1. While Jesus was praying, one of the disciples made a request (vs.1) but vs. 5 says Jesus addressed them, more than one.
2. This is the only instance in the Gospels of a request to Jesus for teaching people. And vs. 1 tells us that the Baptist taught His disciples.
3. The Lord's Prayer was spoken by Jesus one year earlier at Mt. 6:9-13. That was in Galilee. This second time in Lk. 11 occurred very likely in Judea. This is a shorter form of the Lord's Prayer.
4. Jesus begins with the word "Father" (vs. 2) and ends with the same word (vs. 13). Jesus spoke often of His Father all the way from Lk. 2:49 to Lk. 23:43. The NT is full of the word "Father". Only Christians, those who believe in Christ, address God as "Father". Muslims and Jews do not use the word.
5. Only Lutherans, on the basis of the Bible, believe that the Word and the Sacraments are means of grace, ways by which God comes to us. For example Rom. 10:17; I Pet. 1:23: Eph. 5:26; Mt. 26:28. Prayer is not called a means of grace. At Lk. 8:11 Jesus said: "The seed is the Word." He did not say: "The seed is prayer." The means of grace bring us forgiveness of sins and salvation. Prayer is an exercise of faith, a response of the Christian to God. Parents feed their children daily bread. The children respond by speaking to their parents.
6. Because the Lord's Prayer is the model prayer in which Jesus enumerates all our needs, Luther made it one of the chief parts of both the Small and the Large Catechism. Before you preach on Luke 11 read again pp. 17-20 in the Russian Lutheran Catechism. At Lk. 11:2 the better manuscripts of the NT do not include the third petition. Evidently, Jesus taught the Lord's Prayer often but did not always use the same form. Prayer is not rigid and mechanical. In the Lord's Prayer Jesus teaches us what we should pray for. Vss. 5-13 tell us how we are to pray.
7. Vss. 5-8 and 11-13 are examples of what is called "the lesser to the greater" figure of speech. The illustration in vss. 5-8 says that if a mere earthly friend will grant the request of his friend not on the bases only of friendship but also because of the unashamed persistence of the friend, how much more will not the heavenly Father grant the request of one of His children. We know that He is our friend. But we must persist in our prayers as did the friend in need in vs. 5-8. A similar illustration is found at Lk. 18:1-8. Vss. 11-13 are also a "lesser to greater" argument. If sinful earthly parents know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more will not our Holy, Loving, Heavenly Father gives good gifts to His children! Vss. 9-10 look both to vss. 5-8 and to vss.11-13. A child of God keeps on praying to his Father because He confidently believes that his Father will answer his prayer. See Jas. 5:16, Ps. 50:15. Like Jesus at Jn. 11:41-42 he says: "Father I thank you that You heard me. And I know that you always hear Me." And when we are too weak to pray the Holy Spirit prays in us. Rom. 8:26-27. Lk. 11:9-10 do not denote different kinds of prayer but the persistence of the Christians.
8. In vss. 5-8 we have three friends in the illustration: one, the friend in need of bread; second, the friend who came from a journey and caused need; third, the friend to whom the first friend goes for bread. But in application there are only two friends: God and the praying Christian. The word "friend" is used four times. But the friendship was not the reason for which the request was answered. The unashamed persistence of friend number one, vs. 8, caused number three to get out of bed and grant the request. The point of the illustration is the persistent, faithful prayer of a Christian. As said above, Lk. 18:1-8 is very similar.
9. John the Baptist and Jesus taught their disciples the art of prayer. Now we have the recorded Word of God which teaches us. It teaches us to pray without ceasing. I Thess. 5:17. We should pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. Eph. 6:18. If God is for us, who can be against us. Indeed, He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him for us, will also give us all needed good things. Rom. 8:31-32.
THEME: Lord, Teach Us to Pray
The Gospel and the Sacraments show us what God, in Christ, has done and still does to save us. Prayer is not what God has done for us but it is our response to God's love and mercy in Christ. But prayer is very important. Faith without works is dead. Prayer is the result of our remaining in Christ. Jesus said: "If anyone does not remain in Me, he is cast out as the branch and burned." Jn. 15:6. There's something wrong with a child that does not speak to its parents. The pleas and requests of a child are welcomed by the parents. LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY.
I. He Teaches Us What We Should Pray For.
The Lord's Prayer is found twice in the Bible. Mt. 6:9-13 and Lk. 11:2-4. We should memorize it and use it often. Luther devoted one section of the Catechism to this prayer and explained it well. It dwells on our prayers for our Lord and for ourselves.
A. Our Prayers For Our Lord.
1. Hallowed be Thy name. Jas. 3:10 says "From the same mouth comes blessing and curse. My brothers, this ought not be: Daily we hear people use God's name frivolously and cursing. That is sin. God's Name should be used only in prayer and to praise Him. We have much to repent over. Let us flee to the Lord.
2. Thy Kingdom come. Here we pray for the extension of the Christian Church all over the world. That is done by preaching and teaching people God's Word, especially the Gospel of forgiveness of sins.
3. Thy will Be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. That petition is not found in Lk. but only in Mt. But it must be mentioned. When Adam and Eve sinned they did Satan's will. When Jesus was tempted He did only God's will. He is our model. Let us flee to the Lord.
B. Our Prayer For Ourselves.
1. Give us day by day our daily bread. This petition covers everything which we need for our bodies in this life. He feeds us daily as He feeds the birds and animals. We must realize that.
2. Forgive us our sins for indeed we forgive everyone who sins against us. The forgiveness of our sins is God's greatest spiritual gift to us. That's why we hear the Gospel. That's why we go to the Lord's Supper.
3. Lead us not into temptation. God tempts no one. This is God's way of reminding us that we are surrounded by temptations.
II. He Teaches Us How We Should Pray.
Vss. 9-10 tell us to pray constantly and they promise that God will hear us. Prayer is God's command and promise.
A. We should pray confidently, in Christian Faith. Here we look at vss. 11-13. An earthly father does not give a snake when a fish is asked. He will not give a scorpion when asked for an egg. How much more will not Our Father in heaven give us the Holy Spirit, that is, all needed spiritual gifts.
B. We should pray persistently. Here we look at vss. 5-8. If an earthly friend will get up at midnight and give his neighbor- friend some bread not because of friendship but because he would not stop asking, how much more will not our Heavenly Father hear the prayers of His children who cry day and night to Him? For a similar thought read Lk. 18:1-8.
C. We should always pray to Our Father. The Lord's Prayer begins with the words "Our Father". He is my Father because He is Jesus' Father. Jesus included me when He said "Our Father". Even on the cross Jesus' first and last words began with "Father". See Lk. 23:34 and 46. His first recorded words say "My Father", Lk. 2:49, and the Gospels are full of Jesus' references to His Father. "You are all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus for as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." Gal. 3:26.
God has commanded us to pray. And He has promised to hear us. We sin when we do not trust in Him and pray to Him. "Do not worry about anything but in everything let your requests be known to God."