “Your kingdom come” – Prayer is about surrender. Prayer is not simply me telling God my order as if God is my server at a restaurant. Prayer is us bending our wills and our hearts toward God and welcoming Him to do what He wants to do. It’s surrendering our lives and our issues to God and saying, “God, have your way with me.”
4. “Give us this day our daily bread” – Bring God your requests, confident that He knows best what we need and will provide it to us in His way and time.
5. “Forgive us our sins” – Take the time to confess your sins to God and to receive God’s forgiveness. When you received Jesus into your life, your sins were cleansed once and for all. Still, when we do sin, it is good to confess it to God, lest our guilt cause us to become emotionally distant from God. Confessing sin, repenting and asking for forgiveness keep the emotional relationship between us and God warm and close.
6. “And lead us not into temptation” – God does not tempt us; Satan does. Even so, “lead us not into temptation” is us recognizing our need for God, that we can do nothing on our own without Him and that we are lost without Him. So every day, express your need for God. Ask for His wisdom, His guidance and His protection.
Luke 11:5-10 (NIV)
5 Then he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,
6 because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.’
7 “Then the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’
8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man’s boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
10 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
On verses 5-10: Jesus uses the short story (parable) in verses 5-8 to illustrate what he means when he says in verses 9-10 “Ask and it will be given to you”. To ask, seek and knock on heaven’s door is not just about asking once, seeking once, or knocking once. It’s about asking boldly and persistently, even when it seems like the door is closed. God wants us to ask Him with faith, and one of the ways faith shows up practically is in the form of praying boldly and persistently. How bold are you in your prayers? How persistent are your prayers? It is those who are bold and persistent in prayer who see God work in the most powerful ways.
Luke 11:11-13 (NIV)
11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?
12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?
13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
On verses 11-13: Your Heavenly Father loves you and would never do anything to harm you. So when you ask for more of His Holy Spirit in your life, you don’t need to be afraid that God will give you something that is going to harm you. Go ahead and boldly ask God for more of His Holy Spirit today.
Lord Jesus, thank You that when it comes to prayer, we get to learn from the very best. Holy Spirit, I need You desperately. Please fill me today. Our Father, holy is Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever and ever. AMEN!
