Teach Us to Pray | Luke 11:5-8

This Sunday, we have the privilege of hearing from Rob Corbin! Rob will walk us through a parable that is not-as-well-known, found only in Luke 11:5-8. Jesus shares it smack-dab in the middle of His teaching on prayer in Luke 11:1-13. We can’t really grasp and appreciate what He is saying to us in the parable without taking careful notice of what He is teaching on prayer in the verses preceding and following the parable. So we’ll do a quick flyover of the text and try to pull out some key points that hopefully will encourage you as much as it has encouraged me on my motivation to pray. Prayer is so HARD!! We know it's important, but it can certainly be a struggle! That’s why the disciples said to Jesus, “Lord, TEACH US TO PRAY!”…and that’s exactly what Jesus is did in these verses. There is so much here that we can't cover it all. But I’m praying that we can draw some encouragement and gain a little better understanding of prayer that will motivate each of us to keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking! Let’s come this Sunday, echoing the disciples’ request: “LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY”! Sermon Outline—Parable of the “Midnight Caller” in Jesus’ Teaching on Prayer (Luke 11:1-13) I. The model for prayer- Our relationship dynamics with God (Lk 11:1-4) · Prayer is not “transactional”. It is RELATIONAL. · We must learn to ADORE before we can effectively ASK. · Really understanding prayer requires a WARTIME MENTALITY of cosmic proportions. II. The parable—A key heart-posture driving our approach to God (Luke 11:5-8) We have ACCESS that invites URGENT, SHAMELESS BOLDNESS! III. The application- KEEP ON PURSUING your FATHER in prayer with CONFIDENT, CHILD-LIKE EXPECTANCY (Luke 11:9-12) IV. The promise- You will FIND HIM! (Luke 11:13) Children’s Discussion Questions – Luke 11:1–13 What is prayer, and why do you think Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them how to do it? (Encourage conversation about prayer being talking to God like a Father, not just asking for stuff.) In the story Jesus tells, why does the man go to his friend at midnight? (Let them say it out loud—he needed bread! But point them to how Jesus was teaching about being bold in prayer.) Have you ever had to ask someone for something and felt nervous? What happened? (Connect with the idea of “shameless boldness” and how we can talk to God without fear.) Jesus says to “keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking.” What do you think He meant by that? (Help them understand persistence and trust in prayer.) What kind of gifts does Jesus say the Father gives to His children? (Highlight Luke 11:13—He gives the Holy Spirit and good gifts because He loves us.) If God is like a good Father, what does that mean about how He hears your prayers?