Taking the Lord's Prayer and the accompanying parable, along with the Parable of the Persistent Widow that Jesus told, what can we learn about prayer? Persistent prayer rather than badgering God for the 'right' answer. These slides accompany the full sermon / preach notes which have helpful additional Bible References in the Footnotes and can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rg60hEfsvX0SC5exUQ4qs-0VtRDrm9Bxk2_xxHWk-0A/edit?usp=sharing

3. Luke 11:5-13 (ESV)
5: And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will
go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me
three loaves,
6: for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have
nothing to set before him’;
7: and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the
door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I
cannot get up and give you anything’?
8: I tell you, though he will not get up and give him
anything because he is his friend, yet because of his
impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs.

4. Luke 11:5-13 (ESV)
9: And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and
you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
10: For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks
finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
11: What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will
instead of a fish give him a serpent;
12: or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?
13: If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to
your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give
the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

5. Luke 18:1-8 (ESV)
1: And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought
always to pray and not lose heart.
2: He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither
feared God nor respected man.
3: And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to
him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’
4: For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself,
‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man,

6. Luke 18:1-8 (ESV)
6: And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge
says.
7: And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him
day and night? Will he delay long over them?
8: I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily.
Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith
on earth?”

7. Context: The Lord’s Prayer
● When looking at a passage of Scripture, what’s before
and after it matters.
● The first Parable follows the Lord’s Prayer.
● How we pray impacts on what we pray.

8. Context: The Lord’s Prayer
Father, Hallowed be your Name
● Acknowledge first the position and character of God
⇒ He is our ultimate Father!
● Acknowledge He is holy.
● God will answer prayer right and perfectly.
Your Kingdom Come
● Put building God’s kingdom first.
● “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness”
(Matthew 6:33)

9. Context: The Lord’s Prayer
Give Us Each Day Our Daily Bread
● We’ve already put God first in our praying.
● Asking God to meet our needs.
● Trusting God first to meet our needs as he sees them.
Forgive Us Our Sins, Help Us Forgive Others and Help Us
Avoid Temptation
● If we have unconfessed sin, we cannot presume to ask
anything of a holy God.
● Forgive others too: Matthew 5:23,24

10. The Parable of the Annoying Neighbour
His Request Was Genuine
● He was asking for something he needed (bread)
Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has
arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before
him. (Luke 11:5b-6)
His Persistence Was Rewarded
● he will not get up and give him anything because he is
his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and
give him whatever he needs (Luke 11:8)

11. The Parable of the Annoying Neighbour
God Is Not The Annoyed Neighbour!
● God responds to our prayers because he loves us (the
opposite of the Parable’s annoyed neighbour)
● God will respond with a good thing (from his
perspective)
● No matter how God chooses to respond, he is still doing
a good thing.
● We don’t always get what we ask for. But he will freely
give us the Holy Spirit. (Luke 11:13)

12. The Parable of the Persistent Widow
● Widow would have been in an extreme case of need and
likely poverty.
● Her repeated asking for justice shows her situation was
definitely unfair (Luke 18:3).
● Her complaint was justified.

13. The Parable of the Persistent Widow
What We Learn About Prayer
● We should persist in hope:
And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought
always to pray and not lose heart (Luke 18:1)
● We should not abandon prayer
⇒ If the Lord’s Prayer could be used daily, prayer is
important!
● We should not lose heart
⇒ Just because God takes his time doesn’t mean he
won’t ever answer!

14. The Parable of the Persistent Widow
What We Learn About Prayer
● Parable is about something specific (justice)
⇒ God is not the unjust judge (Luke 18:6,7)
● Prayer must be in faith (Luke 18:8)
⇒ a belief in and a trust of the one you’re praying to.
○ Confidence in God’s character not ourselves
(Hebrews 4:16)
○ Trust God with your prayers
○ God hears us & knows what we need before we ask!

15. What If We Don’t Really “Need” It?
What do you think you “need”? (My personal list below)
● I Need a Stable Job
○ Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we
eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we
wear?’ (Matthew 6:31)
● I Need Savings and a Pension for the Future
○ “Give us each day our daily bread” (Luke 11:3)
● I Need to be Free of Pain
○ “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made
perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

16. What If We Don’t Really “Need” It?
What do you think you “need”? (My personal list below)
● I Need to Own a Home
○ “Your Father knows what you need before you ask
him” (Matthew 6:8)

17. What Is It OK to Keep Praying For?
1. Salvation for the Lost (2 Peter 3:9)
2. Justice (Luke 18:7)
3. To Become More Godly (2 Corinthians 3:18)
4. The Holy Spirit’s Power (Acts 4:23-31)
5. For Our Needs To Be Met (Luke 11:3)
6. Forgiveness of Sins (1 John 1:9)

18. What Is It OK to Keep Praying For?
7. Anything God Hasn’t Clearly Said “No” To
● If your prayer is aligned with God’s priorities
● Ask other Christians to pray and check Scripture
● Keep Bible verse use in context.
● Be open to God answering the way he chooses to.
● God won’t answer in a way that contradicts his
character.

19. TL;DL - Too Long, Didn’t Listen?
● Pray, and trust the God you’re praying to!
● God will freely provide the Holy Spirit to help you.
● He will answer prayers within his will and plan for your
life.
● God is working for our best in his perfect vision for our
lives (Romans 8:28)