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Weekly Message | May 2nd, 2010
Passage: Luke 11:1-13
Key Verse(s): 1
Yesterdaty we had a wonderful Toledo UBF Open House of Worship and Prayer. We thank and praise God for motivating all of our leaders to work together for this wonderful gathering. God wants his people to pray. “A House of Prayer for All Nations” is the theme of Toledo UBF.
The title of this message is, “Lord, teach us to pray.” Prayer seems so easy to do—just say a few words that speak to God. Yet to many people he is someone far away. Prayer is hard to practice because its specifics are unclear and its effects are mysterious. How many of you are able to say, “I know what it means to pray.” Many young people say, “I really want to experience God. I want to know him, but I don’t know him.” This is almost the same as, “I want to experience the reality and power of prayer but I really don’t know how to do so.” After more than 40 years of Christian life, I am almost like one of these disciples asking, “Lord, teach us to pray.” In this passage, we learn three specific ways Jesus teaches us how to pray.
First, Lord, teach us to pray about your glory and your kingdom. (1-2)
Look at verse 1: “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place.” Wherever Jesus went, probably he first found a certain place for regular prayer. The disciples saw him praying constantly—particularly after great miraculous work. When Jesus finished praying, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” While Jesus was praying, Jesus’ disciples did not dare to interrupt him. There was an unapproachable holiness in the moment of prayer. It is also better not to disturb people when they pray—be quiet. So they waited until Jesus finished praying. Although the disciples were not mature, they had basic fear of God and awesome respect for Jesus.
They asked, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” As they observed Jesus’ prayer life, they saw differences. One time the disciples failed to drive out an evil spirit from a boy. But Jesus did. They came and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” Jesus said, “This kind can come out only by prayer.” (Mk 9:29) The disciples were interested in learning prayer because they realized their lack of power to do the work of God. These disciples asked Jesus to teach them the patterns of prayer just as John the Baptist had done for his disciples. In a sense they requested a prayer template. Then, Jesus taught this amazing pattern of prayer—the Lord’s Prayer.
Father. God is our Father. God has many names. In the majority of books in the Old Testament, God is not referred to as the Father. Yet, we find a few references of God being our Father in the book of Isaiah. (9:6, 63:16, 64:8) Yet, God did not address himself as the Father until the right time. It is, however, Jesus Christ, who made it very clear that God the Creator is our Father. Then, what does it mean to call God “Father”? God is our Father in that he has power and authority that is excercised in love. Our earthly fathers are imperfect. Many fathers are grown-up sinners and their children are yet-to-grow-up sinners. However, God is our Heavenly Father. God is Almighty and yet he is full of love and mercy. God is Our Heavenly Father to whom we can call on, ask, talk, and relate to. So the first step of prayer is, “Lord, teach us to call God as our Father.”
Hallowed be your name. God’s name is God himself. To “hallow” God’s name means to honor and glorify God. It has a strong emphasis on God’s holiness and his all-surpassing glory. How can we honor God? We honor God by coming to him. “Come near to God and he will come near to you.” (James 4:8). Why do we come and worship? It is our effort to come to God.
In Hebrews 11:6 we read, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” God is pleased when we come to him by faith. That’s why the hymn “Just As I Am” is so telling that God wants sinners come to him. God is most pleased when sinners come to him through his Son Jesus Christ. By prayer we come to God. By prayer we acknowledge God’s presence. By prayer we invite God in our places─our heart, our home, and our world. “Lord, teach us to pray to respect and honor you─your holy presence.” By prayer we practice to stand in the presence of God. Be prayerful and quiet to stand in the presence of God. Why do we need to practice to stand before God’s presence? Learn to stand before God so that we may know how to stand before lesser powers of this world. On many occasions we tremble to stand before the powers of this world. Those who have practiced standing before the presence of the awesome God do not fear to stand before the presence of the powers of this world.
Your kingdom come. Those who come to God seek God’s kingdom. The perfect kingdom of God is in heaven. Yet, on this earth the kingdom of God comes upon the lives of people. Thus, the kingdom of God is within us. In this fallen world we experience the kingdom of God through Christ Jesus. Where two or three gather in Jesus’ name, there is the kingdom of God. Our sincere prayer is that a ministry that bears Jesus’ name reflects the presence of the kingdom of God. Last night so many of our leaders prepared for Toledo UBF Open House of Worship and Prayer. After the dedication service, many felt tired and went home. Many others stayed to clean up and prepare for the worship today. Where God’s people work prayerfully to prepare his presence, there is the kingdom of God.
How do we proclaim God’s kingdom in our lives? Through prayer we confess that God the Creator is the Sovereign Ruler. Through prayer we affirm God as our King. God uses worldly leaders and events to fulfill his grand purpose of salvation in this world. As we pray, “Your kingdom come,” we know that God is in charge. He is the ultimate decision maker. So we ask God to intervene on our behalf—in the important moments of making decisions in this life—life decisions that involve work, marriage, and career. This world and its desires—with all the wonderful and terrible things—will pass away. From a human point of view, we are all in the process of dying. Sooner or later we will become sick and die. We are moving toward the kingdom of God. We keep this perspective in life. Ultimately, the kingdom of God comes through the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. So Christians preach the gospel until Jesus comes again.
Second, Lord, teach us to pray for our needs. (3-4)
In verses 3 and 4, three essential needs are mentioned. They are related to daily bread, forgiveness, and temptations. How do we honor God? How do we seek God’s kingdom in our lives? Daily bread is our first critical need—this is about our job, study, school choices, and life’s basic needs for survival, security, and comfort. When we pray for our daily bread we recognize our dependence on God for our daily needs. God designed our stomach in such a way as to digest only a daily portion of food. Sometimes we need to appreciate the fact that we can eat three meals a day. When our health is gone we cannot eat. When we lose our ability to eat then our bodies die.
In Proverbs 30:8 we read, “Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.” This is certainly a humble prayer for people who are so used to living in hunger and thirst. This humble soul asks a simple life that is satisfied with three meals a day. We all need worthy work to support three meals a day. Many who do not find worthy work for more than a few months become desperate. In this world many live in such dire conditions. This is the situation of many people in this world. They are among our neighbors. God wants us to be concerned about the needs of our neighbors as much as our own. Seeking our daily bread means that we are interdependent on others. The kingdom of God grows within us as we seek daily bread for our neighbors as well. That’s why we pray for the needs of our neighbors—students’ final exams, jobs, and all types of our physical needs.
Forgiveness is another essential need for us. Why do we need forgiveness? As sinners─we sin. We sin and we fail. We need God’s forgiveness because we fail to honor God and obey him. We need God’s forgiveness to be saved from sins. As a sinner I need God’s forgiveness to restore broken relationships. Recently, I met a young man. He is no longer in this ministry. He is happy with his wife and children. For years he did not want to come and see me. When I met him, this is what I said, “I am happy to see your wonderful family. In retrospect I could have been better in my speech and action. But I was not. I am sorry for not being a good pastor.” He said, “Don’t feel sorry for that! You have been a good pastor for me and my family.” We then prayed together.
In more extreme cases, forgiveness requires truth and reconciliation. After Nelson Mandela was elected as the President of South Africa, the task was to confront the truth of apartheid (i.e., racially oppressive policies over the years) and the need for reconciliation. The Committee of Truth and Reconciliation was formed. In many meetings, the terrible former oppressors met with those whom they oppressed, tortured, and mistreated. They acknowledged their wrongdoings and sincerely sought forgiveness. There was reconciliation. We are all prone to fail and live with broken relationships in one way or another. As long as we live, forgiveness is therefore a practical need.
God’s protection from temptations is the third practical need for all of us. Our internal enemy is our sinful nature; our external enemy is Satan. Satan uses our weak and sinful nature to tempt us. We pray for God’s protection from temptation because we are all vulnerable to temptations. Satan’s temptation is real. “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith...” (1 Pe 5:8-9) We are tempted when things go well. In pride and vain confidence we stop coming to God. With God’s blessings, we stop being humble and faithful. When things do not go well, we despair. Too often it is even comfortable to stay in the miserable state of despair. Jesus asks us to pray always and not give up. Yet, we too often give up praying. Yesterday Dr. John Jun asked us to make this house of worship as a house of prayer for all nations. He specifically challenged us to fill this house with young people. God has blessed Toledo UBF greatly. We must pray that Toledo UBF in the midst of blessings may not fall into temptations. Dr. Peter Chang from Europe asked me a few questions, “By what particular ideal are American people united? Why is the USA not so prominent? Are moral and spiritual problems the reasons for USA’s downfall?” God has blessed this nation. Lord, teach America not to fall into temptations.
Third, Lord, teach us to pray boldly. (5-13)
Look at verses 5-8. According to the parable, a friend came late, hungry, and tired. So he had to feed him, but he had no food─no bread. But his friend’s need was so critical that he had to find by any means a way to feed him. So he thought about it and one person came to his mind who had always had enough bread (perhaps he’s a baker). So he humbly went to his friend who alone could fill his need. But it was too late, it was midnight. He knew he was not supposed to call on his friend after 9:00 p.m. But because of the real need for the guest that had come to his house, he had to do everything possible.
Jesus wants us to be bold in prayer. This person had a real need to serve his guest who came so late. He went to the right person who had bread. He boldly asked to get bread for the guest who came from far away. It was the mans caring heart for this visitor who otherwise would go to bed hungry. Boldness is about asking, seeking, and knocking for the sake of our legitimate needs. During my childhood I saw many mothers who were so bold in asking help for the sake of their children. One mother having five children without a competent father became very desperate and then bold. She raised all her five children with her sheer determination—working so hard from very early morning till midnight. Families with such bold mothers of prayer seem helpless, but God shows his great mercy.
Look at verses 9-10: “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; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” The man in this parable asked for three loaves of bread. He sought out the neighbor at midnight. He then knocked on the door. Prayer involves actions—asking, seeking, and knocking. Ask and receive, seek and find, knock and open the door.
Look at verses 11-13: “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? We also must believe that God gives us the best for us. 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!” This is about the basis of our confidence in prayer. We pray to our Heavenly Father who is much better than our earthly fathers.
Jesus concludes his teaching on prayer with his command, “Seek the Holy Spirit.” Why is it so? The Holy Spirit enables us to pray. Too often we are too weak to pray. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. (Ro 8:26) The Holy Spirit both breaks and builds us. The Holy Spirit breaks the core of unbelief within us. These shackles must be broken. The Holy Spirit must build us as new people.
Jesus wants us to pray. Jesus wants us to learn boldness in our prayer. Boldly we call God as our Father. We call Jesus our Good Shepherd. Jesus the Good Shepherd has this image of the Father. Yesterday S. Russell Kille dedicated the podium in remembrance of the late Dr. Samuel Lee and the pastors who have devoted to the ministry of God’s word and prayer. Preachers who stand before the podium must know God the Heavenly Father. They must possess the father’s heart for the children.
Through this passage we learn some important truths about prayer. What does Jesus teach us? Jesus wants us to pray to the Heavenly Father. Jesus wants us to start with God—his honor and his kingdom, not just for our needs. Jesus also defines our three essential needs—daily bread, forgiveness, and protection from temptations. Then, Jesus commands us to be bold in asking, seeking, and knocking. Jesus wants us to be bold in seeking the Holy Spirit. We pray to receive the Holy Spirit. We then pray because we have received the Holy Spirit. This Christian life is in a sense like going through circles—pray for the Holy Spirit and then with the Holy Spirit we pray. We go through growing circles of life with God. The center practice of this circle is prayer. Some people may say, “I eat to work.” or, “I work to eat”. In view of today’s teaching it is quite clear what it means to pray. In brief, what is prayer? We pray to live. We live to pray.
May 2, 2010; Dr. Paul Hong; Toledo, UBF.
Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
