A Praying Church: When We Ask – Luke 11:5-13
5And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’? 8I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.” —Luke 11:5-8
Persistence Is
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Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance, it is laying hold of His willingness. —Phillips Brooks
Persistence Is Rooted In
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1Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 3Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ 4And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’”
6Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” —Luke 18:1-8
If the unrighteous judge listened to the persistent cries of a desperate widow, HOW MUCH MORE will God listen to persistent cries of His children?
Persistence From Faith Leads To
Prayers.
9So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. —Luke 11:9-10
These verses do not mean that you will get what you pray for so what are answered prayers?
Answered Prayer Is Not Receiving
Answered Prayer Is A
The real value of persistent prayer is not so much that we get what we want as that we become the person we should be. —Phillip Yancey
How Does Transformation Occur?
11If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” —Luke 11:11-13
We pray for what God wants to give us, which may turn out to be good gifts or it may be the Holy Spirit. (From God’s viewpoint there is no better response to persistent prayer than the gift of the Holy Spirit, God’s own self.) —Phillip Yancey
Transformation…
2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. —Romans 12:2
Through the Spirit…
16Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. —2 Corinthians 4:16
Would you pray…
If you have quit praying, would you pick it back up?
If you have been praying, would you continue this morning?
If you have had an answered prayer, spent time with God, or been transformed by Him, would you celebrate Him?