Luke 11:1-13 The Lord’s Prayer

The Lord’s Prayer

11:1 Now Jesus [1] 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.” 2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say:

“Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread, [2]
4 and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.”

5 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, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 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’? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence [3] he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 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. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for [4] a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 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!”

• Friendship and fatherhood – This is the picture of God that Luke presents in this passage.  God as a friend, as a father, and how we are to approach him in prayer.
• God as a friend.  Asleep in bed with his family and children.  If the friend wakes up he will wake up the entire family.  This would be a serious inconvenience and thus creates an interesting dilemna.
• The friend outside has a real problem.  Under the hospitality laws, he must provide food and shelter for this traveler.  He knows his sleeping friend can help him.  He knows he will understand.  If the situation was reversed he would do the same.
• Persistence is the key.  God is more than a sleepy friend.  Jesus wants us to be bold when we pray.  He doesn’t want us to be afraid of waking God up in the middle of the night.  Jesus wants us to refuse to give up.  My prayers need to be this way.  I am fighting a battle and must struggle in prayer.  Prayer needs energy and urgency.  The friend with the visitor was urgent.  He needed the bread and knew his friend would give it to him if he kept knocking.   Am I determined to see my prayers answered?  Do I see God as my friend?
• God as father.  God is not a tyrant who delights in our suffering.  God wants to give us what we ask for.  God is the father of Israel.  The God of the Exodus.  The deliverer.  These are the themes that Luke is emphasizing in his gospel.
• The “Lord’s prayer” is a prayer for those on the Kingdom journey.  “This is a prayer which grows out of the mission of Jesus himself.” N.T. Wright  It provides us with a beautiful framework for prayer.