Lesson 133 - Senior
Memory Verse
Cross References
I The Disciple's Request
1. The constant prayer-life of Jesus was an incentive to His disciples to do likewise, [LUK:11:1]; [LUK:3:21]; [LUK:6:12]; [MAT:26:36-44].
2. One man requested that Jesus teach the disciples to pray as John had taught his disciples, [LUK:11:1]; [LUK:5:33]; [ROM:8:26-27].
II The Lord's Prayer
1. The Lord's prayer teaches the true relationship between God and the disciples of Christ: "Our Father," [LUK:11:2]; [MAT:6:9]; [ROM:8:14-16]; [ISA:63:16].
2. The prayer taught the disciples to reverence God, to submit to His rule and will, [LUK:11:2]; [MAT:6:9-10].
3. Dependence upon God for daily needs was clearly indicated, [LUK:11:3]; [MAT:6:11]; [EXO:16:15-22]; [ISA:33:16]; [JHN:6:27-33].
4. Forgiveness to others is shown to be necessary on the disciples' part, [LUK:11:4]; [MAT:6:12], [MAT:6:14-15]; [MAK:11:25-26].
5. Jesus pointed out the need for God's help in time of temptation, [LUK:11:4]; [LUK:22:46]; [MAT:6:13]; [JHN:17:15].
6. God's authority, power, and glory will be forever, [MAT:6:13]; [DAN:4:34]; [1TM:6:14-16].
III The Illustration of Prayer at Work
1. A friend was approached at midnight with a request for three loaves of bread, [LUK:11:5-6].
2. The answer came from within the friend's house: "Trouble me not . . . I cannot rise and give thee," [LUK:11:7].
3. The friend would not arise and give for friendship's sake, but because the man who sought help was persistent, he prevailed and received, [LUK:11:8]; [LUK:18:1-8]; [GEN:32:26-29].
4. Jesus said that those who seek heavenly gifts shall be rewarded likewise when they importune, [LUK:11:9-10]; [MAT:6:34].
5. The Father is willing to give the Holy Spirit to His children who ask, just as surely as men give good gifts to their children, [LUK:11:11-13]; [LUK:24:49]; [ACT:1:4-5]; [ACT:2:4].
Notes
"Teach us to pray." The request was made by one of Jesus' disciples that the Great Teacher might reveal the acceptable way to commune with God. Jesus often prayed and always emphasised the need of prayer on the part of His followers. The world in general, and many so-called Christians as well, do not recognise that need for prayer. Sin separates man from God; therefore it is not natural for the ordinary, worldly-minded, worldly-wise man to pray. Sinful man thinks he is ruler of his own destiny and needs no external help, but how quickly this attitude changes when the events of life pass beyond the sphere of man's control, and he flounders beyond the grip of himself or an understanding of the circumstances that surround him.
Reinstatement with God
"When thy judgements are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness" (Isaiah 26:9). With loving-kindness God at times will allow disaster to overtake men for the express purpose of teaching them righteousness. When the world treats a man ill, he will be more inclined to seek the way back to Father's house.
"Prayer is the key to the door of grace," the song says. Jesus said, "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved" (John 10:9). John the Baptist cried, "Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 3:2). The only way into the Kingdom of Heaven, then, is by the repentance route, through the door of grace that opens only to prayer.
Herein may the value of prayer be seen " it is the only way men can be re-instated into fellowship and favour with God.
The Supply Line
When a man is born from above, has the born-again experience in his heart, the life of the Son of God be-gins within him. Prayer and reading the Word of God are two things that will nourish that spiritual life. If a man wants the life of God within him to flourish, he must be diligent to observe these two privileges; the lack of either will cause that life to starve.
When Jesus said, "Men ought always to pray, and not to faint," He could see that lethargy and sin would be rampant in the world. "Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold" (Matthew 24:12). Jesus foreknew the day when people could too easily throw off the responsibilities of active service for God and real earnestness in prayer, faith, and consecration, and take on the spirit of careless indifference that would lead them to sure destruction if they persisted in that course. All who would keep in touch with God must pray, for when prayer ceases in the individual life, fainting in the spiritual sense ensues. Physical fainting is detrimental to physical progression; spiritual fainting causes greater damage to the soul's spiritual progression.
Prayer is the supply line to the soul's necessary daily supply of grace. It is the means by which men can keep in vital contact with God. It is the source of supply for oil to keep the lamp of God burning in our lives. (See [MAT:25:1-13].) Prayer is the thing that will get us ready and keep us ready for the coming of Jesus.
The Model Prayer
Jesus conceded immediately to the disciple's request and taught all Christian people how to pray. Let no one think, however, that Jesus would tie His disciples or Christians to the constant use of only this prayer. The Lord said, "After this manner therefore pray ye," not intending His prayer be made into a vain repetition. Let men rather draw near to the throne of heavenly grace with boldness, and let each tell his needs in the language which the Holy Spirit teaches.
"Our Father": Jesus taught that God is a tender and gracious Parent who knows the wants and listens to the prayers of His children. "Which art in heaven": He is infinitely superior to any father on the earth. "Hallowed by thy name": Jesus here emphasises the sacredness of God's name and the sanctity of the command, "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain" (Exodus 20:7).
"Thy kingdom come": That this petition may be truly offered, a man must absolutely submit to the Father, give his heart to God, and consequently be a true Christian. "Thy will be done": God's laws are to be obeyed, and His commandments are to be diligently observed. God's will also includes the design that His children should tell the Story of Redemption to others and pray for souls that they might be saved and brought into the Kingdom of God. "In earth, as it is in heaven": During the Millennial Reign, when Jesus sets up His throne and rules the earth in a thousand years of peace, God's will shall be known and performed by men just as perfectly as His will is known and performed in Heaven today. The sincere and true children of God will be granted the honour of reigning with Christ during that thousand years of peace on earth.
These three petitions of Christ's prayer comprise the things that need to be prayed for, apart from the individual's needs.
Requirements of Life
"Give us this day our daily bread": Includes all the needs of life. Supplying the needs one day at a time teaches the children to be absolutely dependent upon their heavenly Father. Recognition is here given of the soul's daily need for the Bread of Heaven as well as for temporal food. "And forgive us our debts": This portion of Christ's prayer does not give license to continuous or willful sin. The thought here expressed is that God would forgive His children any error of individual judgement, or infraction upon God's perfect law, or lack of conformity to His will, resulting from ignorance of that law or will. "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin" (James 4:17). Sin is not charged until the good is known, but when knowledge comes and the infraction continues, then willful sin is reckoned and the man is no longer the child of God. "As we forgive our debtors": If men expect God to forgive the trespasses they commit against Him, then they must be willing to forgive the trespasses committed against themselves by their fellow men.
"And lead us not into temptation": The prayer implored that God's children be not brought into trials that might endanger their souls. It is a prayer uttered in submission to whatever trials God permits, however, be-cause Jesus immediately added, "But deliver us from evil." In other words, if Thy children are led into temptations dangerous to the soul, grant the necessary strength to overcome and be victorious.
Under these three headings pertaining to earthly things can be seen all of the things that the individual needs to pray for, for himself. All God's promised blessings to mankind are comprehended in this short prayer. Jesus ended the prayer with three ascriptions to God's pre-eminence, "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever." The "Amen" denotes the entire consent to the prayer of each heart who prays it.
Prayer's Ideal
Some people look upon prayer only as a means of getting things for themselves, whereas the Bible idea of prayer is that God's glory, holiness, purpose, and wise order may be brought about. Truly, the Bible describes many blessings that come to the individual only through prayer; and these blessings, in turn, make the man a better soldier of the Cross and enable him to witness for God and further the cause of Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Jesus exemplified the proper attitude of prayer in the hour of His extreme trial and agony in Gethsemane. As He earnestly prayed, He cried, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt" (Matthew 26:39).
"Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt": Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the second Person of the Trinity, found it necessary to pray that prayer to His Father for strength to accomplish His mission that would bring free salvation to man. How much greater the degree of our need, creatures of a day, to allow the Sovereign Ruler to guide our destiny! Man knows not one minute ahead of time what events will transpire, while God knows the end from the beginning. Men, and above all, Christians, should be willing to follow Jesus' example and allow God to show them the way they should journey or the thing that He has decreed for their lives. God is willing, for we read, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD" (Psalm 37:23).
Power with God
It is a tremendous thought that man can actually prevail with God -" that God can be influenced by the petitions and supplications of man. There are no limitations to the things God will do for men so long as those things are asked in the interest of God's glory. "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him" (I John 5:14, 15).
As men are thoughtful of their children, so God is thoughtful of His own. When a child asks a parent for bread, the child receives bread, not a stone: if he asks for an egg, a scorpion will not be handed to him instead. Jesus said, "How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" (Luke 11:11-13). The greatest gift that can come to man, the baptism of the Holy Ghost, will be given for the asking, given upon the clean, sanctified heart and life. True faith will never be defeated.
"Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son" (John 14:13). "In my name," means according to and corresponding with the Father's will. A man could not rightful-ly ask something in Jesus' name adverse to His will, and except an answer, could he? "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33). Too many people seek the temporal things of life first and the spiritual life last, then wonder why their prayers are not answered.
Determination's Value
The Bible speaks much about being persistent in prayer. God honours determination in seeking His blessing. The Lord delights to answer the prayers of people who are sure that the blessing they seek is the will of God, and then present the petition with purpose and determination, earnestness and enthusiasm, importunity and perseverance. God answers prayer.
The prayer that will not let go, as Jacob's prayer ([GEN:32:24-29]); the prayer that will not be put off, as the Syrophenician woman's ([MAK:7:25-30]); the prayer prayed in desperate need, as the demoniac's ([MAK:5:1-20]); the prayer of importunity, as the prayer in today's lesson ([LUK:11:5-8]); the prayer prayed purely for God's glory, as Elijah's on Mount Carmel ([1KG:18:22-39]) " these are the types of prayers that God is answering. He is just as willing to hear and answer our prayer as He was the prayers of these Biblical characters, for "God is no respecter of persons" (Acts 10:34).
"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16).
Questions
1. What is prayer?
2. Why is it necessary for Christians to pray?
3. Can you repeat the Lord's prayer from memory?
4. What truths can we learn from the Lord's prayer?
5. Did Jesus intend that His disciples and Christians should use only this one prayer whenever they prayed?
6. When a man prays, is it important that he be willing to do God's will? Why?
7. Can a sinner pray and expect God to answer? What kind of prayer must the sinner's prayer be if God does answer?
8. Name some of the blessings that come to men as a result of their prayers.
9. What would you say is the most valuable thing about prayer?