Discipleship Essentials*
Monday, November 15, 2004
My Prayer Today
Father in Heaven, I thank You that I can come to You at any time. I am so grateful that I do not have to wait for You, but You are ready to hear and answer me when I call to You. There is never a time when You are not listening to me. I ask that You would help me to take each opportunity this day to be able to share my heart with You. Furthermore, I ask that You would share Your heart with me. God, I desire to know You and to know Your ways. Help me to pray throughout this day and to always be in communication with You. Because You are there, I want to talk to You at all times. I ask this in Jesus' name. . . Amen.
God’s Word Today
Luke 11:5-13
5 "Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this illustration: Suppose you went to a friend's house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You would say to him, 6 'A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.' 7 He would call out from his bedroom, 'Don't bother me. The door is locked for the night, and we are all in bed. I can't help you this time.' 8 But I tell you this -- though he won't do it as a friend, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you what you want so his reputation won't be damaged. 9 And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened. 10 For everyone who asks receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks. 11 You fathers -- if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? 12 Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! 13 If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him."
Background on the Text – Who Wrote It? Why Was It Written? Who Was the Audience?
The Gospel of Luke (along with the book of Acts) was written by a physician named Luke to help formulate a historical timeline for the spread of Christianity; starting with the ministry of Jesus all the way through the acts of the apostles in the early church. Because Luke was a "Gentile" Christian, he probably wrote this Gospel to the Gentiles so that they would know the exact truth about which they had been instructed. Luke's Gospel is the longest of the four in the Bible and is the most comprehensive.
Observation – What Does the Text Say?
(Specifically look at the bold verses, if any, to answer these questions.)
Interpretation – What Does the Text Mean?
Application – How Can I Respond to the Text’s Insights and Teachings?
Each Week’s Check List
After reading and studying this text, reflect on the following discipleship growth points:
Growth Point |
How |
Encouraged and strengthened me by |
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Fallen short areas |
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What will I do with these insights? |
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What did God say to me today? |
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Share insights and growth points |
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Changed/transformed how? |
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Thoughts...
Just a couple of weeks ago, after struggling with a bit of a sore throat, I decided to call the doctor to see about setting up an appointment. As I called the office I was put on hold for at least 15 minutes and soon grew tired of waiting. Because of this, I decided to hang up the phone and forget the whole thing. I eventually did get an appointment scheduled, but it was very frustrating to have to wait for so long. One of the things that I am very thankful about God is that He never puts us on hold when we pray. If we had to wait for the "line" with God to clear up, we would be waiting for extremely long time. God, however, is eager to answer our call and is ready at any moment to hear us pray and to answer us! It is an awesome thought that we have direct communication with the God of the entire universe!
In Luke 11:5-11 Jesus tells a story that emphasizes several significant principles that we can learn about prayer. He tells the story of a man who goes to his neighbor's house in the middle of the night to ask for some bread for his friend that has come to visit. Jesus used the term "midnight" in verse 5 to represent what would seem to be the most illogical and inconvenient time of the day to come. The first principle of prayer that we can learn specifically from this point is that -- We can come to God at any time! We do not have to fear that we are an inconvenience to God. He is never on vacation, but He is ready to hear and answer us at any time. When we ask of God we are not troubling Him, we are simply sharing what is on our heart and mind. God desires that we communicate with Him through prayer, and He desire that we pray even more then we desire! Whether it is in the middle of the night, or in the sunny afternoon, God is always ready to hear when we call upon His name. We can come to God at any time.