The Language of Prayer, Part 1
by Rev. Kirby Williams
Learning from Jesus' short model prayer that a few words from a sanctified heart can speak volumes.
Text: Luke 11:1-4.
Date: 06/25/2023, the Combined service.
Series: "Luke: Thy Kingdom Come" Part 110
Description:
After teaching us the importance of listening to and absorbing the Words of Jesus, Luke introduces another of the "means of grace" by presenting an abbreviated version of the familiar "Lord's Prayer". True, the prayer Jesus reveals is incredibly concise, (only 38 words in the Greek), but the concepts they represent could fill volumes. As we closely analyze the various words in this prayer we will explore the unique language that our redeemed souls have with the One who redeemed us-- sanctifying the true believer who spends time in prayer. Ultimately we will learn that even though our spoken words seem inadequate our prayers develop a language all their own as our minds slowly learn the prayer-language of Scripture and our redeemed souls. Towards that end, we will delight in the brevity of Jesus' model prayer-- a prayer that speaks volumes from the heart, if only a few words from the mouth. In this message we will concentrate on just the first two verses that focus on our relationship with God and His Kingdom.
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I. Introduction, Matt. 6:7-8, Rom. 8:26.
II. Exposition of the text, Luke 11:1-4.
A. Context
1. Revisiting Martha's house, Eph. 2:8-9.
2. Comparison with Matthew.
B. Jesus' concise model prayer.
1. Setting the scene, vs. 1.
a. The praying Jesus.
i. Luke's concentration on Jesus praying, Luke 5:16, 6:12, 9:18,28,29, 22:44; John 17:1.
ii. Modeling a sanctified life of prayer, Heb. 4:15, 2:18.
b. The disciples' request.
2. The most important aspects of prayer, vs. 2.
a. The petition that God would be hallowed, vs. 2a.
i. The privileged address.
1) Unique to Jesus, Jer. 31:9, Luke 2:49, 23:46, Acts 1:7.
2) A great privilege, Rom. 8:15.
3) For believers only, John 14:6.
ii. The petition for God's holiness.
1) What the phrase means.
2) The essence in the name.
3) A personal reverence.
4) An appeal for worldwide reverence.
b. The petition for His Kingdom to dominate, vs. 2b.
i. Trying to comprehend the Kingdom of God.
ii. The work of the Kingdom, John 1:4-5.
iii. A Kingdom with a Sovereign King, Matt. 6:10.
iv. How the petition is manifest.
1) That it would be manifest in me.
2) That it would be manifest in my church.
3) That it would be manifest in my community.
4) That it would be manifest in my country
5) That it would be manifest in the world.
3. The petition for physical sustenance, vs. 3, Matt. 6:8.
a. What Jesus is not saying.
b. An expression of recognized dependence, Matt. 6:31-34.
c. The importance of thankfulness.
d. Petitions for what we need.
4. Petitions for spiritual growth and protection, vs. 4.
a. Grace to forgive our sins, vs. 4a.
i. The importance of forgiveness, vs. 4a.
1) The idea of forgiveness, Psa. 51:4.
2) The method of forgiveness.
3) The need for confession and repentance, 1John 1:9, Psa. 32:3-4, 38:18.
ii. The grace to forgive others, vs. 14b.
1) The command to forgive, Matt. 18:34-35, Luke 17:3-4.
2) Why forgiveness?
a) A sign of grace.
b) The need for grace.
b. Grace to resist temptation, vs. 4c.
i. What Jesus is not saying.
1) God will never tempt us, James 1:13.
2) Jesus is not speaking of sanctifying testing, James 1:2,12.
ii. A petition for protection, Matt. 6:13, John 17:15, Luke 22:31-32, Psa. 23:3.
iii. A petition for sanctification, John 17:11,17.
III. Application
IV. Conclusion
