Luke 11:1-13

 Luke 11:1-13

Perhaps the most valuable tool to a mature faith is the ability to understand Scripture in context. Several of the verses in this passage have been pulled out by themselves and misapplied.  The individual sayings in this text are part of the flow and are to be understood in the greater whole or context.

Jesus is teaching His disciples to pray and gives a pattern for prayer not an empty ritual. Think of each line as a theme for discussion with God or meditation. This prayer can be said in less than 15 seconds without much thought or it can be the springboard to lead into lengthy conversations with God.

Jesus follows this with two short parables, which lead to dramatic conclusion. The two parables are both about the priority of persistent prayer. In verses 9 and 10 Jesus says we will receive what we are pursuing. This is taken out of context and disreputable teachers try to make it say you can have whatever you want if you pray enough. This is a false teaching. No matter how hard you pray, “God, help me find an exciting and disease-free, illicit lover,” He will never answer that prayer with a “yes”. Verses 9 and 10 must be taken with the last part of verse 13 for the person who earnestly pursued the will and the guidance of God, the Father being good, will give the supreme gift namely the Holy Spirit. We do not hear the Spirit’s leading because we do not ask or if we ask we are asking half-heartedly and weakly.  Often we say we want the Spirit’s leading, but our prayer life reflects it's something else we really want.  You can tell what you care about by examining your own prayer life. If you make a list of things you actually honestly pray about with deep heart conviction and have honest conversations with God concerning these then you will see what you care about.  If the direction and leading of the Holy Spirit is not on that list then we're really don't care about God's will in our lives.

“Lord, give to me a spirit and determination to pray and seek You. AMEN”