Bible Study - Faith Matters (4) - Praying Faith - Luke 11:1-11 - February 11, 2024

 Bible Study – Faith Matters (4) - Praying Faith – February 11, 2024

Our focus scripture is Luke 11:1-11

Faith looks to GOD to provide what we need.

Praying faith.

Let’s explore!

We read in James 2:26:

 ²⁶ For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

James was the half-brother of JESUS.

JESUS taught HIS disciples that faith is vital. JESUS said it best in Matthew 17:20: “Because of your little faith,” he told them. “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

JESUS made it clear to HIS disciples in John 5:19:
Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, the Son is not able to do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son likewise does these things.

JESUS focused on HIS FATHER. That is a powerful message to us who desire to do the will of the FATHER. JESUS showed us what is possible when we focus on GOD through faith in JESUS. JESUS taught by example.

Let’s read Luke 11:1-4:

11 He was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.”

JESUS was praying in a certain place. Do we have a certain place to pray when we want to hear from GOD? JESUS did! JESUS taught that we should find a place that blocks all distractions and pray.

It is interesting that one of JESUS’ disciples asked JESUS to “teach us to pray.” Prayer can be taught. We can say beautiful words, but the secret is, do those words come from a believing heart? Do we have the faith the size of a mustard seed?

I looked up scripture to see if I could find scripture reference regarding John the Baptist teaching his disciples about prayer. I could not find such scripture but do not let that keep you from looking. John the Baptist was careful to stick to his calling as the forerunner of JESUS. The forerunner was the herald for a King and certainly JESUS is the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Praise HIS Name!

JESUS’ disciples knew that JESUS had a prayer life and they saw what GOD was doing through JESUS. When JESUS prayed. GOD answered.

JESUS’ disciples were eager to learn then as well as HIS disciples today. Dear JESUS teach us how to pray effectively.

² He said to them, “Whenever you pray, say,

Father,^[a]
your name be honored as holy.
Your kingdom come.^[b]
3 Give us each day our daily bread.^[c]
4 And forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves also forgive everyone
in debt to us.^[d]
And do not bring us into temptation.”^[e]

JESUS immediately makes it clear that we are to respect and honor GOD as our Heavenly FATHER. We are to ask GOD to establish HIS Kingdom upon earth. JESUS is coming again to rule earth and it could be at any moment.

Humans have daily needs and what we need comes from GOD.

GOD knows that all humans sin and need to be forgiven. All people need to confess their sins and ask GOD to help them to change by the power of GOD.
Notice, “And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone
in debt to us.” Quid pro quo – A favor for a favor.

When a person asks JESUS into his/her heart believing that JESUS is the true Son of GOD, born in the flesh by the Virgin Mary. JESUS’ FATHER IS GOD and HIS obedience to GOD opened the pathway to GOD for all people who place their faith in JESUS and HIS passion. (Death upon the cross – proves that JESUS was 100% human, burial, resurrection, ascension.)

It is only through faith in JESUS can any person be Spirit-born and eternally become GOD’S eternal Son or Daughter.

Keep in mind that the only way any person can call GOD FATHER is by being born-again/Spirit-born. Our unredeemed human spirit must be fertilized by GOD’S Sperm, The Holy Spirit, before Spiritual conception can take place.

The only prayer GOD hears before a person becomes HIS Child is Dear FATHER, I am a sinner and I need to be saved from the consequence of my sins. Please forgive me for my sins and I ask JESUS to come into my heart. Then tell someone that you have prayed to ask JESUS to forgive you for your sins. This is just the beginning of a wonderful journey. Will it be easy? NO! But you will have the Holy Spirit within you to teach and guide you as you walk with JESUS.

Once you are GOD’S Child, GOD desires for you to talk to HIM. Yes, talk to GOD as you would your absolute best friend. How can you do that? Pray. Prayer is talking to GOD. GOD Knows the number of hairs we have on our heads. HE already knows our deepest secrets and fears. So, get honest with GOD. Seek HIS power and help to overcome the issues that come our way.

Prayer is vital as we walk with GOD.

Once a person asks JESUS into his/her heart, GOD sends the Holy Spirit into that person’s heart as a guarantee that he/she has been Spirit-born and belong to GOD through faith in JESUS. The Holy Spirit is our teacher as we read/study GOD’s Word, The Bible.

Keep in mind that GOD and JESUS are our best friends. GOD provides for all our needs, not all our wants or desires.

The Bible reveals that the devil roams around seeking who he can devour as written in 1 Peter 5:8: ⁸ Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.

JESUS tells us to be on our guard because, if any person thinks he/she cannot be tempted, he/she better keep a close eye on himself or herself.

JESUS continues teaching on prayer in our next scripture.

Are there things that can hinder prayer? YES!

1.    When we pray with wrong motives or seek things for our own pleasure, our prayers may go unanswered. “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” (James 4:3) Humility and selflessness are key to effective prayer.

2.    Unbelief and Doubt: Faith is crucial for pleasing God. Doubt and lack of faith hinder our prayers. “Without faith, it is impossible to please God.” (Hebrews 11:6) When we doubt God’s existence or His willingness to answer our prayers, our communication with Him is affected. We must approach Him with unwavering faith.

3.    Disobedience: Knowing God’s will and continuing to pray for a different answer is disobedience. Once we understand His will, persistently praying against it can hinder our prayers. 

4.    Repentance and confession restore our fellowship with God

5.    1 Peter 3:7: Husbands, in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker partner, showing them honor as coheirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

6.    Unconfessed sin

7.    Anger

These are just a few things that hinder prayer.

An effective way to begin to pray is found in Psalm 139:23: Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.

There are times when our prayers seem to go unanswered. What can a person do? JESUS was teaching, DO NOT GIVE UP!

Let’s read Luke 11:5-10:

Ask, Search, Knock

⁵ He also said to them, “Suppose one of you^[f] has a friend and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, ⁶ because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I don’t have anything to offer him.’ ⁷ Then he will answer from inside and say, ‘Don’t bother me! The door is already locked, and my children and I have gone to bed. I can’t get up to give you anything.’ ⁸ I tell you, even though he won’t get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his friend’s shameless boldness,^[g] he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

⁹ “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 

There are three actions: Ask – Seek – Knock. Three  possible results: receives – finds – the closed door will be opened.

When a person is serious regarding the need for answered prayer, he/she is persistent. The person praying may need to confess sins or have an issue that needs to be brought under the authority of GOD. The key is not to give up but to ask, seek and knock.

Praying for the salvation of a person can take time.

Plus, there are things going on in the Heavens that many of us are unaware of. Daniel gives us some insight regarding what goes on in the Heavenly realm as we read in Daniel 10:12: (The Angel Michael speaks to Daniel.)

¹² Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. ¹³ But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. ¹⁴ Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”

When there is a delay there may be a reason. So, what do we do? We trust because GOD hears us as HIS Children at the instant we pray.

We can always ask GOD if there is some reason there is a delay.

When GOD seems to delay, what do we do? JESUS is still teaching things that we, HIS Children, need to keep in our minds. Living in GOD’S Kingdom is not static but dynamic. GOD loves HIS Children.

Let’s read Luke 11:11-13:

¹¹ What father among you, if his son^[h] asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? 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?”

GOD loves to give HIS Children good gifts but like our earth children, HE does not want us to get the big head and think that we no longer need to be obedient to HIM.

FATHER, we love YOU and thank YOU for the gift of eternal life through faith in YOUR Only SON, JESUS. Help us, who are YOUR Children, trust YOU as never before because YOU are the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS, and our FATHER and JESUS is not only our SAVIOR but also our Brother. Thank YOU and we love YOU! The best is yet to come! Blessings!!!