Luke Chapter 11
Prayer is essential to upholding a healthy Christian life. It is the fundamental mode of communication between God and Man, a tremendous privilege God gave to man.
Why do I say that it is a privilege?
This is because people of the past could not simply kneel before the Lord. They had to bring animals or produce of the ground, e.g. grains and fruits, to the tabernacle or temple where priests served and assisted in sacrificing them to have their sins forgiven or praises made.
For hundreds of years, this was the only way.
But after the death of our Lord Jesus Christ, we no longer need to burn animals or produce of the ground to commune with God. We can simply kneel to pray to communicate with God at any time or place. How incredible is this grace!
At the start of this chapter, Jesus teaches the disciples how to pray and tells what to say, leading to the formation of the Lord’s prayer.
The Lord Jesus follows through by using a parable to expound on an essential quality during prayer: the spirit of perseverance. An important attitude one should have when communicating with the Lord.
He uses the example of an individual who, in the middle of the night, goes knocking on his friend’s door to borrow bread but is declined because it caused much inconvenience to him and his family member. Yet finally, he got his bread, but this was not due to their friendship rather the sheer persistence of asking for bread as the Lord described. To simply put it as mentioned in the NIV translations – shameless audacity.
As we reflect on our prayers today, do we in any way show such persistence?
- When we pray for the Holy Spirit yet do not receive, do we persist?
- Do we tell ourselves that indeed it is His will that I seek for His spirit hence I will try harder the next time?
- Do we tell ourselves that we will create more opportunities to pray for it?
The Lord Jesus goes further to say, “ If you then, being evil, 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!” (Luke 11: 13) drawing parallel by displaying a sharp contract that us being evil will give good things to our children surely our good and gracious heavenly Father will give us the Holy Spirit if we ask and seek!
Fret not for receiving the Holy Spirit is the will of God! With a sincere heart accompanied with persistence, surely He will bestow his Spirit on us.
