Getting Prayer Right Part 1

Reason for us. Jesus phone her Jesus left us a pattern for prayer. We when the disciples asked him to teach them how to break as they sought him great his answer was the famous Lord's prayer. No, we can learn as the Moody Church in Chicago this with Dr. Sir teaching helps us make it across the elixir, wherein the parables of Jesus and today our focus will be on Luke chapter 11 yes David's not only among the Lord's prayer that all of us with actually a parable that grows out of the Lord's prayer. I need to tell you it's not an easy parable to interpret but nonetheless Jesus put it there to remind us of the need of persistent prayer about two days ago my wife and I were out with a couple who are praying for their children and their children have not yet turned to the Lord, but they are persistent in their prayers and I believe that God will eventually answer because he answers persistent prayers.

Let me ask you something when you contribute to the ministry of running to win and help us get the gospel of Jesus Christ in more than 20 different countries in three different languages while right now we have a matching gift challenge some of our sponsors have said that they are willing to match any gift given up to $90,000. That means five dollars becomes tan all the way along the line, would you consider that here is what you do go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. Now let us listen to the prayer of Jesus as he teaches us to pray and to pray with persistence. I have a friend who says that for many people. Prayer is something like an oxygen mask on a plane you're glad that it's there, but are thankful that you've never had to use it but in the case of an emergency, you hope you'd be able to know how to set we've all heard flight attendants give us the specifics as to how it can be put over our faces and take care of your child first. But in all the times I have flown hundreds of thousands of miles. We have never needed an oxygen mask one time in Russia.

The oxygen masks did fall but that was equipment failure. We did need is that the way in which you view prayer.

I have an ambitious goal today and that is to transform forever your understanding of where so that you will not see it as an oxygen mask, but something without which you cannot live so that you begin to relate to God differently because you understand God differently so matter-of-fact you cannot really understand prayer unless you properly understand God and most of our hangups about prayer are as a result of the fact that we do not properly understand the Lord our God and what he's up to. For example, if you believe in need based prayer that the idea of prayer is to get something from God.

I can tell you two things about you. First of all, when you don't have any need for that oxygen mask you're going to think it's because of the strength of your own right-hander simply because you have it coming to you or something that you can assume and then if you don't get what you want from God. You will become bitter and angry, you will say like one man did to me. God is not worth a plug nickel to me. He said after his child died.

If you look at prayer. That way, as needed, based you will eventually give up on God.

Give up on prayer and go your own way, probably with a tinge of bitterness over to solve all that today.

Hopefully were going to help us look at prayer so differently and for that I want you to take your Bibles. This is a series of messages entitled, you can't redo life how the parables help us to get it right the first time.

If you are not here last time to hear the message on getting conversion right the sower and the seed may I encourage you to listen to that message because all of these hang together and the implications are overwhelming. But today is the 11th chapter of Luke Luke chapter 11 where were going to speak about prayer and then were going to wind it up and help us to understand how prayer should be thought of and the difference that it will make in our lives. Jesus said, is there with the disciples and they say in Luke chapter 11.

That's page 869. If you have a Bible that is there in the seat in front of you. Jesus was praying in a certain place and when he finished, one of the disciples said, Lord, teach us to pray that interesting. They didn't say Lord, teach us to be successful. Lord teaches how we might better relate to one another, all of which may be has it's important times, but teach us to pray, are you here today willing to learn to pray from Jesus. That's the agenda. Now notice.

First of all, as Jesus introduces this model prayer, sometimes called the Lord's prayer, but really Jesus could not have prayed this prayer because it involves the forgiveness of sins.

But as we look at this model prayer I Jesus begins by saying father how it would be thy name. I need to tell you that there are different versions of the Lord's prayer in the Gospels and the reason for this is Jesus probably gave this instruction many times nobody was there with a recorder. Nobody was writing it down immediately and the disciples were learning all these things. So Jesus undoubtedly went over them so some of the versions have the Lord's prayer in different language or it may even add a phrase or subtract the phrase as the case may be, but the essence is the same Jesus said them.

Father how low would be your name. First of all, in terms of characteristics of prayer.

Prayer is always relational is always relational father in heaven, hallowed be thy name has to do with the fatherhood of God and noticed that our first concern is for what it's for the father.

The father's glory, the fame of the father's name throughout the whole world.

How low would be thy name. One of the reasons that we do evangelism is because we want more tongues, giving glory to God.

We want to honor God, then we want to see him honored in more lives and so we speak here about the father's glory, the father's faithfulness. Give us this day our daily bread. The father's mercy. Forgive us our trespasses, everything has to do with God because prayer ultimately is relational, it's our ability to relate to God as father, which didn't happen in the Old Testament, but Jesus gave us a brand-new intimacy with the father that others didn't experience as he said to Mary, I sent to my father and your father to my God and your God. Now the fact that we relate to God as father means that we have brothers and sisters in the family. You notice in this prayer that there is no such thing as a single pronoun that is to say a pronoun that is singular. Everything is plural. Our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Give us this day not give me, but give us this day our daily bread and forgive our debts and our trespasses always plural because the in in the New Testament the whole implication and teaching is that we live the Christian life in community.

We are in contact with our brothers and in contact with our sisters and so we come unitedly we come with needs that are united at the foot of the cross and sometimes we pray individually but we also pray collectively. That's why it is so important that we learn to do that. So first of all, prayer is relationship. Secondly prayer yields to the will of God. Now you'll notice that Jesus said. For example, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come. Other versions of the prayers say, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven is prayer easy or is it work. Have you ever heard people say you know prayers hard-working you say, not for me. I mean I come before God. I lay out all of my requests were is the work when we come before God the work and the agony. Sometimes you hear people talking about wrestling with God.

Some of you maybe have never wrestled with God. It is not so much that we are getting God to do our will, but it is submission to his will and sometimes that is very difficult to do the best illustration of courses Jesus in Gethsemane.

Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me but nevertheless, not as I will but as thou we look at Jesus wrestling with God and all the people who have accomplished something for God. All of those who have come to know God will wrestle with God at some point in the yielded if your prayer does not lead to yielded nests before God. If it is not have that component.

You haven't really prayed as will become clear in a moment then. Now there's another characteristic and that is persistence in prayer and here we get to the parable. Now the parable that is often been misunderstood and with God's help, we hope it will clarify what Jesus was. After he said to them out which of you has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, friend, lend me three loaves for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey and I've nothing to set before him and he will answer from within. Do not bother me. The door is now shut my children are in bed. I can't get up and give you anything Jesus did I tell you that we will not get up and give them anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence, he will rise and give him whatever he needs. That's a word by the way were going to have to comment on and I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you seek and you will find knock and it will be open to you.

For everyone who asks receives the one who seeks finds the one who knocks it will be opened just that far. We don't understand this unless we understand the least hospitality in those days.

If a friend came to visit you and you didn't have anything to give him that was you huge social injustice. Hospitality was critical. So here's a man and a friend comes on a long journey and he doesn't know that the friend is coming. No emails no fax machines, no cell phones.

The man arrives at midnight because he was delayed somewhere and ease. He comes to his friend and says that I'm here to spend the night.

By the way, and the friend says you're welcome but that's friend has no bread to give him so he gets up and he goes to his friend's house because he knows that even though he doesn't have any bread. His friend is the kind of family that always has some left over because they have quite a few children and they usually make more bread than they need any goes to him and and begins to knock on his door and saying I know it's mid night but but I need some bread for a friend has come.

Now nobody goes to a friend's home at midnight unless the reason for doing that is very critical.

This is huge. I need something to give my friend and now the question is the man is in bed and you need to understand that in those days.

Many homes were one room.

There was sort of a platform, a secondary platform on which, sometimes, there was a stove and sometimes the parents leapt up there and the kids downstairs so now it's midnight and all the kids are sleeping and everybody in the home is asleep and so the man thinks to himself. I mean how impertinent to be knocking at this hour. But Jesus said that even though he will not get up and they give it to him because of his friend. He will because of it is impudence. What does that word you know it is a puzzling word because this is the only place I believe in the New Testament where it occurs. Some people translated boldness audacity persistence another word, though it's translated by his shamelessness.

Now follow this just for a moment if the word is shamelessness.

It may refer to the man who is in bed. What Jesus is saying even though he doesn't want to stand up and give them the food because their friends. He will because he doesn't want to be ashamed. The next day because word was with spread.

I asked a man at midnight for bread, and he wouldn't get up and give it to me even though he had some bread that would be bad either way. The emphasis in this passage has to do with persistence and if we don't notice that Jesus clarifies. He says because of this, verse nine.

I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you seek and you will find knock and it will be opened unto you.

For everyone who asks receives the ones who seeks finds the one who knocks it will be open. Then Jesus goes on and says that what father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent or if he asks for in a will he give him a scorpion. I'm told that when scorpions curled themselves up. They sometimes look like an egg and sometimes a fish looks like a serpent. Jesus is saying this would be really mean.

You know the child asks for a fish and you give him a snake and he asks for an egg and you give them a scorpion.

Jesus said them. No father would do that. No father in his right mind would do that. But then Jesus said in verse 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 what I'd like to do now is to give you three transforming lessons as we unpack this parable and give it more clarity and I hope that as a result of what I'm going to say you will be anxious to leave here and I have an experience with the Lord.

Maybe tonight maybe tomorrow morning and it will change your prayer life forever. I don't think that in this passage. The idea is that Jesus is comparing God to the man who was asleep at midnight and was rudely awakened. God is the kind of person who will Lord your ear sleeping and I have to catch a plane at O'Hare early okay if I wake you up so that I can talk with you because you are you or are you still tired, Lord.

The idea is not comparison between God and these people who are involved in the parable. The idea is not at all comparison. It is actually contrast. Contrast. Let's keep that in mind and see how this changes our idea of prayer. First of all, you notice that Jesus goes from friendship to son ship.

If a friend is willing to give you some bread at midnight. What about a son and a father.

The father is willing to give him good gifts then what about your heavenly father because you are sons and daughters and that's a game changer.

It changes the relationship instantly. It is now a relational idea. It's not just God, I'm coming to because I want you to do this. It is oh father, I love you and I love to be with you. I hope that God forgives us as grandparents for the lies that we tell about our grandchildren. I think he will. Let's take for example if I were vacuuming end and by the way, I often do the vacuuming in our home.

I thought I just mention that let that flowed out there and let it land wherever it's supposed to land right. Let's suppose I'm vacuuming and go to little Samuel is there, perhaps at the age of three, though, is much older now or ON when their three and say would you help pop a vacuum. They call me Papa.

Oh yeah, sure. So after they help Papa vacuum I say to Rebecca oh little: he really help Papa vacuum today helped are you kidding it took 15 minutes longer because he was helping me vacuum when we put up with that is because we love our children and our grandchildren and we're just delighted to see them even if they make more work for us. We just delighted that they show up, my friend, as a son and daughter of God. God is glad. If you just show this is pastor Luther. Interestingly, I have in my hands a letter from a grandfather who says that he has an autistic grandson and if I might summarize the grandfather says that his grandson is agitated until the radio was turned on and they hear the ministry of Moody Church media and when he hears that even though he is nonverbal.

He calms down and obviously experiences it with joy.

You know it's because of letters like that. We are so encouraged as a result of this ministry. When you consider helping us.

We are actually in the middle of a matching gift campaign that is to say some of our sponsors have said that they are willing to match gifts up to $90,000.

That means $20 becomes 4050 becomes 100, would you consider helping us here is what you do for more information, you can go to RTW offer.com. Of course RTW offer is all one word RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. We look to people just like you to help us because together we are making a difference whether your gift is small or large. It is very much appreciated. Go to RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 thanks for holding our hands together. Running to win.

It's time for you to ask Esther Linzer a question about the Bible or the Christian life balancing family and career can get tough, especially in today's economy. Rosalinda writes with today's dilemma. I'm a CPA and I have a two-year-old daughter.

My husband said that women in the Bible were also working mothers and so there's nothing wrong with me working outside the home. He says were spending quality time with our daughter, even if it's only a few hours a day. Unfortunately my heart does not agree with him but since I believe that he is the head of the family. He has the last word. I've been praying for more than a year now that if God wants me to quit, then he'll enlighten my husband's mind is my husband right Rosalinda, your heart, I believe is right. I know that this isn't very popular but the role of the mother is in the home, and I don't believe that it's possible to give our children the same kind of care when the mother works outside of the home.

I wish that your husband would see that particularly if you are a family that can make it economically on his paycheck alone. What we see in today's society. Frequently, especially single mothers, they have no option they have to work outside the home because they have to keep body and soul together.

They have rent to pay.

Enclosed by my heart goes out to them. I think it's very important for you to recognize that whoever babysits your daughter can never take your place and so whenever couples have an option. I encourage the woman to stay at home the mother to be there for her child, but you're also right in saying that your husband has the last word on this issue.

So I hope that you continue to think and to pray and to ask God to change his heart that he might see the bigger picture because I think your two-year-old daughter is the bigger picture, thanks for writing.

God bless you and I hope that you have a good day. Thank you Rosalinda. Thank you Dr. lutes are if you'd like to hear your question answered.

You can just go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click on ask Pastor lutes or or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to is running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago line 60614 in a parable on prayer Jesus contrasts two kinds of responses to a man expressing in the as a man's friend or as his son. Here we learn how anger God is answer his children's cries.

Next time I'm running to win more inspiring lessons on the subject for some is a mystery running to win is sponsored by the teacher