Jesus' complete lesson on how we ought to pray

Photo by Diana Simumpande on Unsplush.com

I am quite convinced that the Lord's prayer as we know it is just a portion of Jesus' complete lesson on prayer.

Luke 11:1-2 
 ...one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples." He said to them, "When you pray, say: "'Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come...

He continues to share with them the Lord's prayer as we (might) know it until verse 5, where my point for today is. He continues to tell them a story about a man who asks his friend for bread in the middle of the night and he's given that bread, not because of their friendship but because of his shameless audacity, his capacity to dare, to disturb his friend in the middle of the night.

He also continues in verse 9 to tell us, "...ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." 
I am convinced that Jesus' complete lesson on how we ought to pray starts from verse 1 to verse 13 which encompasses: a) The Lord's prayer, b) asking with shameless audacity and then c) ask and you will receive.

a) The Lord's prayer
An outline of how we ought to pray, including but not limited to: know that you are talking to your father, praise him, ask for what you need, thank him, forgive those who wrong you, among others.

b) Shameless audacity 
Luke 11:8
I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.

Just like in the parable of the persistent widow who keeps on going to the king until she is granted her request (Luke 18:1-8); then also the story of Jacob, a trickster, a sinner, who refused to let go of the divine angel until the angel blessed him. This is all to do with having a 'shameless audacity'.

Jacob was a cheat, a liar, cunning, you would think He would start by repenting when he met God, but instead he asked for a blessing, and indeed received the best blessing ever. Because of his shameless audacity, God named him Israel and blessed all his descendants (Genesis 35:10).

Jesus is asking us to ask the father with shameless audacity. Ask him for things you don't deserve, ask for things that might seemingly be uncomfortable for the giver.

c) Ask and you will receive.
The NLT (New Living Translation) Bible version says, "Keep on asking and you will receive, keep on seeking and you will find...", meaning that Jesus wants us to ask him and keep on asking.
Jesus is asking us to ask until he responds. Maybe it is from here where we get the PUSH: 
Pray
U until
Something 
Happens 

So, as we think about how we ought to pray, in addition to what we learn from the Lord's prayer, we need to remember to ask shamelessly and to keep on asking.

Please pray for me to never give up while asking and to ask with shameless audacity as I pray that you have a lovely Wednesday.

Thank you for reading.
May the Lord remind you of his constant goodness, even in this year 2020.

Comments

  1. VINCENT17 September 2020 at 22:47

    Thanks Diana

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VINCENT17 September 2020 at 22:53

      Interestingly, the NLT version says in Luke 11:5, “Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story:... „

      Delete
  2. Nabbossa Dianah20 September 2020 at 08:15

    interesting. thank you so much

    ReplyDelete

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