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Friday, March 17, 2017

ASK in Faithful Prayer {Luke 11}



By Mari Sandoval

I don’t know if it has ever happened to you, but there have been times when people have approached me asking to pray for them, because they believe that God will answer my prayers, because they pray but apparently nothing happens. They doubt their prayers will be answered! This is a great opportunity for us to minister to them and let them know about God’s Faithfulness and Promises to their children.

Today Luke writes about an occasion: “…as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples."  It was probably one of the seventy who made this request, who had not been present on the first occasion, when the Lord gave his prayer to the 12 disciples (Mat. 6:9-15) and the people on the mount.

This disciple had been there watching closely, carefully observing Jesus as he prayed in such a special and intimate way, and longed for this too! 

So He said to them, "When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."

John had taught his disciples to pray; but not in such a way as that they should call God Father. It was a privilege reserved to the Son of God to give this power to His disciples and to us, too!
This is a prayer that puts God's interests first; it is His name, His kingdom, and His will that are primary.  Prayer isn't a tool to get what we want from God. It is a method to get God's will accomplished in us and all around us, for His Purposes.

 Some see the three greatest things in these three requests. To pray Our Father requires faith, because he who comes to God must believe that He is. To pray Your kingdom come requires hope, because we trust it is to come in fullness. To pray Your will be done requires love, because love is the incentive to obey all of God's will. God also wants us to pray for our daily, practical needs-like our daily bread.

“ Forgive us our sins: We also need forgiveness from God. "As bread is the first need of the body, so forgiveness for the soul." (Murray)

- For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us: God forgives sins, we forgive debts. What we owe to God isn't the same as what others owe to us.

- Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one: We constantly plead to God for strength and protection against temptation and the evil one (1 Corinthians 10:13). True prayer is always offered knowing how weak we are in ourselves, and how much we need the power of God.
 In Luke 11:5-8, Jesus instructs to pray with boldness and persistence:

God often waits for our passionate persistence in prayer. It isn't that God is reluctant and needs to be persuaded. Our persistence doesn't change God; it changes us, developing in us a heart and passion for what God wants.

In Luke11:9-13, Jesus instructs us to pray with a childlike faith: 
“So I say to you, ask and keep on asking, and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking, and you will find; knock and keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who [h]keeps on asking [persistently], receives; and he who keeps on seeking [persistently], finds; and to him who keeps on knocking [persistently], the door will be opened.13 If you, then, being evil [that is, sinful by nature], know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him!”  Yes, we need the Power of His Holy Spirit to accomplish God's will in us and among us!

 Jesus said: “22 “Have faith in God [constantly]. 23 I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea!’ and [a]does not doubt in his heart [in God’s unlimited power], but believes that what he says is going to take place, it will be done for him [in accordance with God’s will]. 24 For this reason I am telling you, whatever things you ask for in prayer [in accordance with God’s will], believe [with confident trust] that you have received them, and they will be given to you.” (Mark 11:22-24)

Are there still prayers in your life that have not been answered yet? How long have you been waiting? Only “Believe” = put ALL your trust in Him! It may take more time than you expect, but didn’t we affirm in prayer, “Thy will be done”? It is in His perfect timing!
 We are told to keep on Asking, Seeking and Knocking: ASK in faithful prayer! All three verbs are continuous. “Jesus is not speaking of single activities, but of those that persist." (Morris) These descriptions speak of an earnestness and intensity; all too often, our prayers are merely wishes cast up to heaven, and this is not real prayer.

And while you wait: “Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God. And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours].”(Phil. 4:6-7)  Amen, our Heavenly Father is Faithful!!
 Blessings ladies!

Mari