PERSEVERING IN PRAYER FOR THE SAKE OF OTHERS
Then, teaching them more about prayer, He used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence. (Luke 11:5–8, NLT)
Jesus taught His disciples to pray in the Sermon on the Mount. A year later, His disciples come to Him and ask Him again, “Teach us to pray.” Jesus repeats His teaching about prayer from the Sermon on the Mount but then He continues on with a parable. The parable adds a beautiful twist to Jesus’ teaching on prayer.
The Lord's prayer focuses on our own relationship with God. It is about how we ought to pray as we approach the Father with the very real and present needs in our own lives. It is about seeking the Lord for our daily bread. But this parable is about what happens when someone we love has a need and we bring that need before the Father. It is about seeking the Lord for someone else's daily bread. This parable is about intercession.
In the parable we see beautiful instructions about how to intercede for others. First, there is a love that seeks to help others who are in need around us. “A friend of mind has arrived” and has no bread.
Second, there is the recognition that we have nothing to offer. “I have nothing for him to eat.” Our friend ultimately needs bread from God. We have little or no help that can truly meet their deepest need. They need bread from God. They need a help that only God can give to them.
Third, there is the confidence of friendship. “Suppose you went to a friend's house...” We are not going to a stranger with this request. We are going to a friend. One whom we know can meet the need, if they so choose.
Unexpectedly, the request is denied. Yet the individual is moved to persevere in prayer for their friend in need. For whatever reason, the request is denied. Perhaps it is something like, “He is a friend of yours, but not yet a friend of mine. Why should I provide for what they need?” But because of friendship the person making the request continues to intercede on behalf of their friend in need. And because of friendship the Friend hears and finally answers the prayer.
And lastly, there is the reward of the prayer of intercession. “He will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.” This kind of intercession is not pretty, it is ugly. It is a shameless persistence that continues before God and cries out until God meets the need. And when God finally meets the need, there is abundance. God provides all that is needed.
In this parable, prayer is an appeal to the friendship of God. Where other parables and stories use a Father analogy, this parable uses a Friend analogy to describe our requests to God. We are appealing to God, our Friend, on behalf of another friend, who is not yet a friend of God. This parable impresses on us the relational aspect of intercessory prayer. As well, it describes the imperative need of intercessory prayer.
We pray to obtain God's strength and blessing in our own life, but if we really want to aspire to pray like Jesus, it involves moving into intercessory prayer. Just as Jesus intercedes for us, we must learn to intercede for our friends, and to persevere in that until they also become God's friends.
What is God saying to me today?
My Prayer List:
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Personal Prayer:
Father God, I come to You on behalf of [insert name of your friend]. They don't know You yet. They have so many needs and I just cannot meet those needs. I have nothing to offer them, but You do. I humbly ask that You would hear my heart for my friend and that You would hear from Heaven and You would answer my request. God, here is what they need. [Talk to God about their need.] Ultimately Lord, they need You. They need a friendship with You. Would You please draw them to Yourself? Please work in their heart and lead them to Yourself. Amen.