Luke 11:1-13

11:1 And it came about that while He was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John [the Baptist] also taught his disciples."

1. The disciples felt a great need for teaching on how Ato pray.@

2. We certainly have a great need for more instruction on prayer.

3. We often miss rich blessings because we do not know how to pray aright or we fail to be persistent in prayer.

Luke 11:2-4

1. This is a prayer intended for the disciples, not Jesus.

2. It is probably best named AThe Disciples Prayer@ since it was intended for them.

• Note the words AWhen you pray@ which supports the idea of AThe Disciples Prayer.@

• It is correct to call this prayer AThe Lord=s Prayer@ if one means by it that Jesus taught this prayer to His disciples, but not if it is meant Jesus prayed the prayer.

• Jesus could not prayer this prayer because He did not have sins. (Lk. 11:4; Jno. 8:46; Heb. 4:15).

 3. This prayer has been called the AModel Prayer@ which is an appropriate name for this prayer.

• It is not a model, however, in the sense that it was intended to be memorized, and repeated over and over.

• The way the petitions differ in Matthew=s and Luke=s account manifest Jesus did not intend this as a memorize prayer.

• Furthermore, the petition AThy kingdom come@ has already been fulfilled, and should not be prayed today.

3. This is not the same occasion as Matthew 6:9-13.

• The prayer in Matthew was given from a mountain where Jesus preached a sermon to the multitude. (Matt. 5:1).

• The occasion of the prayer recorded here in Luke=s gospel was prompted by the disciple=s request Awhile He was praying in a certain place.@

11:2 And He said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come.

1. We have the privilege and obligation to pray to God and called Him AFather.@

2. His name is to be Ahallowed@ (revered, hold in highest esteem). (Exod. 20:7).

3. God=s name must be venerated and treated as holy.

4. The kingdom had not come at that time, but has now come. (Mk. 9:1; Acts 1:6-8; 2:1-4; Col. 1:13; Rev. 1:9).

• The kingdom was established on the first Pentecost following the resurrection of Christ. (Acts 1,2).

• This was about 28 A.D. assuming Jesus was born about 5 B.C., or about 27 A.D. assuming Jesus was born in 6 B.C..

• Herod died in about 4 B.C. , and it appears that Jesus might have been as much as 2 years old.

 5. Some ancients authorities have AOur Father, which art in heaven.@ See Matthew 6:9

• The Ayou@ is plural in both Luke and Matthew.

• Note the use of Aus, our, us, we, us, us@ throughout this prayer.

• Matthew=s account has AOur Father who art in heaven.@

11:3 'Give us each day our daily bread.

1. All blessings are by the grace of God.

2. God intends for us to work (2 Thess. 3:10), but our blessings are not earned.

3. ADaily bread@ probably means bread we can eat tomorrow or bread for the present day.

11:4 'And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.' "

1. We must not forget to ask God=s forgiveness. (1 Jno. 1:8, 10).

2. We must be willing to forgive in order to be forgiven. (Matt. 6:14,15).

3. AAnd lead us not into temptation@ is a prayer for God to keep us from being overpowered by temptation.

• God does not tempt us to do evil. (Jas. 1:13).

• We should pray that God will not let us be overpowered by temptation. (1 Cor. 10:13).

• Matthew used Adebts@ which was a well-known metaphor among the Jews for sins. (Matt. 6:12).

• Many ancient authorities add Abut deliver us from the evil one or from evil.@ See Matthew 6:13.

11:5 And He said to them, "Suppose one of you shall have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight, and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves;

1. AThree loaves@ was simply the amount needed for a meal.

2. There is not any spiritual significance to Athree loaves.@

3. Night was a favorite time for many to travel in Bible lands due to the extreme heat during the daylight hours.

11:6 for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him ';

11:7 and from inside he shall answer and say, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you {anything.}'

1. The neighbor did not return the salutation AFriend@ (Lk. 11:5), indicating his aggravation.

2. All the family was sleeping (on mats) in the same room, and an attempt to open the bolted door would have awakened the whole family.

3. He did not intend to open the door and give the man the bread, but the borrower was so eager to get the loaves he did not care how much of a nuisance he made of himself by beating on the door.

11:8 "I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him {anything} because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

1. The word Aimportunity@ (KJV) means shameless Apersistence.@ NIV

2. The borrower get his loaves by his shameless persistence.

3. It is important that we be Aconstant in prayer.@ (Col. 4:2; Rom. 12:12; 1 Thess. 5:17).

• We should not be ashamed to approach God again and again with our needs.

• Our God is not asleep like Baal, but He is always listening. (1 Kgs. 8:26-69).

• Our God never sleeps. (Psa. 121:3,4).

• God=s answer may be Ano@ or Ano for now.@

• God will not answer our prayers until it is best for us.

• He will answer the prayer not in our way but in His way because He has something better in store for us.

• Persistent prayer must be in faith and absolutely sincere. (Jas. 1:5,6).

4. Prayer is not always answered instantaneously, but requires persistence.

• We have not because we ask not.

• We have not because we ask wickedly.

• We have not because we do not keep on asking, and give up because God does not answer our prayers within our time expectations.

• The Greek Aanaideian@ is best translated Apersistence.@ See Luke 18:1-8.

11:9 "And I say to you, ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.

1. We are to be persistent and keep on asking, seeking and knocking. See Matthew 7:7-11.

2. God will answer our prayers. (1 Jno. 5:14).

11:10 "For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it shall be opened.

11:11 "Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? See Matthew 7:7-11

1. The structure of the sentence anticipates a negative answer.

2. No one could imagine a father giving his son Aa snake@ instead of Aa fish.@ 

11:12 "Or {if} he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he?

11:13 "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall {your} heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"

1. The words Ahow much more shall {your} heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" are not explained.

• The best explanation is likely found by comparing this to Matthew=s account on praying.

• He used Agood gifts@ (blessings) which likely has the same meaning a AHoly Spirit@ here. (Matt. 7:11).

• God will richly bless those who ask, seek and knock in faith.

2. The Christian receives Athe gift of the Holy Spirit@ upon repentance and baptism. (Acts 2:38).

• The Holy Spirit dwells in the Christian. (1 Cor. 6:19,20; Acts 5:32; Rom. 8:9; Eph. 1:13,14).

• He dwells in us as a sign of our sonship. (Gal. 4:6; Eph. 1:13,14).