#1040. Ask the Father for what you need (23/4/24)

This week, in our Luke series, we are reflecting on Jesus’ teaching on prayer from Luke 11:1-13. Today we consider the place of petitions - asking for things - in prayer.

Luke 11:1–13

‘One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, 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. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.”’ (Luke 11:1-4)

Luke 11:1–4

Lesson: Knowing God as Father inspires us to ask for the things that we need.

You can listen to this devotional at:

https://youtu.be/M3dxmAKicEI

The health of our relationship with God as our Father will be seen in how we ask for things. If we fail to ask for the things we want and need, it may reveal that we don’t truly believe He’s there and our religion may just be empty tradition; our failure to make petitions may reveal that we believe ourselves to be unworthy of His attention, not realising the truth of our adoption; we may fail to ask the Father for things because we believe He’s mean and hard to move, showing that we are not allowing God’s Word to define God to us… Jesus, in His model for prayer, reveals that as we worship God as our Father, we will be able to ask for things including:

i. Your Kingdom come

After worship, Jesus shows us that we are to move onto asking for things. Jesus teaches us to begin this section by praying, “Your kingdom come, your will be done”; not my kingdom and my will! Praying for our needs will come but we don’t start there! “Your Kingdom come” Is a phrase about praying for more people to enter the kingdom; God invites us to pray for our community and nation to turn to Jesus and be saved. Praying for His Kingdom to come is a time to re-submit ourselves under Jesus’ rule afresh. Praying for God’s Kingdom to come is also a prayer that realigns us to our hope of Jesus’ return, when His Kingdom will come fully. We’re asking, in line with the last verses of Revelation:

‘He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.’ (Revelation 22:20)

Revelation 22:20

ii. Your will be done

In praying for The Father’s will to be done, we will pray for specific aspects in our lives, our nation and the world where we want God’s will to prevail. When we are praying for direction in our work, relationships, location, occupation, a choice to make… it’s important to submit our prayers to God’s will and ask Him to lead our decisions and the outcomes. We see this in Jesus’ example when He prays before going to the cross:

‘“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”’ (Luke 22:42)

Luke 22:42

iii. Give us today our daily bread

Finally, Jesus teaches us to pray: ‘Give us today our daily bread’. This is about praying for the every day needs that we have - nothing is too small! Just as the people of Israel, whilst wandering in the wilderness for forty-years, were to collect their daily ‘manna’, so we are to ask for, and rely on, the Father to provide for us each day.

Response

Knowing God as Father inspires us to ask for the things that we need. Whether it’s big or small are we asking the Father for the things we want and need? Are we praying for peace where there is war? Are we praying for governmental elections? Are we praying for direction? Are we praying for those in need? Are we seeking for His will to be done in the world, the church and in our lives? Whether it’s His Kingdom, His will or daily bread, let’s come to the Father in prayer know that, ‘He rewards those who earnestly seek Him’ (Hebrews 11:6).

Hebrews 11:6