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.”
One subject that the disciples asked Jesus to teach them about was the area of prayer. They said in Luke 11:1, “Lord, teach us to pray,…” They understood that the most important thing a Christian could learn to do is to pray. You may learn how to do many other things in the Christian life, but one thing you must learn to do is to pray. When I look at what Jesus taught them about prayer, I notice several things.
First, I noticed that you should pray when you have a need. In verse 5, Jesus teaches them about prayer by using a parable. He said, “Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;…” You will notice that there was a need for bread. This man had no bread to feed a friend who came to visit him late at night. So, he went to his next door neighbor to ask for bread.
Whenever you have a need, you should always pray. Some often wonder if the need must be a big need, and certainly we should pray when our needs are big, but we should also pray for every small need. Philippians 4:19 says, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” God has the resources to answer your need; however, you must ask him to supply it if He is going to give it. Whenever a need arises, your first response should be to pray.
I also noticed that prayer is never convenient. It was late at night when this friend went to his neighbor to ask for bread. It wasn’t convenient to ask at that time, but he had a need. It is never convenient to pray. You will always find that prayer is needed at the most inconvenient times. Don’t let the inconvenience of prayer keep you from praying.
Furthermore, prayer should not be a last resort, but it is a last resort. We should pray at all times, but we should also understand that praying is truly the last resort for every Christian. Though we often hear that we should not pray only when it is an emergency, if every prayer happens because of a need, then every prayer is an emergency. Don’t let the Devil shame you into not praying because you don’t want to make prayer a last resort.
Moreover, don’t give up when you pray. This man in the parable didn’t give up when he was told his need wouldn’t be met. Instead, he kept on knocking. Let me encourage you to keep on praying when you have a need. Don’t ever give up on a prayer. Prayers don’t always get answered immediately. This is why you should never give up. Pray until it is answered.
Finally, be precise in your prayers. When you pray, don’t beat around the bush, but tell God exactly what you want. This man in the parable said he needed three loaves of bread. That is very precise. When you are praying, be precise with God. He likes to show His power when His children get precise.
Friend, prayer always comes at an inopportune time. Don’t let the importunity of prayer keep you from praying. Take these lessons from this parable and keep on praying. There is a prayer you quit on; I encourage you to pick it up and start praying again.