Pattern of Prayer
¶ "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.' (Luke 11:1, NIV) How did Jesus respond? Read Luke 11:2-4.

1. What can we learn from the order and content of this prayer?

* Address: "Father" (11:2a)
Jesus told his followers to address God as "Father," expressing the intimate, personal relationship between the believer and God. Who can address God in this way?

¶ "to all who received [Jesus Christ], to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12, NIV).

* Two Statements (11:2b)
Before asking God to give us things, the pattern prayer makes these statements:

§ "hallowed be your name,

§ "your kingdom come"

These statements concern God's glory in relation to his name, rule, and will.

"Prayer is a mighty instrument, not for getting man's will done in heaven, but for getting God's will done on earth" (Robert Law)

* Three Requests (11:3-4)
The pattern prayer then states the following requests:

§ "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."

These requests recognize our need of God's forgiveness; and recognize our total dependence on Him for our physical and spiritual needs.

Parable of Prayer
* Then Jesus told them a short parable to teach them about prayer. Read Luke 11:5-8.

* There are different interpretations of this parable, largely depending on the meaning of the word anaideian, translated either "boldness" (NIV), "persistence" (NASB, NKJV), or "impudence" (ESV). Many agree that this parable is a "how much more" argument. However, is anaideian used positively or negatively? Depending on the answer, the point may be either…

§ If an irritated person will get up in the middle of the night in response to a friend's boldness in asking, how much more will a gracious God respond to your boldness in asking?

§ If an irritated person will get up in the middle of the night to grant the request even of a shameless (rude) friend, how much more will God respond to your requests?

Promise of Prayer

2. Read Luke 11:9-13. Jesus says if we "ask, seek, and knock," we will "receive" and "find," and "the door will be opened." This may sound like an easy way to get what we want. However, what are the conditions for answered prayer? (Consider the verses below.)

¶ "You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures" (James 4:2b-3, NIV).

¶ "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him" (1 John 5:14-15, NIV).

3. How does the example of earthly parents (in verses 11-13) relate to, and illustrate, the goodness of God?

Reflection/Application
† What do you want from God? What do you need? If you are not a believer, pray "seeker's prayers." Ask God to reveal his Truth to you. Seek the Truth and be willing to respond.

† As a believer, are you regularly talking to your Father? Set aside time each day for focused prayer, and pray often during the day. Use the "pattern of prayer" to help guide your praying.