"Lord, Teach Us to Pray" Luke 11:1-13; 18:1-8

Prayer. The "P" word. Our pastor is currently preaching a series on prayer (yes!). I recently attended a meeting that was a "summons" to prayer. I tell you, my heart was warmed because we Christians are always in need of prayer. I am always in need of prayer. Let me break it down to you. Our church is looking to God to do a work among us in late April 2011, and so we are preparing for a lay renewal team to come and minister among us. I say: yes and amen! Now you see why our beginning preparations focused on prayer.

In the meeting we were asked to choose to participate on a team (spiritual growth, prayer, food, coffee, publicity, or communication) and to make that known by going to that table. I just sat there where I was. Now, before you get the wrong idea about my willingness to be a team player, let me break it down further. For the past two years, since I have not been pastoring, but instead being a member of my local church, I have been doing serious soul-searching. Prior to, I was confronted with the fact that the ministry was an enemy to my sancrification because I had made it an idol. Therefore, knowing that outward shows of ministry are potential instances to exalt myself in pride, I was very cautious not to jump into any team where I might exalt self...even the prayer team. I kind of made up my mind that I should pray at home: (1) to guard myself from pride and (2) because people accuse me of being arrogant when I say something in public [Because I'm not the preacher. Apparently, no one but the preacher is authorized to exhort others in the faith: 1 Thess. 5:19-21; Heb. 10:24-25; Eph. 4:15-16]. Ok, I'll stop and ask your forgiveness now because I feel that thing creeping up on me. But you understand what I'm saying. Back to my point. I did not want to make this an occassion for the flesh, especially because my spirit resonates with what the leadership of our church is attempting to facilitate, namely, our brokenness before God and our crying out to Him to heal us as individuals and as a body. Glory to God! I want that!

Therefore, dear friends, I am resolutely flint-faced determined to pray in secret for the healing of our church until He answers, which brings us to Scripture. Here's where I am at personally. I'm letting you in on my walk with the Lord. In Luke 11 the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray. Notice the formula He gives them in what we call the Lord's prayer (1-4; cf. Matt. 6:9-13). He then tells us a parable to illustrate the persistence with which we are to labor in prayer (5-8) and closes with results that must encourage us to pray (9-13).

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. 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 11:5-10 ESV)

Notice Jesus says: "because of his impudence" he will get what he needs. The word "impudence" is the Gr. word anaideia meaning, "a lack of sensitivity to what is proper." It could describe someone who has no respect for social protocol. Hmmm...Anyhoo. The point is that we are to boldly bi-pass the security gate (even if that means hopping the wall), let ourselves in through the front door (without taking the time to worry about what the mud on our shoes is going to do to that fine carpet), screaming: "Where is the man?", and when they say: "Calm down, have a seat, he's in the bathroom." we bust open the door and head in straightaway to enamour the man with the most urgent of our pettitions. And then do it again every day until we are answered. That is impudence. That illustrates how we are to boldly approach our Father.

Jesus then tells us with teaching, wait, actually charges us in the form of three present tense commands to bombard the Father with our needs. In essence He is saying: "Keep on continuously asking, seeking, and knocking, and you will get what your Father knows you need." He commands me and He commands you too. As I reflect on this in my own life, I ask: "Do we pray with this much persistence?" How many times have I gone to the Father for something and not gotten it after a few days, and then given up asking for that thing? Maybe it is about my sanctification. "God, I need deliverance from this besetting sin." Maybe it is about your church. "God, they need deliverance from that besetting sin." Could it be that the Father desires for us to labor in prayer for our own sanctification, for the healing and sanctification of our church, and that He will do this only according to the degree that we faithfully tarry with Him daily? My Christian brothers and sisters: "Barge down His door again and again and again until He brings His deliverance!"

To those who will tarry before Him in "a season" of prayer He says: "What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 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!"

The question now is: "Do you and I really believe that He will answer?" In a similar passage in Luke 18, Luke tells us that Jesus told his disciples a parable on prayer in order that they would learn that "they ought always to pray and not lose heart" (Lk. 18:1). There, He tells of a woman who persistently sought justice from a judge. Again, we are confronted with whether or not we will be persistent to pray for that one thing that we so desperately need, whatever it may be, because God will answer. And yet in a sobering tone, Jesus closes His teaching on prayer with an indictment of sorts, saying: "Nevertheless, when the son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth" (Lk. 18:8)? He is saying: "When I come back, will I find anyone who really believes that My Father will answer prayer?" My brothers and sisters, let us set our faces toward Him with determination to blow past His doors everyday until we get what we need, for ourselves, and especially for our church, that He would get great glory for Himself. May we labor insanely for things that only God can do among us, so that it may be said of our God by the unbelievers: "Their God is mighty, and there is no doubt He is among them."

Grace and peace... Jason.