Luke 11:1-28 About Prayer and About Satan

Even though He is the Son of God, Jesus prayed, and He taught His disciples in this chapter about prayer.  My commentary said this pattern prayer Jesus used to teach them “teaches us that true prayer depends on a spiritual relationship with God that enables us to call Him ‘Father’.”

“True prayer involves responsibilities:  honoring God’s kingdom and doing God’s will … the purpose of prayer is not to get man’s will done in heaven, but to get God’s will done on earth.  Prayer is not telling God what we want … prayer is asking God to use us to accomplish what He wants so that His name is glorified, His kingdom is extended and strengthened, and His will is done.  We must test all of our personal requests by these overruling concerns if we expect God to hear and answer our prayers.”

“When God’s people pray, God’s reputation is at stake … prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance; it is laying hold of His highest willingness.  Persistence in prayer is not an attempt to change God’s mind, but to get ourselves to the place where He can trust us with the answer.”

“Because He knows us and loves us, we never need to be afraid of the answers that He gives.”

Jesus talked about Satan in these verses, too.  He knew Satan is real.  And He left no doubt that “it is impossible to be neutral in this spiritual war, for neutrality means standing against Him.  There are two spiritual forces at work in the world, and we must choose between them … We must make a choice, and if we choose to make no choice, we are really choosing against Him … Neutrality in religion is always cowardice.  God turns the cowardice of a desired neutrality into terror.”

Father, I know I’ve struggled to pray in Your will despite what I might want for myself.  Help me to use what You’ve shown me today to not see it as a struggle to pray in Your will, but instead for that to be the most natural way for me to pray, since You do know me and love me!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford