5 Then He said to them, “[a]Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children [b]and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his [c]persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
9 “So I say to you, [d]ask, and it will be given to you; [e]seek, and you will find; [f]knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. 11 Now [g]suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a [h]fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? 12 Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your [i]heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” —Luke 11:5-13
Introduction
I. The Friend: Pray Persistently (5-10)
A. The Parable (5-8)
B. The Principle (9-10)
II. The Father: Pray Positively (11-13)