How To Pray Like Jesus Series

1. Christlike in Prayer

Luke 11:1-13

Objective:

1. Show people that even Jesus prayed.

2. Show why Jesus prayed

3. Challenge the people to start praying like Jesus.

Let us turn to Luke 11:1-13 to hear what God, through, this Gospel written by the only Gentile writer of the NT, has to say about following Jesus. I am quite excited to share what I have already heard – and seen – and committed to do myself: GROW INTO CHRISTLIKENESS BY LEARNING HOW TO PRAY LIKE JESUS. Do you like that? Do you want to pray like Jesus? Do you want to grow more like the Lord as we see him pray? capture the motivation, the essence Today, I want to continue this preaching series that I have been dreaming of for many years. For many years, I carried in my heart a certain pain, about being unable to help God’s people more – grow into Christlikeness. I want to see us all grow into maturity – to become more like the One whom we follow. My prayer has always been Lord please teach me how to better equip your people to glorify you with their lives.

I have three messages on prayer: 4,11,18 then I will take a break on the 25th. Next Sunday, I am going to preach on PRAYING FOR LOVED ONES (THOSE CLOSE TO YOU). How do you pray for family members? How do you pray for a spouse to come to the Lord? How do you pray for your friends, workmates, office mates.

I have heard a lot of complaints about working with other people in one home. They say its hard, but if you are follower of Christ, you should be saying, this is good. I am reminded of the story of two friends who went hunting for wolves. One night they woke up surrounded by wolves. The other fellow got so scared and said, let’s ran for our lives, we are in great danger. The other said, “We’ll have a great catch today!”

On the 18th, I plan to pray about PRAYING IN CRISIS. How do you pray when you are in crisis – you see a trouble, a big problem coming, you find yourself in the middle of a huge problem, how do you pray like Jesus). I have been looking at a Scripture in Luke and I believe there are principles from this passage that will empower us to pray for loved ones more effectively – just like Jesus.

Now to our message: My plan today is three-fold: First, I want to connect our subject with the Word on The cost of following Jesus (Marks of a True Disciple). Luke connects prayer and discipleship. For Luke there is no discipleship without prayer. No disciple lives without prayer. No disciples succeeds without prayer. We can live without prayer right, we can’t live as we should, following Jesus, enjoying our spiritual blessings, without prayer. Your prayer determines your life. Your life depends on God, just as your new life is a gift from God through Christ, so in your new life, you can’t live without prayer.

Luke tells Theophilos and he tells us now “disciples pray.” Why? I will answer this in a little while. Second, I want to look more closely into the revelation that Jesus prayed. Finally I will conclude with Jesus’ teaching on prayer – intended to teach the disciples to pray just like he prayed – to become Christlike in our prayer.

1. Prayer and Discipleship

First, I want you to see, what God, using Luke’s creative mind, wishes to show in our passage. Luke 11:1-13 answers the question: What happens to a person who responds to the call of discipleship? What happens to those who embrace God’s plan for their lives? What happens to those who give up their whole lives – plans, dreams, future, security, family, work, finances, safety – in exchange for the call of God in their lives? What happens to those who receive God’s life in them? What happens to those who are willing to follow Jesus – in Jerusalem, to the cross, to their death?

Others have a horrible picture of someone who is doing all she can to follow Jesus, only to stumble and fall. Some think of the cost and resigned disappointed that they will never be able to achieve what God expect from them? Is this how you feel when you hear Jesus’ call to discipleship? If you think following Jesus will just be easy – then you have not heard Jesus, you must hear him closely. He talks about denying yourself in exchange for the new life that he gives; he talks about seeing yourself as dead to yourself; you have given up everything to the LORD; he talks about following him – to the first disciples, that meant following Jesus into Jerusalem – to a hostile crowd, the seat of the opposition; it meant following Jesus to the cross; it meant following Jesus wherever he leads.