PARABLES OF PRAYER

Sermon Summary, “Parables of Jesus: Prayer” Luke 11:1;5-13: 18:1-8, July 24, 2016

I remember my Mom teaching me to to pray.  I was three or four.  “And take special care of Uncle Dean.”  I was too young to know who God was and as I read these parables, I wonder if it is more important to know how to pray or to know the nature of the God to whom we are praying?  How or who?  As it turns out, Jesus did both.  “Our Father..” Then he teaches us the nature of God.

In the first parable (space necessitates leaving the reading to you), a man knocks on the door of a friend at midnight, begging for bread to show hospitality to a guest and is rebuffed until the friend finally gives in because of his persistence.  In the second, a reluctant secular judge finally gives a poor widow justice, not because of he was just, but because she was a pest.  William Barclay calls these parables of contrast.  God is NOT like that.  In verse Luke 11:13, Jesus says, “how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”

Holy Spirit.  This is the key.  We do not always get what we ask for and in retrospect, we know how often that would have been harmful to us or to others.  But we always, always receive the presence of God in the person of the Holy Spirit.  It is the nature of God to be present with us, to be available for conversation with every breath we take and every step we make.  For Jesus, prayer was part of him, with every breath.  With every breath we take and every step we make.

God answers our petitions with the presence of the Holy Spirit.  I picture my life as a series of forks in the road, paths that I must choose.  I know this, if I ask the Holy Spirit, I am far more likely to choose the correct path.  Sometimes I’m wrong and end up on the wrong path because of my free will.  Sometimes I end up on the wrong path because of the free will of others (remember he story of Joseph being thrown into prison because of Potiphar’s wife?).  Even on the wrong path, God is with us and will allow us to make the best of it.  Constant communication with every breath we take and every step we make.  I guess that’s what Paul meant when he said, “All things work for Good for those who love God..”  God has given us his Holy Spirit for the asking.

Before finishing, “Uncle Dean,” prayer of intercession, really a prayer of “Thy kingdom come..”  My Uncle Dean could only be safe if the kingdom is breaking through where he is, where he and others around him and creation are within the will of God.  “Thy kingdom come..” is no small prayer.