A Friend In The Midnight Hour

St. Luke 11:1-13

Topic: A friend in the midnight hour

In these passages of scriptures, we see Jesus Christ in a certain place praying to His Father in heaven. As He prayed to his Father in heaven, one of his disciples watched and heard Jesus praying, and when Jesus finished praying, that same disciple, who was watching and hearing Jesus praying, came to Jesus and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples to pray.”

Upon hearing this request, Jesus taught his disciples how to pray. He said to his disciples when you pray, you say, “Our Father who art in heaven”, meaning that when you pray we are to address our God as our heavenly Father in heaven; for God is our Father in heaven. God becomes our heavenly Father when we believe and receive Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior.

John 1:12 says, “But as many as receive Him (Jesus) to them gave his power to become sons of God, even to those who believe in his name.”

Galatians 3:26 says, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ.”

If we put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, we are God’s children and God is our Father in heaven. Therefore , we address God as “Our Father who art in heaven.”

And as we pray to God as our Heavenly Father, we are to recognize that God is holy. That is why Jesus says that when we pray we say, “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.” You see God’s name is holy because God himself is holy. And because God himself is holy, His name is to revered, and not to be use in vain because God is holy.

Exodus 20:7 says, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Exodus 11:45 says, “For I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God; ye shall therefore be holy; for I am holy.”

Exodus 19:1-2 says, “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy; for I the Lord your God am holy.”

I Peter 1:15-16 says, “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

Also as we pray to God we are to pray for His Kingdom to come into our lives- “Thy Kingdom come”- that is, we are to pray that God’s Kingdom will reign in our lives and in the lives of other people.

Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Romans 14:17 says, “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

And when we pray we are to pray that His will be done- “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We are to pray that God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Now you are probably asking yourself this question, “How can I pray for God’s will to be done on earth as it in heaven when I don’t know what the will of God is?”

Well, to get to know the will of God is, we must go to the word of God because the Word of God teaches us the will of God for our lives. You see, God’s will for us that we be saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and that we obey his commandments. The reason why we pray that His will be done on earth as it is in heaven because God’s will is perfect and good.

Ephesians 5:17 says, “Wherefore, be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.”

2nd Timothy 2:15 says, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

As we pray, Jesus taught his disciples to pray for our physical and spiritual needs-“Give us this day our daily bread.” That is, we are to pray for daily physical needs to be met, as well for our daily spiritual needs to be met, for just as we need food to sustain our physical bodies, we need the word of God to sustain our spiritual bodies.

Matthew 4:4: “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”