How to Pray
Luke 11:1-13 “Jesus began teaching his disciples how to pray by giving the architecture of prayer. First, he gave the foundation: “When you pray, our ‘Father’” Then he supplied two vertical petitions of prayer: “hallowed by your name” and “your kingdom come.”
Third, he laid out the horizontal structures of prayer with three petitions: “Give us each day our daily bread” – “Forgive us our sins, as we also forgive everyone who sins against us” – “And lead us not into temptation.”
The Secret of Survival.
- Shameless Persistence. (verses 5-10)
He tells a parable to address these concerns. (Luke 11:5-8) To understand what this parable is all about, we need to understand something about Middle Eastern hospitality at the time of Jesus. Hospitality was a very important thing. When a guest arrived, the whole village was responsible for entertaining him. Whether the visitor is hungry or not, he must be offered food and he generally is expected to eat! The story in this parable is compounded by the fact that the guest only arrived at midnight, and the owner had nothing to give him to eat, so he goes to his neighbour and bangs repeatedly on the door until eventually the neighbour is forced to open up. Now, to understand the neighbour’s reluctance to answer his door (besides the time of night) we need to know something about the homes in those days. A small typical Jewish home, would normally be only one room which was constructed according to a split-level design. The family would sleep on the raised part of the room at the back, furthest from the door. All the domestic animals – ducks, geese, chickens etc. would be housed next. So, for the man of the house to open the door to the mid-night caller would mean disturbing the whole household. (Verse 7) But in the story, the man refuses to give up knocking and the comfortably tucked-up neighbour has to get up and attend to him. Persistence brought him the food he needed for his guest – his need was met because he refused to be ‘put-off’ or side-lined. What Jesus was saying is that if a reluctant neighbour can be forced by his friend’s shameless, persistence to give what he ought, how much more will our loving God respond to our shameless petitioning for what we need. Knowing that God cares, knowing that we are praying according to God’s standards and purposes, we can be bold as we approach our heavenly Father.
- A Confidence That Does Not Quit.
“Ask” implies requesting assistance for a conscious need. We realise our lack and thus ask for help. The word also suggests humility in asking, for it is commonly used of one making a request of a superior.
“Seek” denotes asking but adds action. The idea is not just to express our need, but to get up and look around for help. It involves effort.
“Knock” includes asking plus acting plus persevering – like someone who keeps pounding on a closed door. The ‘stacking’ of these words – the one ascending upon the other as it were, plus the fact that they’re imperatives, gives them even more ‘punch’.
So, the verse actually reads → “keep on asking and it will be given to you, keep on seeking and you will find, keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you” Does Jesus’ call to persistence in prayer make prayer a meritorious (religious) work? The answer is clearly NO – because what Jesus is calling for here has to do with heart attitude and not mere religious routine. If today we pray “Your kingdom come” and then tomorrow forget to ask and keep forgetting to ask for the next year, then it’s obvious that the coming of His kingdom is not very important to us.
As G.B. Caird notes in his ‘Gospel of Luke’: “God does not have to be cajoled into giving us what we need – many gifts He bestows on the ungodly and the ungrateful – but His choices blessings are reserved for those who will value them and who show their appreciation by asking until they receive.” Persistence is an indication of our soul’s confidence.
Jesus says, “it will be given…. you will find….and the door will be opened.” Those who ‘ask, seek and knock’ are people who believe God will answer. Their prayers are not works, but acts of faith – not a ritual but a reliance. Now, this is the way, Jesus, the Son of God prayed. As an example, when He spent the whole night on the mountain in prayer before choosing His disciples (Luke 6:12, 16). And in the garden of Gethsemane where during His asking and seeking and knocking, “His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” Luke 22:44.
The bottom line is that Jesus is calling us to passionate prayer. Consider Jacob as he wrestled with the angel of the Lord at Jabbok. It’s a passionate encounter, full of spiritual fervour and force. Genesis 32. The result is that Jacob’s hip was pulled out of its socket and he left that place limping. Jacob, who became Israel, means ‘he struggles with God!’ We think of Hannah – who plead with God concerning her bareness. So great was her passion that the priest Eli said to her, “How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine.” “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord.’” 1 Samuel 1:14-15.
And God responded to Hanna’s passionate prayer by giving her a godly son. And then there is Ezra – who’s task it was to restore the law within the life of Israel once they’d returned from, exile →” Then, at the evening sacrifice, I rose from my self-abasement, with my tunic and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands spread out to the Lord my God and prayed.” Ezra 9:5. Then in the age of the gospel, came passionate Paul: “I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake off my brothers, those of my own race” (Romans 9:3) Consider also his disciple Epaphras, of whom Paul told the Colossians, “He is always wrestling in prayer for you” (Colossians 4:12) But the greatest example is Christ Himself, who “offers up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save Him from death” (Hebrews 5:7) “Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire Uttered or unexpressed – The motion of a hidden fire That kindles in the breast.” Ask, seek, knock is the hidden fire of the heart that believes God will answer and values what he gives.
- God’s Goodness.
We humans, sinful shortcomings and all, go to great lengths to give good gifts to our children. We moderns work extra hours and scrimp and save so that we can give nice gifts to our children, how much more is this true of our perfect Father in heaven! He has never given any of His children anything but the best! “ He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” Romans 8:32. He has given us so much, including the magnificent gift of His Holy Spirit. “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” Ezekiel 36:26-27
“And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. 29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. 32 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, even among the survivors whom the Lord calls”. Joel 2:28,29,32
These prophecies were fulfilled at Pentecost. Nevertheless, we still pray for the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. ‘I keep asking that that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling.”’ Ephesians 1:17-18 In all our praying, the greatest gift is the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
Closing reflections.
With this we come to the end of the Lord’s instruction on prayer. How are we to pray the sublime architecture of the Lord’s Prayer? How are we to pray for his name - His kingdom - our bread - our sins - our temptations? Because what we pray for through the petitions of the Lord’s Prayer are so right, we are to pray shamelessly. God delights to hear out petitions. We are to pray persistently – to keep on asking, seeking and knocking. Our bruised hands display our confidence that He will answer. Like Jacob, Hannah, Ezra and Nehemiah, Paul and Epaphras and most of all, Jesus Himself, we are to pray passionately. We should pray expectantly. As we begin the Lord’s Prayer with an upward rush of confidence in our heavenly Father, our Abba, we expect the Father’s perfect gifts through the Holy Spirit. We expect everything He gives us to be good – and it is! Those who have the Holy Spirit indwelling have life, hope and heaven. They enjoy grace and peace now in this life and glory and honour in the world to come.
Peter Wessels, Minister,
St Olav Church.