TITLE: Knocking on the Door at Midnight
TEXT: Luke 11:5-13
INTRO: Tonight, we will look at another text found only in Luke. It follows the Lord's Prayer (Luk 11:1-4) which included:
GOD'S PRAISE - "Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name."
GOD'S PREEMINENCE - "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth."
GOD'S PROVISION - "Give us day by day our daily bread."
GOD'S PARDON - "And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us."
GOD'S PATHWAY - "And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil."
Jesus continued teaching on prayer by using a parable
I. PARABLE OF THE FRIEND AT MIDNIGHT (v.5-7)
A. The Friend
1. Referred to in many chapter headings as the
Importunate Friend. Importunate means someone who
begs for something, urgently and persistently
2. A traveler has arrived after along journey and the friend
is out of groceries
3. The householder has already gone to bed & refuses at
first
B. The Friend Won't Give Up
1. Hospitality was important to people in that land & it
would be wrong to let his visitor go to bed hungry
2. He continues to beg because he believes his friend
won't let him down
3. Finally he gets what he needs because he was
persistent in asking
II. THE TEACHING ABOUT PRAYER (v.8-10)
A. The Importance of Intercessory Prayer
1. Someone wrote, "Intercession is warfare - the key to
God's battle plan for our lives. But the battleground is
not of this earth.
(Eph 6:12) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
2. The Importunate Friend was pleading on behalf of
another friend
3. We have the privilege of being able to intercede on
behalf of others
(Col 1:9) For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding
B. Persistence in Prayer Pays Off
1. (E.M. Bounds) “Importunate prayer never faints nor grows weary; it is never discouraged; it never yields to cowardice, but is buoyed up and sustained by a hope that knows no despair, and a faith which will not let go."
2. Why does God want us to be persistent in our praying?
-It may involve a period of testing
-It may be because of the timing
(1Th 5:17) Pray without ceasing.
C. The Pattern
1. ASK is the present active tense meaning “continually
asking”
2. SEEK is continually and fervently seeking
3. KNOCK means knocking on the doors of promise until
they are opened
III. THE PROMISE OF PRAYER (v.13)
A. Prayer Changes Things and Changes Us
1. God has granted us access to tell him all about our
troubles
2. We know God is in the business of meeting our
needs.
B. If We Know Him, God is Our Heavenly Father
1. Jesus told us to pray, "Our Father which art in
Heaven" (v.2)
2. He has promised to answer our prayers
(Jer 33:3) Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and
shew thee great and mighty things, which thou
knowest not.
3. He gives us what we need
(Php 4:19) But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
CONCL: Someone referred to persistent prayer as PUSH,
Pray Until Something Happens
Intercessory prayer takes place in this spiritual world where the battles for our own lives, our families, our friends and our nation are won or lost
Benediction: "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end." Amen. (Eph 3:21)
