“The power of prayer depends on the One who hears it, not the one who gives it.”
Sermon Title: WHY PRAY?
Scripture Text: LUKE 11:1-13
Sermon Series: HERE I STAND: BUILDING A STRONG FAITH
Sermon Notes:
LUKE 11:1-13 NIV
1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread.
4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’”
5 Then he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,
6 because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.’
7 Then the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’
8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man’s boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
9 So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
10 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
11 Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?
12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?
13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
“Almighty and everlasting God, You have sway everywhere, and all things serve the purpose of Your will, You hold the winds in Your fists and sit upon the water floods, and reigns as King forever. Command these winds and these waves that they obey You, and take us speedily and safely to the haven to which we would go.”
“So fully did he (Wesley) expect to be heard that he took it for granted that he was heard.”
LUKE 11:1-4 NIV
1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread.
4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’”
WHY PRAY?
I. We have a Father who listens
LUKE 11:2 NIV
2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.
MATTHEW 6:5-7 NIV
5 And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
“The power of prayer depends on the One who hears the prayer, not the one who is giving it.”
II. Our Father wants us to ask
LUKE 11:2-3 NIV
2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread.
LUKE 11:2-3 NIV
2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread.
“Daily bread represents our daily dependence on God.”
EXODUS 16:16-18 NIV
16 This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Each one is to gather as much as he needs. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.’”
17 The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little.
18 And when they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little. Each one gathered as much as he needed.
PROVERBS 10:22 NIV
22 The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it.
JAMES 4:13-14 NIV
13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
PROVERBS 30:8-9 NIV
8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.
9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?” Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.
LUKE 11:5-9 NIV
5 Then he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6 because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.’ 7 Then the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man’s boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs. 9 So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
“We are to do, but we are also to ask.”
LUKE 11:11-13 NIV
11 Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?
12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?
13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Before Amen: The Power Of A Simple Prayer
(Max Lucado)
“That’s when I began to learn not to pray about my strategies, but to make prayer the strategy.” — Greg Pruett, President of Pioneer Bible Translators
“The bold strategy is to make prayer the strategy.”
“The power of prayer depends on the One who hears the prayer, not the one who is giving it.”