Good morning everyone! Get your Bible out and open it up to Luke 11. Have you ever had a friend just keep calling or texting you? [Just this last week I played a joke on a friend. My friend (who lives out of state) had met a guy here at a garage sale that just would not stop talking to him. So when my friend got back home, I texted him pretending to be this guy. I said I got his number off Facebook. And then I just started bombarding him with questions. “Do you have some tomatoes for sale? Could you ship them to me? How much do you want for them?” No answer from my friend. Then I texted him, “My wife and I are coming to your state and wanted to know if we could park our RV on your property for a few weeks!” Still no answer. Then I texted him back and said, “How about next Tuesday, around 6pm?” By this time all of us are laughing so hard its crazy! Finally my friend replies, “Sir I don’t know you.” Ultimately we revealed who were and everyone had a big laugh, but I was blowing up his phone and he didn’t even know what was happening!”] Have you ever had somebody blow up your phone asking for something? Maybe you are on a group text and your phone keeps going off? Maybe someone is just being real persistent? Well, this is exactly the attitude Jesus wants us to have when it comes to prayer. He wants us to be relentless in our prayer life. Today we are going to look at a story Jesus told called the “friend at night.” And in this story Jesus is going to be answering some important questions about prayer. Listen, prayer is a mystery. I don’t know everything about prayer. There are many questions we will probably never get answers to this side of heaven. But I know that Jesus told us to pray. And in this story Jesus is talking about how to pray, why to pray and why sometimes our prayers are delayed. So let’s dive into it.

PRAY THIS WAY
Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”
And he said to them, “When you pray, say:
“Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.” Luke 11:1-4

At this point in Jesus’ life, there were a lot of things happening around Him. He had sent out his 12 disciples to preach the gospel and now they had multiplied into 72 other leaders who were now going out and preaching the gospel to all the villages and towns around Israel. His popularity was soaring. His influence was growing. Everything on his ministry chart was moving up and to the right, and yet Jesus didn’t lean on his own efforts or strengths but constantly relied on his Heavenly Father for direction and help. Jesus was a man of great prayer. The gospel of Luke tells us that Jesus was praying when he was baptized, and the Spirit came upon him to launch his ministry. Jesus prayed for 40 days and nights being tempted in the wilderness. Jesus prayed all night before choosing his leadership team. Jesus often retreated from the busy pace of ministry to just pray. And his disciples observed his prayer and the powerful way God was moving through Jesus and so they came to Jesus and asked him a question. They said, “Lord, teach us to pray.” This is the only request we have like this from the disciples. They never asked him, “teach us to preach”, or “teach us to do miracles” or “teach us to lead” – they asked him “teach us to pray.” And Jesus tells them how to pray. This isn’t the first time Jesus has taught them to pray. Early in their ministry Jesus had taught them to pray, but now they realized how much they needed the Spirit’s power in their lives and so they asked him to teach them again. This prayer is often called the “Lord’s Prayer,” but it really should be called the “Model Prayer” because Jesus gave it to us as a model, template, an outline of how to pray. Jesus never intended this prayer to be something we just repeat from rote memory, it was never intended to be something we mechanically speak out. It was intended to be a guide for you and me. How does Jesus want us to pray? First, start your prayer with praise! He said, “Father.” This is an intimate word that means “daddy.” The Greek word is Abba. It’s the closet of relationships. When he prayed, Jesus didn’t call out Our Master, Our Judge – while God is all those things, he said say “Daddy.” He’s the dad you’ve always wanted. He’s the perfect Father. The he adds, “Hallowed be your name.” This is a word of praise. “You are holy, different, set apart!” So many times we jump into prayer asking God for all the things we want and need. But Jesus said, “Stop and first just praise your Father for being so good to you.” When was the last time you prayed and all you did was just thank God for all the blessings in your life? Dads, how would you like it if one of your kids just came up to you and started telling you want a great dad you are? You might pass out, or get suspicious – “What do you really want?” But Jesus said our first words need to be thankful words, worship words, grateful words, praise words. Then Jesus said we need to acknowledge God’s authority in our life. “Your kingdom come, your will be done.” What does that mean? It means, “Lord, you are in charge. You are my king. And I want to do what you want me to do today. Lord, I’m here to serve you, not the other way around.” Just think what God might do through you if you were simply yielded to his plan for your life. Then he said, “Now ask for your needs.” Circle the words “Give us...forgive us…lead us.” What do you need? Ask God to provide it. Where have you failed? Ask for his forgiveness. Where do you need God’s direction and help? Ask him to lead you. Do you pray like this? If you were to pray this way, it might sound something like this. “Dear Father, I’m so glad that you love and care for me. You are an amazing God and you have cared for my every need. Thank you for all you’ve done in my life! I praise you and worship you today. And Lord, I really want to do what you want me to do today. I want to obey you in every area of my life. Now Lord, you know my needs. Lord, would you provide my basic needs today? And Lord forgive my attitude I had last night with my children and for holding a grudge against my co-worker. And Lord please lead me in the all the decisions I have to make today. From this point forward, I’m all yours. I yield every part of my life to you!” Do you hear the heart of that prayer? That’s what God is looking for in you.

PRAY AND DON’T QUIT
And then, as these words are settling in on their hearts, Jesus launched into a story about prayer.

And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs.” Luke 11:5-8

I believe that Jesus is answering the question behind their question. Their question was, “Lord, teach us to pray.” The question behind their questions was, “Lord, how do you pray with such power? How is it that your prayers get answered? Why does the Father listen to you when at times our prayers don’t seem to be heard?” And Jesus’ simple answer is – don’t quit. Pray relentlessly. Keep praying. Jesus is speaking to our ATTITUDE in prayer!

Jesus said, “Suppose you are in bed with your family one night and a neighbor starts banging on your door, or blowing up your phone with text messages, or calling your over and over and over again – and he wants to borrow some food to feed his guest. At first you don’t answer. You ignore the call. You stay in bed. But eventually, you are going to get up and give him what he wants – why? Because he keeps asking. He keeps calling. He keeps banging on the door. He just won’t quit. Jesus said, (v8) “…yet because of his impudence (shameless audacity, boldness, persistence, relentless asking) he will rise and give him whatever he needs.” Then Jesus said this. (v9) “And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” Luke 11:9-10

Jesus commands us to ask. The word in the Greek means to “keep asking” – imperative, command, keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking, keep blowing up the phone, keep banging on the door, keep crying out to God, keep praying and don’t quit. Why? Because if you keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking something is going to happen. God is going to move. Answers are going to come. [Years ago I was buying a car and I came across this older man that was a car salesman. Somehow, we started talking about the Lord and he said, “Do you know the PUSH principle?” “No, I don’t think so,” I said. He said you have to PUSH…Pray Until Something Happens! Jesus is telling his disciples to PUSH!] To pray and not quit, to pray and not give up, to pray and not give in, to pray until something happens! On another occasion, Jesus was telling another story similar to this one, “…to show that they should always pray and never give up” (Luke 18:1, NLT).This is the same thing the Apostle Paul wrote in I Thessalonians 5:17-18 (NLT) - “Never stop praying.Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” Underline those words in your mind, “never stop praying.” Colossians 4:2 says, “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.”

Listen, the point of this story is to motivate you to keep praying and never quit. So many times we quit praying just before a breakthrough! Some of you have stopped praying. You used to pray for that family member to come to Christ, but you’ve quit. You used to pray for God to move in your marriage, but you’ve quit. You used to pray for a spiritual awakening in our nation, but you’ve quit. You used to pray for the nations to hear the gospel, but you’ve quit. Listen, the Devil doesn’t want you to pray. Samuel Chadwick (Wesleyan Pastor): “The one concern of the Devil is to keep the saints from praying. He fears nothing from prayer-less studies, prayer-less work, prayer-less religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.” The Devil doesn’t want you to pray. Why? Because he knows if you pray, God is going to move! If you ask, you are going to receive. If you seek, you are going to find. If you knock, the doors are going to open. So he will discourage you. He will distract you. He will cause you to doubt God…all of this to keep you from praying! Jesus said, “You want power in your prayer life? Be relentless. Don’t quit. Never give up.”

Now some might read this story and think that God is like that friend in bed at night, he’s bothered by your prayers. He’s got his pillow over his head saying, “Leave me alone!” You might get the impression that God is like that parent who is on his cell phone ignoring a child who is calling his name. Is that what God is like? So Jesus puts another story right next to the one he just told.

PRAY, TRUSTING YOUR FATHER
“What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent;2 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:11-13

Jesus said, “Look, if your son asks for a fish you aren’t going to hand him a snake! If he asks for an egg, you’re not going to hand him a scorpion! Right? Look man, we are messed up! We are wicked in our hearts. We are selfish and full of bad thoughts and bad motives, but we don’t treat our kids this way…so why would you think your perfect father in heaven will do that to you? No, God’s not annoyed at you. No, God’s not reluctant to give you and bless you and help you. No, he’s not indifferent to you. He’s a perfect father. He delights to give good gifts to his kids.

So the question behind their question was, “Jesus how are your prayers answered? Jesus how is it that your prayers have power?” And Jesus said you need to pray. And yes, there are going to be times when you will need to persist in prayer. There are going to be times when the answer is slow coming, but don’t’ quit. And no, it’s not because God is indifferent to you or annoyed by you. Your Father in heaven is good and compassionate toward you and loves you.

You might ask, “Then if he’s so good, why doesn’t he just answer my prayers immediately? Why do I have to persist in prayer? Why do I have to keep asking? Why does God make me wait and PUSH at times?” Jesus doesn’t directly answer this question, but I think there is an underlying answer here. Look again at verse 11. It says a good father will not give his son a serpent when he asks for a fish. In other words, a good father only gives his son what’s best for him. That’s what a good father does. If the child only wants to eat ice cream all day, every day, a good father is going to say, eat s “No, eat some meat and veggies!” If his son wants to play in the street, a good father is going to say, “No, only in the yard where you are safe.” A good father knows what’s best and gives what’s best. And if you are in a season of praying and waiting and praying and waiting…don’t doubt God’s goodness, lean on it! Know that your Heavenly Father knows what is best for you and he will provide what you need, when you need it! Remember what Jesus said, (v10) “If you ask you will receive, if you seek you will find, if you knock the door is going to open”. Your father isn’t indifferent or ignoring your prayer. He’s working his plan together in his perfect timing!

Then Jesus closes with these words: “How much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11.13). There is a connection between persistent prayer and the moving of the Spirit of God. Jesus prayed, and the Spirit of God moved in a powerful way. The early church gathered in an upper room and prayed for days until the Spirit of God came on them and empowered them to preach the gospel to the nations. And the same is true with you. As you pray relentlessly, trusting that your heavenly Father is good and he hears and will answer your prayer, the Spirit of God will move in your life. Are you experiencing the Spirit’s power in your life? Are you experiencing the power of God to change you from the inside out? Are you experiencing the Spirit leading you, filling you, using you? Are we as a church seeing the Spirt of God move in powerful ways? Are we seeing a spiritual awakening in our nation? If not, then it’s time to pray.

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