Luke 11:1-4
The Lord’s School of Prayer
We are going to be here a little long today so if you have an appointment you need to make feel free to leave when you need to. We are revisiting this text this morning since we just skim the surface of it last week. There is more in this model prayer Jesus gave His disciples than what anyone of us could ever try to communicate in any one hour of teaching since prayer cannot be exhausted in these few words Jesus spoke. Our communication to God changes due to circumstances and need in life but prayer is misused if we only go to Him when we have a complaint or need. I want to briefly go over the points with you from last week and look at them a little more in detail today. First, Jesus told His disciples they need to address the right person when they pray, “Our Heavenly Father”; Second, they needed to come to Him with the understanding that He stands uniquely alone in the universe and there is no other like Him, “Hallowed which means ‘sanctified” be thy name”; Third, they were to pray with a heavenly focus, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”, Fourth, be content with God’s daily provisions opposed to grabbing after things outside His will, “Give us this day our daily bread”, Fifth, we should be repented daily and have a forgiving attitude toward others who wrong us, “And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors”, and sixth, we should pray for awareness of trials and the schemes of the devil, “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.”
That is the layout of how Jesus teaches the disciples to pray now lets look at them in a little more detail from last week.
I Prayer should be directed to no one but our Heavenly Father (2). What does this mean? Simply that God is personal, uniquely and completely different from our earthy father. Earthy fathers are limited as to their ability but God provides what no other can provide for His children.
a. He has provided your salvation in Christ. Turn with me to (Jn. 3:16), I know you have this verse memorized but there is nothing greater than reading it. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Now turn to (Isaiah 63:16) "Doubtless you are our Father, though Abraham was ignorant of us, and Israel does not acknowledge us, You, O Lord, are our Father; our Redeemer from everlasting is Your name." Now turn with me to (Rom. 5:12-17). What does all this mean? It means that God provided a way to restore us back into a right relationship with Him so our sin would no longer keep us from spending eternity with Him. Those who have put their faith in Christ for the forgiveness of sin have the privilege to cry out to our personal and only God “Abba, Father” who art in heaven. The second element of beginning our prayer is not to start a complaining chat with God but
II Praise Him because He is perfect in all His dealings with us, Hallowed be thy name.” We should always begin our prayer in a positive manner. Just because our circumstances seem to be against us friend you can rest assured that God is for us. Although we can never see the end results of difficult circumstances that might arise (Romans 8:28) says “all things work out together for the good of those who love God.” So when you go to Him in prayer don’t begin with your lists of complaints; come to Him with respect in acknowledging the things He has brought you through and knowing He will bring you through any circumstance you may be going through for your good.
III Pray for His will and kingdom to be visible in your life on a daily basis. “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Until we pray for God to work in our lives according to His will we will never progress in this life to fulfill this prayer. (Luke 22:42) “Father, if it is your will, take this cup away from me; nevertheless not my will, but Yours, be done.” The point is we must be willing to give up our own will, our own desires, our own comfort and pleasures for God’s will to be done in our lives. Now God has a specific will for you. That is His personal call for personal tasks He has given you to do for Him while you are here waiting on the ride for glory, but He has a general will which is coming to church as appointed to worship Him with one another. Do not forsake the assembly of one another together (Hebrews 10:25). “Go ye therefore and make disciples,” that’s evangelism (Matthew 28:19). The Bible is God’s will for all of us and we certainly can’t know it unless we read it and pray for Him to show us what He will have us to do through it. We have some new Christians in this house today and they need to be taught these things in their homes and in the church. So are you seeking God’s will? People I talk to in society say they don’t know what God wants them to do? Maybe it’s one or three things. They are either not in the word and praying over it or their reading and aren’t listening, or they really don’t want to commit to what He has called them to do. So before we can pray for His will to be done we must submit to Him ours.
IV When we pray about our provision we must be satisfied with what He provides for that day. “Give us this day our daily bread.” I would say that we certainly have more than we deserve so we should be overly thankful for that. But can you be grateful if you had less. Look at (Phil.4:11-12) “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound, everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” Paul new how to be content, that word means “to be satisfied with ones lot in life”. Now verse 6 of that same chapter says “Be ANXIOUS for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with THANKSGIVING, let your requests be made known to God.” The word “anxious” means troubled or care for. Don’t be troubled over your needs because (Matthew 6:8) says “Your heavenly Father knows them before now here it is “before you ask.” So contentment is being satisfied with the daily provisions the Lord has provided because He is already on the job before you know the need.
V We need to forgive others as we would want God to forgive us. “And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” Did you know even though you’re a child of God you still sin? Turn with me to (1Jn. 1:8-9) “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” We need to ask God for our sins against Him on a daily basis. If you don’t think John is speaking to Christians read verses 12-14 of ch.2. How could it be that we would desire for God to forgive us our debts if we aren’t willing to forgive others debts against us? The word debt means “that which is owed.” We owe God the penalty for our sin but He paid the price for them on the cross with His precious blood. Now we know we have forgiveness how do we forgive others? Remember you were in need for forgiveness and others need your forgiveness no matter what they have done against you. As a matter of fact Peter went to Jesus in Matthew 18:21 and ask Jesus how many times must he forgive a brother who sins against Him and Jesus reply was up to 7 times 70. That means every time. Previously Jesus said in (Matthew 6:15) “if you do not forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will not forgive you. Now let me ask you; is there anyone you need to forgive? Last
VI Pray for the Lord to keep you from evil. “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.” As we saw last week in the book of James God does not tempt us nor can He be tempted. But the meaning here is that when we have repented of sin and turned from it we must solely rely on the Lord to keep us from going back into them for the devil will certainly be on the job to entice us back into that sin. The drug addict, the adulterer, the fornicator, the wine bibbler, the profaner, the gossiper, the foul mouthier, the whoremonger, the glutton, and so after they have repented the only one who can keep them from turning back into those sins is God alone. For the devil is like a roaring lion seeking who he may devour. You see you need to pray that God will protect you from Him and that He will empower you to withstand any temptation that the devil throws your way. Church we need to pray like we have never prayed before, we need to pray without ceasing and we need to pray in God will.
I want you to know before God will ever hear one of your prayers you need to become a child of His first or else your prayers will roll off your lips and on to the floor. He tells us in (John 9:31) “Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. Have you truly given your life to Christ? Have you given up your will that His might be done? Until we give Him ourselves and surrender to His Lordship our prayers are but like drops of water that drip to the floor and are wiped up to be thrown away.
Christian are you addressing God with your prayers in aw of who He is with thanksgiving no matter your lot in this life, accepting His daily provisions regardless if they be minimum for that day? Have you forgiven those who have wronged you as Christ Jesus has forgiven you? Are you praying for God to keep you from falling into sin for there is “no temptation has overtaken you except that which is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will make the way of escape, that you will be able to bear it.”
