GOD S PROMISE OF ANSWERED PRAYER

Transcription

1 SESSION 4 GOD S PROMISE OF ANSWERED PRAYER When have you found it pays to be persistent? QUESTION #1 #BSFLstandstrong BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 37

2 THE POINT God always answers persistent prayer. THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE What does persistence look like? Jacob Riis was a police reporter who used photojournalism to document the deplorable living conditions of the poor in New York City during the late 19th century. The images he captured became famous, and Riis was celebrated for his passion and concern for the poor eventually. In the beginning, however, his efforts to convince others of the problem were not accepted. He was ignored. Yet he kept after his goal. Years later, he spoke about what he did when he felt discouraged: I would go and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it would split in two, and I knew it was not that blow that did it, but all that had gone before together. 1 Many areas of our lives call for such persistence. As we ll see in Luke 11, this is especially true of prayer. 38 SESSION 4

3 WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY? Luke 11: He also said to them: Suppose one of you has a friend and goes to him at midnight and says to him, Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6 because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I don t have anything to offer him. 7 Then he will answer from inside and say, Don t bother me! The door is already locked, and my children and I have gone to bed. I can t get up to give you anything. 8 I tell you, even though he won t get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his friend s persistence, he will get up and give him as much as he needs. 9 So I say to you, keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? Persistence (v. 8) Continuing in a course of action in spite of difficulty, opposition, or weariness. In this instance, persistence refers to determined and diligent prayer. The Greek term carries the sense of shameless audacity, lacking any concern for what is considered proper etiquette or appropriate behavior. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 39

4 THE POINT God always answers persistent prayer. Luke 11:5-10 In Luke 5:2-4, Jesus gave the disciples a model for prayer. In doing so, He noted the importance of focusing on God s honor and His kingdom as we pray. He also encouraged the disciples, and us, to pray that God would supply our daily provisions, forgive our sins, and help us avoid temptation. Then, beginning in verse 5, Jesus moved from modeling what we should pray to teaching how we should pray. Verses 5-10 can be summed up in one word: persistence. We are to pray and keep on praying. Our culture is full of people who know what they want and they want it now! We re not very good at waiting on anything. That impatience tends to carry over into our daily walk with God. We take our needs to God and want Him, expect Him, to meet those needs right away. Fix it now, God! But God doesn t work that way. Jesus called us to keep asking, keep searching, and keep knocking. In our previous session, we focused on Psalm 34 and the truth that our loving and gracious God provides for us. Since that is true, why would God hold out on us, wanting us to keep asking? Why doesn t He simply answer the first time? For that matter, why do we even need to ask at all? After all, Jesus said, Your Father knows the things you need before you ask Him (Matt. 6:8). The truth is that God supplies the answers to our prayers when we need them, not just when we want them. We can trust our omniscient God to know what s best for us, and we can also trust His timing. For those reasons, let s not look on prayer as trying to convince God or change His mind. Instead, let s look at persistent prayer as a vehicle to move us into a position of humble submission and trust before God. God knows exactly what we need, and He knows exactly when we need it. Granted, our human nature will always battle against the patience God desires, but God will always reward our diligence and patience with more than we could ever hope to experience. What s the connection between patience and persistence in our relationship with God? QUESTION #2 What keeps us from praying more persistently? QUESTION #3 40 SESSION 4

5 What s your reaction to the promises in this passage? QUESTION #4 Luke 11:11-13 God has blessed my wife and me with four wonderful children. Each time we brought one of them home from the hospital, we couldn t believe we could ever love someone so much. One of the great desires of my life is to provide my children with everything they need, and to do so in a loving manner. I want them to know how very important they are to me. God wants to do the same for His children. In verses 11-13, Jesus used the picture of a father s love for his child to help us understand and appreciate how God responds to us. In Jesus day, Rabbis often argued a point by reasoning from the lesser to the greater. Jesus often used that same pattern: Since A is true, how much more is B true? If a human dad can do good for his child out of his love even though he is a fallen human being how much more can the perfect God of the universe love us? A loving father would never do anything to intentionally scar or harm his child. In the same way, we need never fear God s answers to our prayers. God s perfect love for us far exceeds any love even the best human parent can offer. And when God gives to us, He does so out of His matchless love for us. Therefore, you can cast all your care on Him, because He cares about you (1 Pet. 5:7). God not only provides for us as a loving Father, but He gives us His very best. How much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? (v. 13). BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 41

6 THE POINT God always answers persistent prayer. Jesus pronouncement surely surprised His disciples. First, the Jews did not address God as their Father. To pray to God as Father was to invite a relationship and intimacy not taught by the rabbis. Second, the presence of the Holy Spirit was seen in the Old Testament as a blessing for only a few special people. Yet now this wonderful gift the presence of God Himself would be available to all who sought Him and asked. How incredible! God can give us no greater gift than Himself. When we approach Jesus by faith, He joins our lives through the presence of His Holy Spirit. We become part of His family: All those led by God s Spirit are God s sons. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, Abba, Father! (Rom. 8:14-15). Jesus invites us to bring our needs and requests to God through prayer. At times, we will need to keep asking, keep searching, and keep knocking. But we can do so in the confidence that, when God answers, He will answer out of His infinite goodness. What does this passage teach us about God? QUESTION #5 42 SESSION 4

7 PERSISTENT PROBLEMS Which of the following obstacles prevent you from spending more time in fervent, persistent prayer? Circle all that apply. Apathy Busyness Insecurity Fear Doubt Entertainment Sin Anger Ignorance Work Which obstacle will you knock down in the week to come? How? "Prayer does not equip us for greater works. Prayer is the greater work." OSWALD CHAMBERS BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 43

8 THE POINT God always answers persistent prayer. LIVE IT OUT Are you ready to make a commitment to live as a person of persistent prayer? Consider the following suggestions for moving in that direction this week: Use the model prayer. Write out the model prayer found in Luke 11:2-4. Personalize the prayer with your name and the specific needs you re currently facing. Use those verses as a guide for your regular experiences with prayer. Start a prayer journal. Keep a journal of your conversations with God throughout the day. Record your prayer needs, but also record what you hear from God during these conversations. Be sure to also keep track of how God answers your prayers. Over time, such a journal will become an encouraging reminder of God s faithfulness. Be a model of prayer. Look for opportunities to pray with others throughout the week. Invite people to join you as you connect with God. In doing so, you can model what you have learned about effective and persistent prayer. What does persistence look like? It looks like the children of God continually approaching their Father to express their needs and bask in His love. That s the opportunity we ve all been given, and that s the opportunity we should all embrace. 1. Jacob Riis, The Making of an American (Macmillan, 1901), SESSION 4