Discipleship Essentials*
Thursday, November 18, 2004
My Prayer Today
Dear Heavenly Father, I come to You today and ask that You would be exalted in my life. I want to please You in every way. I come to You and ask that You would place within me a heart for prayer. There are so many around me that are going through difficulty. Help me to be able to pray for others when You place them on my heart and mind. Thank You for those who have prayed for me when I went through difficulties. I want to be able to intercede for others today. Grant me the grace to be one who takes intercession seriously. 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?
In Luke 11:5-13, Jesus shares several short stories that each relate to the subject of prayer. In the first story (the immediate context of our weekly study to this point) Jesus tells of a man who approached his neighbor at midnight for bread. Jesus, however, continues His teaching on prayer by saying "Ask, Seek, and Knock. . ." (vs 9-10). As we will see in our study today, Jesus uses verse 6 to reveal a person who intercedes for someone else. The context of intercessory prayer, linked with the "ask, seek, and knock" verse means that we are never to give up when we pray for someone else. God will answer our prayers, if we are willing to seek Him.
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...
Over the past few days we have been looking at the story that Jesus shared in Luke 11:5-13 regarding prayer. In verse 6 it says that the man who was asking for bread from his neighbor was asking on behalf of a friend that was visiting. It is interesting that this man was not approaching his neighbor on behalf of himself alone, but rather someone else. He was thinking of his friend. A prayer principle that we can learn from this is that we must come to God for others and not just ourselves. When we come to God on behalf of someone else, we are engaging in what is called "intercessory prayer."
To intercede is to stand between two parties and plead the case of one to another. In the case of praying for someone else, we are taking that person or situation and pleading their case before God. We as disciples of Jesus must be active in intercessory prayer for our friends, families, co-workers, community, nation, and world. Oswald Chamber once said, "True intercession involves bringing the person, or the circumstance that seems to be crashing in on you, before God, until you are changed by His attitude toward that person or circumstance." When we intercede, God will give us a new perspective and begin to not only change the circumstances, but also change us. We need intercessors who will come to God on behalf of others! Will you be an intercessor today?