Luke 11:1-4 - Praying to Our Father

You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.

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To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.

Martin Luther.

Though in its beginnings prayer is so simple that the feeble child can pray,

yet it is at the same time the highest and holiest work to which man can rise.

It is the very essence of true religion, the channel of all blessings, the secret of power and life.

Andrew Murray.

What a man is alone on his knees before God, that he is and no more.

Robert Murray McShane.

Wow.

Prayer is kind of important, right?

Maybe you heard that.

Maybe you thought it's supposed to be.

Our church has said that prayer is one of our core commitments.

It's one of those handful of things that we have said must shape how we do everything that we do.

We recognize our deep dependence and need for prayer.

As our session has talked about these core commitments, the things we want to increasingly define us,

one of the things we've acknowledged also is that this particular one about dependence and prayer

is one that doesn't currently define us nearly as much as we wish it did.

I know it's a struggle for the pastor.

I'm so much like Martha from last week's sermon, the story of Mary and Martha.

I so quickly find my significance in things that I do, how much I'm able to accomplish what other people can see.

And so prayer can feel inefficient, unimpressive, and therefore secondary a lot of times.

We all live in a fast-paced, achievement-oriented culture where slowing down to talk with God is not often rewarded.

Independence is praised more than dependence, right?

So as we come to a place in God's Word in our study through Luke, where Jesus teaches us about prayer,

we decided just to slow down for a few weeks, to talk about this together.

We'll ask as His disciples ask Him here in this passage,

Lord, teach us to pray.

I've been studying these past few weeks, and I'm more and more convinced that I'm learning right along with you,

over and over.

You're probably going to notice that this morning in the unusually high number of other people that I quote,

which could get a little bit annoying for you.

But it's so good, y'all.

The things that God's been teaching me over the last few months about a relationship with Him in prayer,

I'm so eager to be able to share some of that with you as He continues teaching me.

I'm really looking forward to how Jesus will teach us and transform us through this.

So let's read this familiar passage and then ask for His help.

Luke 11 at verse 1.

This is God's Word.

Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when He finished,

one of His disciples said to Him,

Lord, teach us to pray as John taught his disciples.

And He said to them,

When you pray, say,

Father,

hallowed be Your name.

Your kingdom come.

Give us each day our daily bread,

and forgive us our sins,

for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.

And lead us not into temptation.

The grass withers,

the flowers fade,

these words of our God will stand forever.

Let's ask for His help as we look to them.

Jesus, teach me to pray.

Teach them to pray.

Teach us to pray.

We ask it in Your name.

Amen.

Notice briefly before we look at the famous words of the Lord's Prayer

that we've prayed already this morning,

that Jesus Himself is praying yet again

as we turn the page to chapter 11.

And it's actually His activity of praying

that prompts His disciples' request, isn't it?

Now, think about that request for a minute.

Lord, teach us to pray.

Why teach us to pray?

Why not teach us to preach

the way You do so incredibly well, Jesus?

Teach us to perform miraculous signs and wonders

as You do,

and healing and other things.

Teach us to lead so powerfully as You do, Jesus.

Why teach us to pray?

I think Jesus' disciples must have seen

how vital prayer was to who Jesus was.

They've been around Him.

They've seen what drives Him.

They've seen what fuels everything that He does.

And Jesus praying is so often connected

in the Gospel of Luke with His great deeds,

with the things that He does.

He's constantly praying as He goes into them.

And the disciples have watched that.

And they come to Him with a request,

not for information on prayer,

but rather, Lord, teach us to pray.

Jesus gets that request.

Where's He gonna go with that?

Where will He take them to start?

He loves prayer, right?

He does it all the time.

What's He gonna tell someone first?

When to pray?

Where to go to pray?

No.

Jesus starts with the identity

of the person you're talking with in prayer.

My favorite book on prayer,

which is available in the guest center this morning,

if you want a copy,

is this one,

A Praying Life by Paul Miller.

It's a really helpful book.

It's rich theologically and biblically.

It's also very practical

and gives you tips on how to develop

a relationship with God

where prayer is a natural part of life.

But in this book,

Miller reminds us

that fixing your prayer life

is not something that you do

by focusing on prayer itself,

but rather by focusing on the God

to whom you pray.

He gives this analogy

I've shared with you before

that focusing on prayer

is like driving

and looking at the windshield

rather than looking through the windshield

to the road

and the people where you are driving.

Trying to address prayer

by focusing on prayer

is like driving

while staring only at the windshield.

You're never going to get anywhere.

What will motivate us,

what will help our lives of prayer

is knowing and trusting

the person to whom we pray.

That's so important to think about it

in any conversation that you have.

Who you're talking to

is directly connected

to what you're willing to share with them,

what things you might ask of them.

You have to know who they are.

While prayer is in many ways

hard for all of us,

in one sense,

nearly everyone prays.

In the general sense

of speaking to someone

or something beyond yourself,

all sorts of people pray.

Perhaps you have prayed

at some point in your life

or heard someone else pray

to the great being

or to God if you're even there

or can anyone help me.

Certainly to gods of other religions

different from the God of the Bible

and Christianity.

Well, certainly then the content

and the effectiveness of your prayer

hinges on who is hearing your prayer, right?

Who's hearing those words

when you throw them out there?

Who will respond?

And so when Jesus teaches us to pray,

He begins with the identity

of the one we're addressing.

And He says,

when you pray,

say,

Father.

Father.

We're actually going to stop

at this word for today.

I promise we'll move faster next week

beyond the word who.

But you really could stop

at the word Father.

And the rest of the prayer

would fall out

if we stop and contemplate

what it means to be coming to God

and saying,

Father.

Did you know in the Old Testament,

no one ever addressed God as Father?

Father.

God is described there

as a Father,

but no one

would ever address Him

with such a comfortable,

familiar, affectionate term.

No Jew would ever speak

to God that way

except Jesus.

And you turn to the Gospels

and here is Jesus

walking into a context

where you don't call God Father

in every single prayer

in the Gospels

with only one exception.

on the lips of Jesus

calls God Father.

So the disciples have watched Him

and heard Him pray this way.

Undoubtedly,

they've heard

and they've wondered,

what's He doing?

That's not what you say.

But they know

that this is how Jesus,

the one they're beginning to know

is the one and only

Son of God

always begins.

He can do it

and nobody else can.

He says Father.

And now Jesus turns

to His disciples

and says,

you call my Father

your Father.

You call God

the same thing

Jesus does.

You come to Him

in the same way

as you pray.

R.C. Sproul marvels

at what he calls

the unspeakable privilege

privilege of addressing God

in the same terms

of filial familiarity

that Jesus Himself used.

Abba.

Father.

There's so much

wrapped up in that one word.

Relating with God

as our Father

is the essence

of a life of prayer.

It goes beyond

just saying a word.

It's a relationship

where we relate to God

as one who is indeed

our Father

and that's what

a life of prayer

is all about.

Let me unpack

what Jesus' disciples

would be hearing there

just a little bit

and then we'll actually

practice letting this

guide us

and guide our hearts

into prayer.

Two things this morning

that Jesus is teaching us

about praying

in terms of God

being our Father.

and the first is

that God our Father

adopts us

into His family.

That's not just

the heart of prayer.

That's really

the heart of Christianity

if you were wondering

about that this morning.

We talk about Christianity

don't we

as a personal relationship

with God.

We're very prone

to saying that

or hearing that

in the South.

That's not unusual

for you to hear about

having a personal relationship

with God

but I think often

we say that

may not have any idea

what we mean.

What do you mean

a personal relationship

like do you all

even communicate?

Yes.

Yes we should.

Praying to our Father

is at the heart

of having a relationship

with Him.

J.I. Packer

famously wrote

that if you want

to judge

how well a person

understands Christianity

find out how much

He makes

of the thought

of being God's child

and having God

as His Father.

Because see

the family of God

has how many sons?

One.

The family of God

had one son.

The only begotten

Son of God

Jesus Christ.

So for God

to be my Father

He has to adopt me.

He has to bring me

into His family.

And the Jews

know immediately

what that takes.

They're familiar

with this.

Because in the Old Testament

God is called

the Father

of the whole nation

of Israel.

It's referred to

as God's Son.

He is the Father.

And they know

that the context

of that relationship

being discussed

that way

began

when God

calls them

out of slavery

in Egypt

in the Exodus

to freedom

to worship Him

and leads them out

delivers them.

That's what it meant

for God

to be their Father.

When Jesus

tells His disciples

to call God

Father

they hear

that He is

their deliverer.

That the slaves

are called

to be sons

as Peter read

from Romans 8

earlier.

Jesus has come

for a new Exodus

hasn't He?

to set the captives

free

to make slaves

into sons

and if that's

going to happen

that requires

complete forgiveness

because this is

a holy family

the one of which

God

the holy God

is the Father.

To have Jesus

as your brother

and the holy God

as your Father

you must be delivered

from your slavery

to sin

and given a perfect

record of a son

and that's exactly

what Jesus

has come to do

right?

That's why He

can tell us this.

Jesus says

you can call God

Father

because you're

following me

trusting me

and I'm headed

to a cross

to purchase

forgiveness

from all your sins

and in their place

to give you

my perfect

righteousness

so the Holy Father

can welcome you

into His family.

See there's

nothing you can do

you can't

clean yourself up

enough

to call God

Father

but Jesus can

and does

and so

tells you

to call God

Father.

I read this week

the story of

Stan

and Laurie

Helm

you don't know

them but

they many years ago

adopted

a son

Nicholas

when they went

to get him

he was living

as an infant

in a squalid

orphanage

in Russia.

The day they

picked him up

Nicholas was

covered in

scabies

blisters on

his hands

and his feet

and his mouth

and covered

in the stench

of his own

excrement

and that's

when they see

their son.

Stan said this

I looked at

him in all

his distress

I just

wanted to

hold him

to comfort

him

to heal

him

but more

than anything

else I

wanted Nicholas

to know

just how much

Laurie and I

love him.

What a great

picture of the

heart of our

Father

who sees

the filth

of our sin

and yet instead

of being driven

away desires

to heal us

and let us

know how much

he loves us.

Someone said

to Stan once

years later

wow with you

and Laurie

Nicholas just

won the lottery

of adoption

and Stan said

no

no you're wrong

we are the

lucky ones

we won

the lottery

here

no one in the

world could be

happier than we

are to have

Nicholas as

our son.

Can you imagine

that?

Can you imagine

that that's how

God feels

about sinful

broken

bleeding

you?

Could your

Father love

you like that?

He is not

ashamed to be

called our

God

He's our

Father who

delivers us

and delights

in us

because the

love of God

is a perfect

love

He's everything

a father is

supposed to

be

and that

many fathers

often aren't

He's perfect

always

present

tender

strong

bringing

security

reassuring

guiding

He loves

to care

for His

children

That's why

Andrew Murray

urges us

to pray

in our

lowest

darkest

most

pathetic

moments

He says

just because

your heart

is cold

and prayerless

get you

into the

presence

of the

loving

Father

as a

father

pitieth

his

children

so the

Lord

pitieth

you

do not

be thinking

of how

little

you have

to bring

to God

but of

how much

He wants

to give

you

think of

His love

His wonderful

tender

pitying

love

just tell

Him how

sinful

and cold

and dark

all is

it is the

Father's

loving heart

will give

light

and warmth

to yours

look up

and say

my

Father

that's

what it

means

to have

a

Father

that even

when you

have

nothing

to offer

Him

He's

already

planning

to care

for you

when there's

little

to give

and you

know you

have nothing

to bring

He's

waiting

to give

to you

when you've

blown it

and life

is falling

apart

when you're

sleepless

in the

middle of

the night

when your

closest

friends

have

hurt you

deeply

you can

call out

to the

Heavenly

Father

and be

confident

that He

loves you

and forgives

you

because of

Jesus

but many of

you have

heard those

things before

and sometimes

you don't

feel lovable

like that

right

when life

hits hard

a lot of

times

we feel

more

orphaned

than we

do

beloved

I feel

fearful

alone

weak

unwanted

how could

anyone

possibly

care

perhaps

even for

many of

you feel

cynical

that God

would hear

at all

or would

care

if He

did

and it's

actually

especially

in those

moments

when we

feel emotions

like this

that we

need

to pray

Father

Martin Luther

says

in prayer

we wage

a mighty

warfare

in prayer

we wrestle

against the

anxiety

and unworthiness

we feel

within us

do you fight

that battle

with anxiety

and unworthiness

I mean

not sure

do you

have a

father

who listens

and cares

what we

need to

remember

in that

battle

is that

because

He has

adopted

us

into

His

family

God

our

Father

always

always

invites

us

into

His

presence

you may

have seen

this

iconic

photograph

of

John

F

Kennedy

Jr

underneath

the desk

of his

dad

in the

Oval

office

peering

out

from

the

neat

little

door

there

in

the

desk

it's

a

famous

photo

of course

because

of

how

remarkable

it is

that

someone

would

be

there

in

that

place

where

no

one

goes

in

that

office

right

it's

reported

that

John

Kennedy

Jr.

would

come

running

into

the

office

in

the

middle

of

all

sorts

of

important

meetings

and

jump

right

into

his

dad's

lap

and

start

talking

gets

in

there

because

he's

his

son

because

he

was

not

at

work

but

at

home

he

had

full

access

full

access

to

the

father

Tim

Keller

says

just

like

the

only

person

who

dares

wake

up

a

king

at

3

a.m.

for

a

glass

of

water

it's

his

child

that's

what

we

are

so

that

as

Galatians

4

says

we

have

the

full

rights

of

sons

we're

not

just

partially

included

like

because

he

has

to

the

full

rights

of

sons

full

access

to

the

father

who

welcomes

us

into

the

throne

room

of

heaven

walking

straight

into

his

presence

all

the

time

never

doubt

that

you're

welcome

there

at

the

throne

of

the

king

of

heaven

you can

run

in

and jump

in

his

lap

anytime

because

you're

his

child

if

you can

imagine

it

actually

gets

better

than

that

it

actually

gets

better

than

just

you

can

come

in

anytime

he

doesn't

just

accept

us

into

his

presence

he

actually

invites

us

in

and

wants

us

there

and

I

gotta

confess

to

you

this

is

where

I

really

struggle

to

believe

this

and

feel

this

because

when

I'm

struggling

with

prayer

it's

not

usually

that

I

think

if

I

went

and

prayed

God

would

ignore

me

or

he

just

tuned

me

out

and

nobody

would

listen

it's

just

that

I'm

not

always

convinced

that

it's

all

that

important

to

him

so

if

it's

not

a

big

deal

to

me

if

I

don't

really

need

to

pray

or

if

I

don't

really

have

time

exactly

today

then

no

big

deal

to

him

I

don't

need

it

carry

on

and

then

I

think

of

how

my

parents

always

seem

to

answer

the

phone

when

I

call

they

may

be

in

a

meeting

or

at

lunch

with

friends

or

on

vacation

and

they

answer

and

there

are

other

people

talk

I'm

afraid

one

day

they're

going

to

answer

at

a

wedding

or

in

the

middle

of

a

classical

music

concert

or

something

to

talk

with

me

I

think

of

how

I

drove

home

from

work

a

little

faster

this

Wednesday

because

I

was

so

eager

to

hear

about

the

first

day

of

school

and

I

wanted

each

of

my

girls

to

come

up

on

my

lap

and

just

talk

and

talk

and

talk

until

they

couldn't

think

of

anything

else

to

tell

me

about

what

happened

at

the

first

day

of

school

think

of

how

you

respond

when

your

pregnant

daughter

calls

to

give

you

an

update

on

your

grandchild

or

how

you

rush

into

the

crying

child

in

the

middle

of

the

night

eager

to

know

what's

going

on

these

are

images

of

your

heavenly

father's

eagerness

to

hear

from

you

to

hear

your

heart

let me

give you

one more

image

of

that

think

of

Jesus

praying

in

the

garden

of

Gethsemane

sweating

drops

of

blood

in

his

anguish

and

as

he

struggles

and

bows

he

cries

out

father

Abba

what

do you

think

his

father

feels

do you

think

God

was

eager

to

hear

from

his

son

in

that

moment

he

hears

the

same

word

out

of

your

mouth

father

you

get

to

cry

out

exactly

what

Jesus

did

in

that

moment

no

line

more

special

or

quicker

access

than

the

one

you

have

you

call

Jesus

his

father

your

father

and

he's

on

the

edge

of

his

seat

to

hear

from

you

amazing

Thomas

Watson

writes

were

a

man

to

petition

his

enemy

there

were

little

hope

but

when

a

child

petitions

his

father

he

may

hope

with

confidence

to

succeed

the

word

father

works

upon

God

it

touches

his

very

bowels

the

word

father

on

the

lips

of

Jesus

the

word

father

on

your

lips

the

depths

of

his

heart

wants

to

hear

from

you

because

God

is our

father

J.I.

Packer

says

he is

always

more

ready

to

hear

than

we

are

to

pray

and

he

loves

to

give

more

than

we

either

desire

or

deserve

he

delights

in

that

that's

the

God

the

father

that

we

pray

to

what

an

incredible

privilege

full

access

to

the

throne

room

where

he

leans

forward

on

the

edge

of

his

seat

eager

to

hear

the

cries

of

our

hearts

John

Calvin

says

contemplating

God

as our

father

should

impact

our

hearts

too

not

just

God's

heart

the

heart

of

a

father

but

ours

as

his

children

by the

great

sweetness

of the

name

father

father

he

frees

us

from

all

distrust

Calvin

says

Andrew

Murray

adds

in

the

infinite

tenderness

and pity

and patience

of the

infinite

father

that's a lot

of infinite

in his

loving

readiness

to hear

and to

help

which will

never

run out

the life

of prayer

has its

joy

this

is

what

is

to

delight

us

when

Jesus

starts

our

lesson

in

prayer

by

telling

us

to

call

God

father

he's

directing

us

to

consider

this

incredible

relationship

that we

have

with

God

a

relationship

we have

only

because

we're

united

to

his

son

by

faith

we

enter

into

the

throne

room

with

confidence

because

of his

complete

forgiveness

and his

perfect

love

you can

come to

your

father

today

with

full

access

because

of

Jesus

and

know

that

your

heavenly

father

is

eager

to

hear

from

you

that's

the

one

to

whom

we

pray

Jesus

says

each

week

of this

series

on the

Lord's

prayer

we're

going

to

stop

and

take

some

time

to

practice

what

Jesus

is

teaching

us

give

me

a

chance

to

make

you

feel

awkward

we're

not

just

learning

things

about

prayer

right

we're

asking

that

Jesus

would

teach

us

to

pray

I'll

try

to

give

us

questions

to

consider

each

time

in

light

of

how

Jesus

is

directing

our

hearts

in

prayer

which

he's

begun

today

with

one

word

and

is

going

to

keep

explaining

in

the

weeks

ahead

today

when

Jesus

says

father

when

he's

inviting

you

to

come

and

begin

your

prayer

as

father

what

are

things

we

could

consider

questions

we

could

ask

ourselves

to

prepare

our

hearts

and lead

us

into

prayer

we need

to slow

down

and consider

what

what is

my

relationship

with

God

what does

it mean

that he's

my father

we should

meditate

on

how is

it

that I

have

this

relationship

how is

that even

possible

then

finally

ask

yourself

how does

that

reality

impact

how I

pray

how I'm

about to

pray

now

if I've

set

aside

some

time

how I

live

through

this

day

and

relationship

with

him

will

I

pray

again

before

this

time

tomorrow

I'm

going to

guide us

through

a season

of

prayer

considering

these

three

questions

for each

one I'm

going to

have us

read

together

out

loud

a passage

of

scripture

on the

screen

that will

direct us

into

prayer

in these

areas

then we're

going to

take some

time

privately

silently

to

contemplate

that

and to

pray

to our

father

and then

after

each

section

I'll

close

us

in

prayer

join

me

as we

read

1 John

1 John 3 · chapter mention

chapter

3

at

verse

1

what's

our

relationship

with

God

let's

read

together

see

what

great