Adult STS Lesson 104 Jesus Teaches on Prayer
MEMORY VERSE: “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened (Luke 11:9,10).
TEXT: Luke 11:1-13
Overwhelmed by the awesome power and glory that Christ demonstrated during His earthly ministry especially through prayers, His disciples could not but cry, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). With keen interest, the disciples must have observed the qualities of consistency, fervency, persistence, efficacy and the unfailing track results of their Master’s prayer life. Besides, at this early stage of their spiritual lives and ministerial calling, the need to lay a foundation required for their survival, growth and enduring success in ministry, led to their cry for help. This has become very urgent and imperative because it forms the key pillar of success in Christian life and ministry. Christ responded promptly to their plea and laid bare the necessary basic principles of prayers. This attitude of Jesus teaches us that the best time to lay solid spiritual foundations is when the people are spiritually tender and eager to learn, hungry for and opened to the truths of the Kingdom. Preachers should be “apt to teach” (1 Timothy 3:2; 2 Timothy 2:24) and communicate essential and pertinent lessons to the flock every time. Believers should emulate the inquisitive attitude of the disciples and take advantage of the opportunities at their disposal to acquire foundational principles and knowledge necessary for rapid growth and development. It is equally noteworthy that the disciples were desirous to be like their Master so that they could independently stand and continue His great work in His absence. We are to seek spiritual experience for advancement in all areas of the Christian faith. We must not always depend on others for sustenance and continuity in the faith (Hebrews 5:12). The power of prayer cannot be overestimated. “…God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13) was the publican’s prayer for salvation. David sought external and internal purity and Jeremiah craved bodily healing by prayer (Psalm 51:7,10; Jeremiah 17:14). Prayer was key to Solomon’s receiving the special gift of wisdom from God. Jabez understood that prayer was his only hope of escape from the chains of sorrows and abject poverty (1 Chronicles 4:10).
- CHRIST’S INSTRUCTION ON PRAYER
Luke 11:1-4; Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 18:1
The Lord’s Prayer, widely recited by multitudes worldwide is only a model that depicts the priority and themes of acceptable and God-honouring prayer. The prayer opens with a focus on the Father’s purpose, implying that divine interest must be first in our supplication. “When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth” (Luke 11:2). There are vital lessons to draw here. First, there is a reflection of intimacy and family tie in reference to God as ‘Father’. This is the first right step to be taken in prayer – setting our relationship right with God, by receiving Christ as Lord and Saviour and turning away from all known sins (John 1:12). This confers on us “…the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15). Second is the reverence for our Holy God. His name is to be taken in veneration and not in vanity. Only the enemies of God will trample on the sanctity of His divine personality and take His name in vain (Psalm 139:20). In offering prayers, we understand the awesomeness of God and we stand in awe, giving Him the glory due to His name (Psalms 29:2; 96:8). God’s name is holy and must be greatly held in reverence and majesty. We cannot separate the Person of God from the awesomeness of His name. Third, is the desire for God’s kingdom to come into reality. Oh what beauty, that the King of all the earth establishes His throne and dominion, glory and majesty, and the entirety of the kingdom on earth! The kingdom of God is a priority to seek. Many Christians want to seek first the expansion of their earthly kingdom and influence, but Jesus says, “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). Know that “the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Romans 14:17). The prayerful life of Jesus shows us the need to fully depend on the Father. As sons and daughters of God, believers derive all fullness and grace for daily living from the Father through lively communion. “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.” When we acknowledge God as our King, we pledge our loyalty and obedience unconditionally to Him. Also, we take necessary steps to entrench the will and righteousness of the Kingdom in our hearts. The Church looks forward to the coming of Christ’s kingdom when Satan and all evil works will be permanently destroyed. “Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil” (Luke 11:3,4). Daily bread’ as contained in our text is reminiscent of the manna God gave the children of Israel daily on their way to the Promised Land. Praying to Him, the Provider and Sustainer of life, will yield satisfaction and comfort for all our physical, mental, emotional and environmental needs. In addition, the forgiven person must forgive in order to deserve forgiveness. This is another important component of the prayer and secret to receiving answer from God. “And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us.” While God readily pardons and forgives every repented (confessed and forsaken) sin, we must ask for enabling grace from Him to forgive all that might have infringed on our comforts or rights. This teaching of forgiveness is diametrically opposed to the retaliatory practice of some believers. Therefore, “when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses” (Mark 11:25,26). We must learn from Jesus. Even while on the Cross, He still prayed: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). To maintain a viable and fruitful fellowship with the Father and the brethren, forgiveness in interpersonal relationship is neither conditional nor optional. Spouses must make up for every perceived differences and misunderstandings. Members of the body of Christ and family members must forgive and reconcile with one another on every infraction. This is to ensure “…that [our] prayers be not hindered” (1 Peter 3:7). The part of the prayer that says, “And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil” implies that Christians are to seek preservation from the temptations that frequently befall humanity. We are to pray also for protection from the evil that defiles and destroys families, careers, destinies, ministries, communities and devastate nations. Such fervent scriptural prayers guarantee peace, progress and prosperity.
- CALL FOR IMPORTUNITY IN PRAYER
Luke 11:5-8; 6:12; 18:1-8; 1 Kings 18:42-46; Daniel 10:2-13; 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Praying with importunity is an act of faith with the unwavering assurance and “…the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us” (1 John 5:14). Importunity in prayer is insistently seeking with diligence and consistency until the lost coin’ and the lost asses’ are found’ and until the prodigal son’ returns home. Importunity, as used in our text, means not giving up, shamelessly persistent or seeking something. The teaching of Jesus on this principle of prayer was backed up with the case of a needy friend at an odd time: “And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth” (Luke l1:5,8). From here the Lord enjoins Christians to maintain a persistent and unrelenting attitude until answers are secured. This entails asking without ceasing as in the case of the prayer for the release of Apostle Peter from incarceration (Acts 12:5). Expressions such as, ‘continual coming’ of the Syrophenician woman, “prayed more earnestly” as in the case of the Lord Jesus at Gethsemane, “the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous” in James 5:16-18, are all elements of importunity in prayer. The Scripture is replete with examples of how saints exhibited importunity in prayer. Elijah prayed till rain came; the Syrophenician woman also prayed till she received healing for her demonized child (Matthew 15:22-28). The needy friend leveraged on his cordial relationship with his benefactor-friend and persisted until he received help (Luke l1:5-&). In the account of Luke 18:1-8, tenacity in faith paved way for the widow before an unjust judge. Importunity requires being single-minded (Matthew 6:22); having strong conviction in God’s unfailing faithfulness (Romans 4:16-21; Hebrews 11:11): and fervent communication (James 5:17,18) in prayer.
- CHRISTIANS’ PENTECOST EXPERIENCE THROUGH PRAYER
Luke 11:9-13; 24:49; Acts 1:4-8; Luke 4:18-20; Isaiah 10:27; Jeremiah 29:11-14; John 14:12-14
To conclude His teaching on the model prayer, Jesus presented to His disciples the fact that God is freely predisposed to grant His children, the most invaluable gift of the Holy Spirit. The gift is obtainable by saints through prayer. In His words, Jesus said: “…how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13). The Holy Spirit bestows anointing and power on believers for both personal progress, productivity and fruitfulness in soul-winning and ministry (Acts 1:8; Mark 16:15-20; Matthew 28:18-20). No individual Christian or church can enjoy the full privileges in Christ without the power and anointing of the Holy Ghost. Without the Spirit’s power, the Christian and the church will be limited in growth, development and expansion. A believer’s boldness, unction and utterance to preach effectively are still dependent on the operation of the Holy Ghost. In order to surmount the present challenges confronting individuals, families and even churches, we must seek the power of the Holy Ghost through fervent and importunate prayers (Luke 4:18-20; Isaiah 10:27). In other Scriptures, Jesus used words such as “tarry” (Luke 24:49) and “wait” (Acts 1:4,5) to reiterate the need for persistence in prayer to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. The implication of this teaching is that the gift of the Holy Spirit is not for the casual, impatient and lazy Christians with no passion and sense of mission for the Lord’s work. Apart from the principles and portraits of prayer, Christ’s teaching reveals the possibility of Christians receiving the Holy Ghost and the attendant gifts of the Spirit. These gifts made the difference in the lives and history of members of the early Church. With the Holy Ghost baptism, a believer experiences a transition from weakness to strength, timidity to boldness, coldness to fervency and from the ordinary to extraordinary exploits. The church too will grow from fewness to multitude (Isaiah 60:22). The early Church grew from 120 to about 3,120 members at one instance and the growth continued as the apostles, empowered by the Holy Ghost, obeyed the mandate of the great commission and went everywhere preaching the Word and making disciples of all nations. When we are endued with this power, we will do great exploits for the Lord.
QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW:
- What can we learn from the disciples’ desire to learn how to pray, and Jesus’ prompt response to their request?
- What are the important elements in our prayers that align us to God’s purpose?
- What are the possible dangers of unforgiving attitude in prayers?
- Explain how a Christian can demonstrate importunity in purpose
- Explain the role of importunate praying in receiving the Holy Ghost.
- What differentiated disciples during Christ’s earthly ministry from the early Church?
- Why should a believer not rest until he or she has been baptized in the Holy Spirit?
