Luke 11:1-13

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.”

He said to them, “When you pray, say:

“‘Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.’”

Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.

“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. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 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!”


Jesus' disciples knew there was something different about the way he prayed. John, as well as the Pharisees, taught their disciples how to pray. Jesus' followers wanted to learn the discipline as well.

Jesus provides them with a model prayer. He begins by giving glory and honor to the Father. He prays that God's name be hallowed - sanctified and made holy. Of course his name is holy whether we pray or not, be we pray that his name will be treated as holy. We pray that people will believe God and with peaceful confidence trust what he says. We pray that we will keep his commandments with reverence and respect. “The most significant reason to pray is to ask God to glorify himself” (Piper).

His first request is that God's kingdom would be known on the earth.The kingdom of God was both a present spiritual reality beginning with the incarnation of Jesus and a future event which will be ushered in at his second coming. Secondly he requests the meeting of daily needs. He follows by requesting that sins be forgiven, since obviously we forgive those who sin against us (ahem). Yes, we are to forgive everyone, even those who don't ask or don't deserve forgiveness. “We are not bound to trust an enemy; but we are bound to forgive him” (Thomas Fuller).  He closes with a plea that we not be led into temptation. This is a great model to follow in our own prayer life, without becoming caught up in rote prayer or legalistic praying.

In true Jesus form, he follows with a parable. The man in bed in the first parable would not want to get up, have to resecure his door, and wake his children in the process of getting bread for his neighbor. As the mother of small children, I understand him perfectly! I am such a "don't answer the door" kind of girl that I have trained my children to hide when the doorbell rings. (Call first, friends.) But when the neighbor in need refuses to give up, of course the sleeping family is awakened and the need is met by the grumpy neighbor.

The message here is that we should approach God with shameless audacity, believing that our needs will be met. Through the Holy Spirit and the blood of Christ, we are able to approach the very throne of God with our needs and desires. We ask with the firm belief that he will answer and the knowledge that he does hear. We are to continue praying until either our prayer is answered or God tells us to stop. Keep asking! Keep seeking! Keep knocking! Just no sane earthly father would give his hungry child a meal of snakes and scorpions, our heavenly Father will give us what we need. (Sometimes he says no, because we are asking for snakes and scorpions!) And what do we need? An outpouring of the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit will guide us as we pray, show us when our prayers are selfish, reveal when God's answer is no, and help us persist in prayer. In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words (Rom 8:26).

God isn't Santa Claus. No matter how high your name is on the “good list", you won't get whatever you request. Even if you beg. Even if you whine. Invoking the name of Jesus is not the same as rubbing the genie's lamp. But when we ask, seek, and knock he will care for us. We do not pray to get God on our side; we pray because he is already on our side and has a plan for our lives.

Yes, we will go through trials. Yes, many true believers are hungry, sick, and dying. Yes, life can seem unfair as the sun and rain fall equally on the just and unjust. But God provides the Holy Spirit to all who call on his name. The Holy Spirit will lead us in paths of righteousness, comfort us in trouble, and give us indescribable peace in storm or fair weather. He will give us the words of God to speak in any situation and hold our tongues silent when our mouths should stay shut. “We look to God, not as our enemy or as a frustrated father who can never be pleased, but as our Father who is 100% for us because of Christ alone. Therefore, we trust him, that because of Christ (his death and righteousness), he will give us the Spirit—and everything else we need. That is how we pray ‘in the Spirit.’ That is what it means to be gospel-sustained. That is gospel-praying” (Piper).

"Father, we long to see you honored more and more in our church and our city. Cause your name to be hallowed among us. Magnify your worth and your glory in our midst. And let your kingdom come. Take up your kingly rule more and more fully over our church and our lives and our families and our city. And hasten the day of Christ's final appearing. Meet our physical needs we pray, so that we can press on with joy in the work you call us to for your name's sake. Forgive us, O Lord, where we have sinned and fallen short of your glory. And keep us from entangling temptations that will trip us up and bring reproach upon your name. Through Jesus Christ we pray. Amen."  - John Piper, paraphrase of the model prayer

Luke 4:38-44

And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon's house. Now Simon's mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf.  And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them.

Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.

And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.


After leaving the synagogue, Jesus walks to Simon's house and dismisses his mother-in-law's fever with a simple command. I love how she hops right up to serve the people in the house. I can imagine any southern woman reacting the same way, "Oh thank you Jesus! Can I get you some sweet tea? A piece of cake?" No mention is made of the fact that Jesus is healing on the Sabbath, thereby "working" and "breaking the Sabbath". At this point people still seem excited and amazed by his miracles.

As the sun set and the Sabbath ended, devout Jews were free to walk any distance and bring their sick to see this miracle worker. He took time to heal each one of them. The demons had good theology, but they did not respect the title "Son of God". So each time Jesus rebuked them, not needing their witness. Their truth was a crooked truth, meant to shortcut Christ's winding path to Calvary. Jesus did not need vast crowds of revolution seekers, he desired only those who truly were willing to follow at any cost.

In spending time alone in prayer, Jesus models true ministry for his followers. Ministry, no matter how spectacular or effective, is not a true ministry of God if it is not steeped in prayer and led by the Holy Spirit. In choosing to limit himself to human form, Jesus needed time to "recharge his spiritual batteries" throughout his ministry. This is especially seen before or after spiritual battles, large volumes of healing, or times of extended teaching. The crowds driven by their own needs will have no time for solitude and prayer. Nevertheless we must take time from simply "doing good" to spend time personally seeking the face of God.

Although the people in Capernaum begged Jesus to stay and minister there, he was led away by the Holy Spirit. Clamouring crowds, acclimation, and vast needs were not his driving forces. Not content to minister comfortably in Galilee, Jesus followed the Spirit's leading and ministered throughout Judea. We must likewise be open to stay or go as the Lord commands, daily seeking his will for our lives.

You see, Jesus isn’t simply another preacher delivering a sermon, Jesus is the sermon—God’s Word with authority and power in human flesh. He is God’s sermon to the world. He was sent to preach the Good News. It’s the good news that you are pardoned, that your death sentence has been lifted forever. It is good news that gives sight to the blind, that opens the ears of the deaf, that causes the mute to shout out with praise and thanksgiving. It is good news that finds its fulfillment in your hearing, when you hear that God is at peace with you for Jesus’ sake, that your sins are forgiven by His blood, that you are free.   - Robert E. Moeller, Jr.

Luke 4:1-13

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry. And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”

And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’”

And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; for it is written,

‘He will command His angels concerning You to guard You,’

   and,

‘On their hands they will bear You up,
So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’”

And Jesus answered and said to him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.


Luke continues to paint a picture of Jesus' obedience. After humbling himself in the form of baptism, he is led into the wilderness for forty days of fasting, prayer, and temptation.  In the barren land populated only by the occasional robber or revolutionary, Jesus forgoes food, family, and friends to follow the Spirit's leading. With no physical resources, Jesus must rely on spiritual strength to combat Satan himself.

The first test was to fulfill his hunger. Surely the Son of God has a right to be well fed rather than starve. But Jesus answers that there are needs more substantial than bread, and God would supply what he really needed.

It is more amazing to me that Jesus did not turn the stones to bread than that he could. Growing up in a mainline Christian denomination I learned almost nothing about fasting. Fasting was giving up chocolate for Lent or fasting for the 30 hour famine to raise money for World hunger. The closest I came to fasting was an attempt to give up Mtn. Dew for 40 days as part of a youth group event, and I'm pretty sure I cheated a bit. In Jewish culture it was expected that there would be times of individual fasting as well as days of corporate fasting (the Day of Atonement prescribed in Leviticus as well as other days developed by Israel). It seems we kept the tradition of feasting but lost the discipline of fasting. In the past year I have attempted to learn to fast. At times I am successful, but at times I give up and eat dinner with everyone. It would be easier if fasting was a cultural occurrence and something learned from childhood, but we are still instructed in the New Testament to fast.

Fasting and prayer both take spiritual discipline. They focus us on God and open us to receive his blessings and instructions. Becoming more disciplined would obviously make a positive difference in our own lives. But it is a mystery how the spiritual discipline of believers affects things in the spiritual realm. Somehow our prayers help in the battle against unseen powers and principalities. And something about fasting along with praying can increase this.

The second test was to build his kingdom quickly - worship Satan and receive all the kingdoms of the world.This seems startling since God owns everything. But Satan has been given temporary power over the kingdoms of the world. The powers of darkness still push a "get rich quick" ethic in today's world. Cheating, lying, whatever it takes to get ahead is often encouraged instead of hard work and honesty that may or may not pay off. For Jesus, following God's way led to suffering, scorn, and eventually the cross. For you it may lead to suffering and scorn as well. Are you willing to do things God's way whether life brings feast or famine? One moment of worship for a lifetime of worldly power would seem a good trade off to many. Just think of all the good you could do if you were in control of everything! But one moment of worship would reveal something deeper - a hunger for personal power and self interest rather than reliance on God and his ultimate plan.

The third test was one to receive recognition. If Jesus hopped off the highest pinnacle of the temple in temple and floated to the ground with the help of angels, everyone would want to be in his fan club. It makes great marketing sense. But it wasn't God's way, and Jesus wanted true followers willing to follow him through suffering as well as easy times. Today Christians may rely on slick marketing campaigns to try to reach the masses, but the best evangelism may be living your life for God through thick and thin as you relate and share the gospel with those around you.

It is important to note that Satan quoted Scripture in this debate with Jesus. He is able to twist God's own words to serve his purposes. But Jesus has studied, memorized, and understood Scripture so that he was prepared when the battle came. Satan can prooftext, but Jesus knew the context. We cannot wait until we are in a time of trial to seek God's word on the subject. It is far better to spend time daily in God's Word to strengthen us today and prepare us for the future.

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. - 1 Corinthians 10:13

Ephesians 6:18

With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,

Pray without ceasing! No matter how strong the armor, our defenses our down without the power of prayer. No matter how fierce or calm the invisible battle seems, we are to be in constant communication with the Commander. Prayer gives us strength to continue and direction in how we are to fight. Without prayer and the direction of the Lord we will simply swing our swords around until we faint from fatigue.

John MacArthur defines prayer as “the soul of man moving in the presence of God.” We pray not merely for physical deliverance, but that the saints would persevere, the lost would be found, and those in spiritual bondage would be redeemed. Prayer is a spiritual discipline, and the more attuned we are to God the more natural prayer becomes. Every situation we encounter should cause us to either glorify and praise God, intercede for those in spiritual and physical need, or fervently confess sins revealed in our own lives. And when we do not have words we feel the Spirit groaning within us in communion with the Father. Prayer changes our hearts and helps us focus on the will of the Father and the kingdom of heaven. As the song says, “The things of this earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace.”

1 John 5:16-17

If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death.

John has just assured his readers that God hears prayer and now gives a specific place when prayer may be employed, in rescuing a brother from sin.  But what is a sin leading to death?

This is one of those passages that leaves commentators at odds. Opinions of what the “sin leading to death” is abound: blaspheming the Holy Spirit, any enormous sin (murder, idolatry, adultery), a sin punishable by death under Old Testament laws, a sin that required excommunication from the synagogue or the church, sins which brought fatal disease upon the offender, etc.

The Greek (ἁμαρτία πρὸς θάνατον) could be translated a sin which "tends" to death – a sin which would "terminate" in death or which carried the death penalty. The phrase could refer to a literal death of the body, spiritual death (e.g. dead in transgressions and sins Eph. 2:1), or eternal death in Hell. There could be an allusion to Jewish law where there was "a sin unto death" (חטאה למיתה) and "a sin not unto death" (חטאה לא למיתה). A sin unto death would be one to which the law prescribed the death penalty.

Of course the wages of even the smallest sin is eternal death, and no amount of good works or intercessory prayer will pay the debt. Only through the blood of Jesus and the grace of God are we forgiven for any sin, whether murder or stealing a pen from the bank.

One clue to understanding the passage may be found in the Greek. The Greek for "pray" signifies a request of an equal. And a Christian intercessor should not the authority in requesting forgiveness for a sinner who has sinned. The Greek word for "ask" implies the humble petition of an inferior. "Asking" for a brother sinning not unto death is a humble petition in consonance with God's will. To "request" for a sin unto death as if we were more merciful than God would be presumption.

I personally feel that the verse could indicate that we cannot pray someone into salvation, although we of course could pray that they come to saving faith. In Jesus’ high priestly prayer (Matthew 17) he interceded not for those in the world who refused to believe, but for those given to Him out of the world.It is our duty to pray for those who sin and to seek the salvation of believers who go astray, and in my opinion it is better to err in praying for all who are walking in sin rather than try to categorize what the sin leading to death may be.

Matthew Henry’s commentary puts it thusly - "We cannot pray that the sins of the impenitent and unbelieving should, while they are such, be forgiven them; or that mercy, which supposes the forgiveness of sins, should be granted to them, while they willfully continue such. But we may pray for their repentance, for their being enriched with faith in Christ, and thereupon for all other saving mercies. We should pray for others, as well as for ourselves, beseeching the Lord to pardon and recover the fallen, as well as to relieve the tempted and afflicted. And let us be truly thankful that no sin, of which any one truly repents, is unto death."

1 John 5:13-15

1 John 5:13-15 (NASB) - These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.

John circles back to the topic of assurance of salvation. Our task as believers is not only to believe and evangelize others into a saving faith, but to help each other grow and persevere in faith. Our human nature can be prone to drift toward unbelief, distracted by the world and drawn into sin. It is not less important to keep the soul, than it is to "convert" it. Previously John gave tests such as faith in Jesus, love for God, and love toward others to confirm true Christianity.

"Confidence" (Παρῥησια) means boldness (liberty and access of speech). We take for granted how amazing it is that we can even approach God with any request. Imagine if I decided to ask the president to forgive my federal student loans and tried to walk over to see him in the Oval Office. Not only would I still have my debt, I would probably do some jail time! Yet we often approach God flippantly.

God will answer our prayers according to His will, and we should not to wish to receive anything contrary to what he judges best. We know from Scripture that certain things will always be granted if sought in a proper manner: forgiveness of sin, sanctification of our souls, comfort in trials, the fruit of the Spirit, wisdom in all situations, and eternal life. We are not always the best judges of what would be best for us. Though we may not immediately “see” that the prayer is answered we can be assured that it was not disregarded.

We can know the will of God often through looking at our life and desires through the lens of Scripture. It may also take spiritual maturity and discernment. Often it takes hindsight to understand why a situation was a certain way, and even then we will not understand everything this side of heaven.  We should view prayer as a way not to get what we want, but what God wants. Prayer is a way to change our hearts into images of His.