Faith Comes by Hearing A Note to You…

Luke 11:5-13

“The Parable of the Midnight Friend & the Sovereignty of God in Prayer”

I. Introduction

• Context: This passage follows Jesus’ teaching of the Lord’s Prayer (Luke 11:1-4). It continues the theme of prayer, emphasizing persistence, trust, and God’s sovereignty in answering prayers. A note on the Lord’s Prayer as the KJV begins with “Our Father, which art in heaven” and it is omitted from the ESV:
  • The Lord’s Prayer precedes the text we study here. There is a difference between the ESV and other versions as ESV omits parts of said in Matthew 6.
  • As a note, The 1563 Reformed Heidelberg Catechism, the King James, Martin Luther’s “Shorter Catechism”, an the 1662 “Book of Common Prayer” from the English Reformation all read more like the Matthew 6 passage. The LXX reads like the ESV using “?????” or “Father” where “which art in heaven” would be understood by the context.
  • In the Matthew 6 Olivet Discourse, many of the same parables appear, was Dr. Luke is paraphrasing Mt 6? Possibly, but the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray the way John the Baptist prayed, and Matthew 6 is more a public setting.

II. The Parable of the Midnight Friend (Luke 11:5-8)

A. The Context of the Parable (v. 5-6)

• This is written from the first person listener (those hearing Jesus) being the one who goes to his friend at night. We are the ones without bread. We are the ones with a traveler that is hungry, and we are the one with nothing to offer. Jesus is speaking to you / me. We are in a panic with nothing to offer because first the visitor is unexpected, and I am unprepared. I go to my friend’s house asking for three loaves because I’ve lacked in my own preparation.
• Thought: How often are we unprepared when prayer is needed, and we are taken unawares – just like the man seeking bread, we have left off being prepared. Jesus JUST said “give us our daily bread”, and the person in the parable has no bread. Not petitioning God daily? What is the message to us? In John 6:35, Jesus is called the “bread of life” – providing our sustenance as daily manna as was provided in the desert for 40 years to the Hebrews – and that bread only lasted for a day – and God provided again the next day. For 40 years daily. In the preceding verses, Jesus mentions “our daily bread”

• Spiritual poverty is the result of a lack of prayer. Christ is sufficient for all needs, but are we do we pray? Does just being a Christian enough? As the man in the parable went to his friend empty-handed, so we come to Christ with nothing to offer – and how much more is Christ able to provide?

• Daily bread! Asked for daily. Matthew 6:34- “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Daily bread lasts for today. God rained bread daily on the Hebrews to cause them to depend on Him.

B. The Reluctance of the “Friend” (v. 7)

• The friend initially refuses, as it was inconvenient to rise. He answers, but does not immediately rise to respond. The “friend” responds with “Don’t bother me”.
• Thought: Friends are willing to help when the time is right, but often not when it’s inconvenient. God’s readiness to hear our prayers – the contrast between the human and divine. God delights in hearing from His own children and responding to His elect in accordance with His divine will “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” (Isaiah 65:24). God is not reluctant like our human friends.

C. The Power of Persistence (v. 8)

• The friend gives in because of the man’s importunity (persistent asking). The Greek word translated as importunity implies shameless persistence. “Importunity” (???????? – Anaídeia – Ah-‘Ny-Day-Uh) – Luke 11:8 “I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.” (KJV) Your friend is only willing to wake and help you not because you are his friend, but because you are beating his door down. This word is only used once in the entire New Testament. It is also translated as “importunity” (KJV) or “persistence” (NIV) or “impudence” (ESV).
• Luke 18:1-6 – the Parable of the Unjust Judge who did not regard God. Similar idea “lest by her continual coming she weary me”. Christ summarizes in Verse 8: “Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”
• Jesus Christ in Gethsemane. Luke 22:40-44 – “ And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” “If you be willing”. “Not my will”. Agony. And He went along further. Are we going further??
• As this word only occurs once, the implication of this word is not a singular thought in scripture at all. Persistence in “means” is not a rare thing. The puritans spoke often about the “use of means of grace”. Are we using the means of grace available to us?
• And this: Matthew 11:12 – “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” What does this mean? Heaven suffereth violence? Puritan pastor Thomas Watson in the 1600’s said that “while the meek inherit the earth, the violent inherit heaven.” How does heaven suffer violence? It is violence to flesh so we can positionally be prepared to approach God in prayer:
  • Do violence to our sins – Romans 6:6 – “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him (that is, with Christ), that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” So long as we live, we will be dealing with our flesh that would like to rise up.

• Do violence to our actions – Ephesians 4:22 – “That ye put off concerning the former conversation (life / lifestyle) the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts”.
• Do violence to our priorities. It takes effort to put off things of the world and distractions to read God’s Word. Everything else wants to intrude and become a priority. God God’s word the priority.
• Do violence to our thoughts – Meditate on Holy things, God’s severity against sin and His holy hatred of sin, uncoupling ourselves from this world. We should be meditating on heaven, and offer violence to heaven with our prayers.
• Thought: Perseverance / importunity is a mark of genuine faith. Unbelievers do not have this, as the unbeliever only sees sanctification as a waste of time. This does not mean we can force God’s hand because His will is determined, but it illustrates God’s ordained means — He commands us to persist in prayer as part of His sovereign plan – it is commanded.
  • Prayer does not change God’s mind, but aligns us with His will (1 John 5:14-15) “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”
  • *With Abraham on the Plains of Mamre in Genesis 28, God’s mind was settled, but Abraham left off his persistence under the assumption that there would be ten righteous in Sodom. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was settled, but had Abraham continued to ask, he could have learned the full intention of God.*
• Jeremiah in Lamentations 3:55-58 “I called upon thy name, O Lord, out of the low dungeon. Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry. Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not. O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.” Jeremiah gives thanks even from his lowest despair.

• Jonah 2: 2-9 “And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God. When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.” Jonah gives thanks even from his lowest despair.

III. The Call to Prayer: Ask, Seek, Knock (Luke 11:9-10)

A. Threefold Command (v. 9)

• Ask – Demonstrates humility, acknowledging our dependence on God. ????? (aite?)
• Seek – Implies diligence in pursuing God’s will. ????? (z?te?)
• Knock – Requires perseverance in faith. ????? (krou?)
• “Ask, Seek, Knock” (A Continuous Action) – Luke 11:9-10 “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”  These verbs are in the present active imperative tense, meaning continuous action:  “Keep on asking” “Keep on seeking” “Keep on knocking”.
• Thought: These verbs’ tense are emphasizing ongoing, consistent, urgent prayer. However, only the elect will persist in true prayer, because God has first drawn them to Himself (John 6:44) as no one comes to Christ unless the Father has drawn him in. James 4:8 – “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” The use of means (prayer) and method (importunity) are declared in scripture. Those not regenerated by God may speak and speak much, but will not be heard.

B. The Certainty of God’s Answer (v. 10)  “For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”

• Persistence brings us into alignment with God’s will. Why? Because Jesus has said so in the text.
• God hears the prayers of His children, though He may not always answer as we expect. It can be yes, no, or later – hence the need for importunity. An answer of “Yes” is always a blessing and reveals we are in alignment with the will of God, and often the answer of No is also a blessing – we may not now see what was avoided or what we may have been saved from or we may have been asking for a lesser blessing when God wants to answer with His best. Not our best.
• An example of “later importunity” would be Revelation 6:9-11 “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:  And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.” Later for these saints was yet in heaven / yet they were still importune toward the throne of grace. God will eventually answer.
• Often we fail because of our lack of faith and perseverance.
• Thought: Prayer is not a blank check for receiving whatever we want. God answers prayers according to His will, not ours (James 4:2b-3 “ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts., Romans 8:27 “And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” The elect will ultimately seek spiritual rather than carnal blessings (Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you”). Let us not continue to pray in the give me, give me, give me attitude, but in “whatever you deem to be the best for me, Lord” attitude.

IV. The Father’s Goodness in Answered Prayer (Luke 11:11-13)

A. Earthly Fathers and Their Gifts (v. 11-12) – Let me develop a thought:

• “If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone?” Some translations (ESV) uses the ask of a fish and giving a serpent. The idea is the same. God will not give His child something harmful – He is a good God Whom loves His children. We want God’s will and His best. God wants to give us His best.
• Thomas Watson, “Heaven Taken my Storm” – In the Book of Esther, she stands before the King Asashuerus with his golden scepter and tells Esther:  5:3 “Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom.” We have a Heavenly Father Whom loves us and tells His children: Luke 12:32 – “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Not a half kingdom, but the entire kingdom. That is the goodness of our Heavenly Father. We want God’s will and His best. God wants to give us His best.
• 1 Corinthians 3:21-23 “Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.” There is not one single thing that God is not willing to give you in accordance with His will. Not one thing. If there was one single thing that was held back, then scripture would be wrong when it says “all things”. (The End of the Wicked Contemplated by the Righteous – Jonathan Edwards). We want God’s will and His best. God wants to give us His best.
• The partition between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies was a curtain and not a door, and at the death of Christ, the veil was torn in twain from the top to the bottom giving us the same access as the priest. We can ask God our heart’s delight because we now have access. Mark 15:38. ?????????? – it is finished and forever stands complete. And we can ask. We want God’s will and His best. God wants to give us His best.
• Even sinful parents give good gifts to their children, and the general graces of God are also shed on the ungodly to reinforce the goodness of God generally to mankind, but He will not hear their prayer regardless of importunity.
• Thought: If sinful fathers provide for their children, how much more will the perfectly sovereign and good God provide for His elect? Are we asking amiss for lesser or lower things? If the cattle on a thousand hills belong to Him, too often we come to God as a pauper forgetting the knowledge that we approach the One Whom spoke the worlds into existence and sustains them with the Word of His power. We want God’s will and His best. God wants to give us His best. This leads us to this:

B. Here is the BEST AND THE GOAL OF ASKING – The Gift of the Holy Spirit (v. 13)

• After going this far in the study, I am sorry to disappoint you to say God’s best for you isn’t a new car, new house, perfect health, new clothes. New job. God’s best is the presence of His Holy Spirit.
• “How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” “How Much More”: ???? ?????? (pos? mallon). A rhetorical formula used in Jewish argumentation with Jesus arguing from the lesser to the greater:
• This passage parallels Matthew 7:11, where Jesus speaks of giving good gifts. Here we see the “Divine Passive” – it shall be given, you shall find, it shall be opened. This is akin to digging for a buried treasure. Not forced on you, but given freely to those that are willing to ask persistently.
• Here, the ultimate gift is the Holy Spirit—the greatest blessing a believer can receive.
• Thought:  The Spirit’s presence in a believer’s life is proof of election (Ephesians 1:13-14 “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”). The unsaved pray for material things, but only the elect hunger for the Spirit (Psalm 42:1-2 “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”) God grants the Holy Spirit to those whom He has chosen  – Acts 2:39 “For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself”. That is, only His elect.
• The Holy Spirit will assist you in “seeing God”. We cannot apprehend God without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We cannot apprehend God without His Word – which is illuminated by the Holy Spirit. When we properly apprehend God through the Holy Spirit, many things will happen to us.
  • We will purify our hearts
  • We will highly esteem His Word
  • We will become humble before Him

V. Application: The Proper Approach to Prayer

1. The Sovereignty of God in Prayer

• God has decreed all things from eternity past (Ephesians 1:11 “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will”). Yet, He commands us to pray because prayer is His ordained means to accomplish His will. Prayer does not change God’s plan, but it changes our hearts to align with His purposes. We are His children. We May not see His complete outcome as He does, but He still implores us to pray with importunity to seek His will for our lives.

2. Praying According to God’s Will

• True, effectual prayer is not about manipulating God (because you can’t), but about seeking His will (1 John 5:14 “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us”). Where can see find God’s will? From God’s Word. You will not find it in the newspapers or on TV or the internet. God has chosen to reveal Himself in one place, and that is in His Word. Luke 16:17 – “And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.” Is there freedom in asking? Yes, so long as it agrees with His will – period.
• The Holy Spirit intercedes for believers when they do not know what to pray for (Romans 8:26 “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words”). When we lack words, He takes over. If you let Him.
• Sometimes, those praying are left empty. There may be reasons:
  • Are you seeking in pride and not in humility?
  • Are you seeking diligently? Too many are lazily seeking in prayer. The one in the Song of Solomon desired her love, but only looked in bed first – it required her to search more earnestly in the city and broader ways – Song of Solomon 3:1-2.
  • We are not searching with all our heart: Jeremiah 29:13 “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

3. The Greatest Gift: The Holy Spirit

• Many seek earthly blessings, but the greatest request we can make is for more of God Himself. The Holy Spirit is the seal of our salvation and the power for sanctification (Ephesians 1:13-14), and like the Greeks at the feast in John 12:21 “we would see Jesus” – make having more of God your goal in life. The presence of the Holy Spirit is not manifest in a “sign gift”, or other outward physical manifestation, but comes in the confidence that you belong to Him and have assurance of salvation. The Holy Spirit is parakl?tos (??????????) means “called alongside” or “one who is called”. It’s a verbal adjective that’s often used to describe someone who is called to help in court. In Christ, you are never alone, but have the help of the Holy Spirit – the third person of the Trinity – who is referred to as “He” by Jesus. John 16:13- “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”

4. The Assurance of God’s Goodness

• God does not always grant our requests immediately, but He always gives what is best. Often, God withholds lesser blessings to give greater spiritual gifts and blessings. Jesus pointed to the Holy Spirit as the highest gift, explaining that God gives spiritual blessings more readily than earthly ones. Seek the best gifts.