Discipleship Essentials*
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
My Prayer Today
Dear God, Thank You for being nourishment to me. You have given me life and have sustained me in it. I ask that You would continue to give me the bread I need for this day. Give me the grace I need for each situation, give me the faith I need for each difficulty, give me the rest I need for each problem, and most importantly, give me the Holy Spirit to empower me for living. Without the Spirit's power, I cannot make it. Lord I come to You asking for "bread" because I am hungry for You. Feed me by Your Holy Spirit. 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 immediate context of Luke 11:5-13 is a question that one of the disciples asked in verse 1. After Jesus had been praying in a certain place, one of his disciples approached him and said, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples." It was after this question that Jesus began to teach the disciples to pray. In verse 2-4 he says what we today refer to as the "Lord's prayer." Although this has been the title given to the prayer, it should actually be called the "Disciple's prayer" because Jesus was suggesting that the disciple's pray in this way. The story about the neighbor asking for bread is found immediately after the prayer that Jesus offered to the disciples.
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 |
|
Fallen short areas |
|
What will I do with these insights? |
|
What did God say to me today? |
|
Share insights and growth points |
|
Changed/transformed how? |
|
Thoughts...
In Luke 11:5-13 Jesus tells the story of a man who went at midnight to his neighbor's house to ask for "three loaves of bread" for his visiting friend. What initially strikes the reader is the boldness of the man who went to his neighbor's house in the middle of the night. What also is significant, but is often overlooked, is what he is specifically asking for -- namely, bread. Bread in those days was an essential part of daily diet, and three loaves would have been equivalent of a meal for one person. It was something that one could not do without. The principle for prayer that we can learn for this specific point is this -- we must come to God for bread. When I speak of "bread" I am not speaking simply in a literal sense, I am speaking rather in the broader sense of our daily needs. There is a distinction between "needs" and "wants." If you have a financial budget and things are tight with money, you learn to distinguish between things that are nice to have and things that are essential to have. God knows the essential things that we need. We should ask God for the essential things in life.
If we remember the Lord's Prayer, which is a few verses back in Luke 11:3, it says: "Give us this day our daily bread. . ." We should ask God for physical, emotional, and most importantly spiritual nourishment for each day -- these are the essentials of life, this is our bread. If we also notice at the end of this passage, God also promises to give us the Holy Spirit if we ask. The Holy Spirit is a source of power, He is our "bread" for life by which we can feed upon to sustain us. As you pray today, I encourage you to ask God for "bread" in your life. Ask God to pour out His Holy Spirit upon you to fill you so that you may live for Him. When we offer our requests to God, we should trust that He will meet all of our needs according to Christ Jesus!