IMPORTUNITY AND PRAYER !

IMPORTUNITY AND PRAYER ! Let's look at another passage of Scripture where Jesus is teaching his Dad disciples to pray: "And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples see unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples (Luke 11:1) . Now you have to remember that Jesus had not bled and died and resurrected at this point; so they were still operating under the old covenant principles. Notice that the disciples didn't say, "teach us how to heal the sick or how to cast out demons." Neither did he asked to be taught how long to pray or when to pray, but he recognized that the power behind Jesus ministry was the fact that He knew how to pray accurately. Knowing how to pray accurately is one of the keys to victorious living. In (John 12:49) it is written, "if anyone hears my teachings and fails to observe them [does not keep them, but disregard them], it is not who will judge him. For I have not come to judge and to condemn and to pass sentence and to inflict penalty on the world, but to save the world. Anyone Who Rejects Me and persistently set Me and naught, refusing to accept My teachings, has his judge [however]: for the [very] message that I have spoken will itself judge and convict him at the last day. This is because I have never spoken on My own authority or of my own accord or as self appointed, but the Father who sent Me Has Himself given Me orders [concerning to say and what to tell." The amplified Bible. "I will raise up for them a prophet (Prophet) from among their brethren like you, and will put My words in his mouth; and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not hearken to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him." (Deuteronomy 18: 18-19). The disciples asked, Lord, teach us to pray. Jesus answered: when you pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive everyone that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil (v.v. 2-4). Notice that His name was not included in the model of how to pray. "And he said unto them, which of you shall have a free, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine in his journey is, to me, I have nothing to set before him. And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give the (v.v. 5-7). Notice that Jesus is asking a question here from verse 5 to 7. The amplified Bible has the ? It the end of verse 7, and I believe that is where it should be. You understand clearly what Jesus is saying, I want to ask you the same question: Would you have a friend like that ? If you went to him or her at midnight and said, "company came in unexpectedly and I need a loaf of bread. Would you lend me one ?" Would he or her say, "No, you know I am in bed and my children are with me, you are to have come by before I went to be. I can't give you any bread now" ! Would you have a friend like that ? Would you want a friend like that ? No, of course not. With friends like that, you wouldn't need any enemies. Now you can see what Jesus is saying. Notice he is talking about a friend. There is no relationship, no kinship here at all. He or she is just a friend. He wants to know if you would have a friend like that. I'm sure you have already answered it in your own mind. None of us would want a friend like that. In the literal Greek, verse 6 reads this way: "for a friend of mine in his journey has come unto me and I have not what I shall set before him." Now can you recognize this as a faith statement. He doesn't have it or see it yet, but he says, "I will set it before him."