In the New Testament, the Lord's Prayer is found in only two locations. In today's Gospel reading, we see a distinct subject about prayer that Jesus tells us to follow. And although our time today will not allow us a full spectrum into prayer, we will discover that prayer delivers hope. In the two model prayers, Matthew being the most popular, we find the prayer in Luke appears to be missing content in comparison to Matthew’s gospel. But what I want you to see and understand today is what Jesus proclaims as essential with the prayer. Let us read Luke 11:1. “It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, when He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.” A disciple, known to Jesus, asked for help in prayer. This begs the question for all of us. Do you struggle with prayer? Do you ask God for help with prayer? Just as the disciple did, we too are to ask God for help, not just in prayer but in all things. Do you realize it’s not the fluent words and phrases in prayer but the cries from a burdened heart that God acknowledges. In this passage, Jesus, being the most compassionate person the disciples ever knew, fulfilled the disciples' request by starting in verse 2. 2 And 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 And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation.’”
And then, notice Jesus stopped! Luke's chapter 11 version is shorter while being given in response to a desire or question from a believer. God answered the prayer of a believer.
Pastor Andrew Wilson wrote an article in 2016 which is very fitting for the point of Luke’s Gospel. “A few years ago, my wife and I traveled to New Zealand, and while the flight started well, it nearly ended drastically, or so we thought—violent winds and turbulence caused almost everyone on the plane to cry out to God. After landing safely, the strangers waited at the baggage claim, looking rather awkward towards one another, who knew what they had all just experienced, not necessarily the flight, but what their cries had been out loud on the plane. As I reflect upon that day, I recall hearing the most common petition I heard was some variant of “Deliver us from evil.” “Help!” “Save us!” and “Oh, God, please don’t let me die!” “Forgive us our sins”, “I’m sorry”. People want to be at peace with God when they die. So, after crying out for rescue, they apologized as they prepared to meet their Maker. “
Just think, my friends, all the sorrow, guilt, and regret have been on their minds all this time, and then reality set in that not even time, money, health, job, situation, or any other factor can shield us from potentially meeting God, even when we are not ready. Look at Abraham asking or bidding with God to save those people of Sodom and Gomorrah. Notice where he acknowledged God as being sovereign and just, while also realizing sin is to be dealt with regardless of who is affected. It is proven that when left at our own devices, we pray as God tells us to, but we tend to pray the Lord’s prayer backwards. We claim to come first, not God! We instinctively say 'Help,' then 'Sorry,' and then 'Please do X for me,' and then 'Please do Y for others.' And then we begin to appreciate more fully the One to whom we are praying—not just as the One who dispenses safety, redemption, and material goods, but for his own sake. We eventually thank God by giving Him honor and Glory; however, Jesus tells us it’s the first thing we need to do. Matthew 6, Our Father, who are in Heaven, hallowed by your name, your kingdom come, you will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Luke 11, Father hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Then, following it, we ask for what is requested. The primary point I want to emphasize is that to pray to God correctly, we must first acknowledge Him for who He is and what He deserves. This does not mean that if we pray incorrectly, our prayers will be ignored. Listen to James 4:3, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, so that you may spend what you request on your pleasures.” It’s not about our immediate pleasures! Psalm 100 tells us “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.' Isaiah 29:13 'The Lord says: These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.' God will NOT BE MOCKED!
The second point Jesus is declaring. It’s our persistence in coming to God in prayer. It’s not optional! Jesus tells us a parable that is fitting to the point, starting in verse 5. In paraphrasing, a man goes to his friend's house at midnight, asking for bread to feed a guest. Though the friend is reluctant at first because it's late and inconvenient, he eventually gives in—not because of friendship, but because of the man's persistence. What Jesus is telling us is that we must pray with bold persistence. We don’t give up! So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, it will be opened. and whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Believe my friends, as prayer is real, prayer works, and prayer is required. James 1:6 'But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.' Hebrews 4:16 'Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.'
Martin Luther in 15th century quoted, Pray, and let God worry! To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing. Corrie ten Boom quoted Don’t pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it.
In closing, I want to emphasize the importance of not only the Lord’s Prayer but also the manner in which we pray and the persistence required to maintain it. There's no mistake; when we pray, the first thing we should do is acknowledge that the eternal God of all creation is listening. Second, give God first all honor, glory, majesty, and thanksgiving that is due to him. Third, pray simple. There is no scriptural account or requirement that our prayers must be 300 words long for God to hear them. We are not shown where Jesus taught disciples to preach, but we are told Jesus taught to pray. Think on that. Fourth, in your prayers, you can read scripture or recite it. This is important to understand because, as Jesus relinquished the temptations of Satan, it was all done by way of scripture, not getting down on His knees to pray. Fifth, remember what you prayed for. Keep a journal, write it down, whatever it takes. Sixth, shut up, and listen to the Holy Spirit. When our minds are busy and our lives are in turmoil, we often cannot hear God because our minds are preoccupied with other things. Ask God in your prayer to quiet your heart and mind so that you can listen. Seventh, pray with the expectation that God will answer. Last but not least, be persistent! Don’t quit! I will leave you with Rev. D. L. Moody’s words of wisdom. Persistent prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance, but laying hold of His willingness. He warned that the real danger is not unanswered prayer, but unoffered prayer. His message was clear—don't give up. Keep praying, because God hears every cry. Amen.