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Praying for God’s Will in Salvation
Luke 11:1-13
When do you pray? Hopefully, we’re praying all the time. As we’re instructed in 1 Thessalonians, we must pray without ceasing. Unfortunately, we only pray when things are tough. But it’s also good and right to pray more when the going gets tough. Like in Psalm 56:3 - “When I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” David prayed to God in his troubles. The Psalms record his prayers. Our Lord Jesus, the greater David, also always prayed. He often prayed in secluded places away from others. Sometimes he prayed all night. Why? As a man, he needed to commune with God. He prayed because he was doing kingdom work. He prayed before major decisions - like choosing his apostles. He needed wisdom. And he also prayed before miracles - like the feeding of the 5000 and the raising of Lazarus. Why? Because these were key events in kingdom building. And he also prayed in times of great need. At Gethsemane and the cross, our Lord cried to God. He prayed as man to be spared from suffering but also that he would stay the course. And he prayed for God to forgive sinners. Why? He was always praying for God’s will in salvation. And here, he taught his disciples to pray. For what? To pray for God’s will to be done in salvation. There are 3 divisions from this passage for our learning. Firstly, the need for prayer. Secondly, an education in prayer. And thirdly, the expectation in prayer.
Firstly, the need for prayer. Verse 1 - “And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” Why was Jesus praying? What was the occasion? If he prayed before major things, why was he praying now? Remember, this was the last 6 months of his earthly life. He came for the Feast of Tabernacles and remained in Judea. Since then, he was interrogated in the temple, confronted by a political trap, and tested by a scheming lawyer. It was now mid-autumn; the time of his death was coming. When he healed the blind man on the Sabbath, the religious authorities continued to plot against him. And he knew what was coming. He just said in John 10 - “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” He was now ministering around Judea, because of the danger in Jerusalem. This is why he prayed - for strength. He was about to be sacrificed for the sins of the people.
And he was also likely praying for his disciples. He sent them out to preach - all 70 of them. Why? His hour was coming. He spent almost three years, in Galilee, preaching and teaching. Now, it was Judea’s turn. He was, after all, the Light of the World. And so he prayed for his disciples. Did they really know who Jesus was? Did they know what would happen to him? He told them often enough - that he’d be delivered to be killed. And he had faithful disciples who listened - like Mary - to every word. But then he had busy disciples who didn’t. He was praying for every one of them.
And he was also praying for their benefit. Notice, that the disciples knew he was praying - that’s why they asked him how to pray - “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” So he taught them the Lord’s Prayer. Now, here’s a question - hadn’t Jesus already taught his disciples in Matthew 6 to pray it? Why the need for this instruction? So to be clear, that time was in Galilee. He was preaching his sermon on the side of the mountain. But here, it was a different set of disciples, a different location. And remember Galilee? After Jesus gave his Bread of Life sermon, many of his disciples left. They couldn’t accept or believe his teaching. John 6:66 - “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.” But here in Judea, there were those who came to believe, through the ministry of the 70. And being in Judea, they were familiar with the ministry of John the Baptizer. So they asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. Our Lord frequently repeated things. He fed the 5000 Jews in Galilee. He fed the 4000 Gentiles in Decapolis. He healed people in Galilee, but also those in Tyre and Sidon. He ministered to Nicodemus, but also taught the Samaritan woman. So here, the Lord was teaching these disciples. He’d been teaching Martha and Mary. And now, he’d teach about prayer. Why? Because after disciples listen, disciples must pray. Word and prayer must always go together.
Secondly, an education in prayer. So the Lord taught them in verses 2-4. And as we know, this was taught as a model of prayer. We see the content of the prayer. There’s an address, 6 petitions, and a conclusion. What were they to pray? As Jesus prayed, he trusted in God as his father. God was Father - Abba. This is how he addressed God in Gethsemane; if it be possible, Father, let this cup pass from me. In his high priestly prayer, “Father, the hour is come, glorify your son.” And at the cross - “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Why does he teach us to address God as Father? To awaken in us a childlike reverence and trust toward God - which should be basic to every prayer. And God is our Father through Christ. He’s not a genie to be commanded. And as father, he’ll never deny us anything that we ask in faith. And he’s in heaven. He’s not an earthly father. As a heavenly father, he’s powerful to supply what we need for our body and soul. So notice what he teaches them to pray for.
First, that they would be saved. “Hallowed be thy name.” It’s a prayer that God’s name would be sanctified, glorified, and praised. How does this happen? When all would rightly know him. That all would direct their whole lives - thoughts, words, and actions - so that his name would not be blasphemed. But mankind will not automatically do this. So he gets them to pray - thy kingdom come, that secondly, they’d be obedient. They should pray that they’d be ruled by him, until the whole world submits to God. That the work of the devil - which is to deceive and kill - will be destroyed; and God’s kingdom will come in fullness. That all who should be saved are saved. But thirdly, that they’d also be productive. That saved people will carry out our duties willingly and faithfully, so that God’s kingdom on earth will like that in heaven - that God’s will be done.
But for that to happen, fourthly, we trust in God for daily sustenance so we can be productive. “Give us day by day our daily bread.” That as saved people of God, we’d be sustained in body, to acknowledge him alone as God - so that saved people will not look to any other thing, but trust only in him. But not just trusting him for daily sustenance, but fifthly to grow in holiness. That God would forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors. We so trust in God for cleansing that it shows in our own character. As God has forgiven, we become God-like. And sixthly to know that we can’t do this by ourselves. We’re so weak we can’t even stand for a moment against our enemies - the devil, the world, and our flesh. So we’re asking God to lead us not into temptation, but to deliver us from Satan; to be daily strengthened by the Holy Spirit.
Beloved, this is the content of our prayer. But we often pray for things - and that’s fine - because we’re called to pray such prayers. But sometimes we’re only praying for things - good grades, health, job, etc. But why do we pray for them? To be sustained to be productive for God’s kingdom. Give us this day our daily bread. Why? So we can live, that God be glorified in our salvation. So we can live, to be obedient. So we can live to grow in holiness. These are the things saved people pray for.
And how are to we pray such a prayer? We’re to pray persistently. Verses 5-8 speaks of how persistently we are to pray. But it also describes God’s gracious answer to such persistent prayer. If the Lord’s prayer - the prayer Christ taught us to pray - is our greatest desire, and if we pray it persistently, why won’t God answer it? He’s our heavenly father. But you know what? We only pray for daily bread! For things. But saved people pray for more than that - for God’s will to be done in their lives - to be saved, holy, spiritually productive. We pray for daily bread so we’d be spiritually productive. If we pray persistently for this - God will answer. But if we pray for unspiritual things - remember what James 4:3 says? “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” God won’t answer.
But if not for unspiritual things, then for what? James 1:5 says, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” We ask God for wisdom to pray spiritual things. And when we pray, we ask in faith - with singular purpose. “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” If you pray rightly, and not lustfully, God will give all of these things liberally. But if you don’t ask in faith, but you’re double minded - you still want your lusts - then why would God answer your lustful prayer? But if you ask for the things in the Lord’s prayer, that’s what you will receive. As verse 9 says, “Ask, and it shall be given you.” If you ask for a good thing, the good things that Christ instructed you to ask, God’ll give it to you. But how must you ask? Persistently.
Jesus gave an example of this persistence and this mercy. He gave the example of a man who was fast asleep in his home. And Jewish homes - called insulas - were like townhouses built together. The door in front led to the main living area of the house, where the family would also sleep, with the kitchen in the back. So at bedtime, the father of the house would sleep by the entrance, protecting his family who’d sleep on mattresses all the way to the kitchen. But if a friend were to ask for 3 loaves of bread, how could the man not give it to him? And while it would be seemingly inconvenient - because the man would have to get up, climb over his wife, climb over all of his children, to get to the kitchen to get the bread, and climb all the way back to the front entrance and open the door and pass it to the man - he’d do it because he’s a friend and because the friend asks persistently. He loves his friend. So Jesus was teaching his disciples to ask of God persistently.
Do you desire these spiritual things enough to keep asking God? Or do you like the pagans only ask for good results for your exams? Or as a child of God, who addresses God as father, do you hunger for spiritual things? That God would be glorified by your salvation as evidence by your obedience, productivity, holiness, and reliance on God? God, make me holy - that in my great sickness I will glorify you - that I will grow in patience and love for you and hatred for my sins, that I will grow less attached to this sin cursed world through my bodily pains to serve you and yearn for my home above? Yes, pray for healing, but also holiness.
You know what? If you persistently pray like this, God will give it to you. Remember, the Lord Jesus prayed at Gethsemane in all of his pain, and God answered his prayer. He learned obedience and submission. Same as Paul who prayed three times that God would remove the thorn from his flesh - but God wouldn’t - but answered him another way by giving him the precious lesson of sufficient grace. You see, Christ also knew what many of the disciples wanted - like his 12 apostles. They wanted a worldly kingdom, to destroy the Romans, so that they’d be free and strong. So he taught them to pray for the kingdom of God - not their own kingdom.
So beloved, we must have the right expectation in prayer. That’s the third point. God is merciful. In Christ, he’s our friend. And if we ask for those good things, he’ll answer. Here we see the Father’s answer. And his answer is Yes! Our Lord Jesus taught the people to seek after salvation. If you pray like that, God will give it to you, verses 9-10. And he gave 3 couplets to describe God’s “Yes” answer. If you ask, God will give it. If you seek, you’ll find it. If you knock, the door will be opened. These three couplets say the same thing. If you pray, God will answer “YES!”. And as if that weren’t clear enough, Christ repeats it with another 3 different couplets. The word “every one” can mean every single person, or all persons. So it’s collective as well as individual. Every single person that asks, will receive; or all that ask will receive. Every single person that seeks, will find; or all that seek will find. Every single person that knocks, will have an open door; or all that knock, will have an open door. There’s no discrimination. That’s the gospel. Whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life - everyone and all. Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest - everyone and all. If you ask for salvation, you’ll find salvation. If you pray for salvation, and you’re not double minded, you’ll receive it.
Why? Because this is what Christ asked his disciples to pray for. When you pray, pray like this. And therefore, it’s God’s desire that people pray like that. And if people pray like that, then he’ll give it. Because God is good. Then the Lord Jesus used 3 couplets again to show the impossibility of God not answering such a prayer. If a son asks for bread, would a father give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, would he give a snake? Or if he asks for an egg, would he give a scorpion? These rhetorical questions are all answered with the answer “no!”
Why? Because God already told them to ask for these things. And he’s a friend. He’s a Father. He’s merciful to answer them. And notice that these were all items of basic sustenance - bread, fish, and egg. Not croissant, sushi, or caviar. But what do you need for spiritual sustenance? You need salvation. And God will give it if you ask. It’s basic. But it’s also not basic. It’s phenomenal.
God gives us himself. We see the Father’s gift. Verse 13 - “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” If you being evil can gift good gifts, then what’s the gift that God gives to them who ask for salvation? He gives the very best gift - he gives the gift of his Spirit! The phrase “how much more” explains the phenomenal gift of the Spirit. And the Spirit is instrumental in salvation - yea, in all the things asked for. Who convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, drawing people to Christ? The Spirit. Who gives spiritual life, a new heart and desires, enabling a person to respond to God? The Spirit. Who helps us in repentance, to forgive each other? The Spirit. Who’s the one who dwells in us, assuring us of our heavenly home? The Spirit. Who’s changing us, that we might overcome sin and produce fruit in our lives? The Spirit.
Here, beloved is Christ teaching this new set of disciples - those who need this instruction - on how to pray. Would they truly come to him in salvation? Would they pray to God? Would they believe and welcome him with Hosannas? Do we need this teaching again? We would have been taught at the sermon of the mount, have forgotten - and we pray for things. But Christ is gracious to teach us again - that we would pray for things so we’d be sustained to accomplish God’s will - that we’d live as God’s saved people? Are we praying these things?
Christ did. That’s why his prayers, in the days of his flesh, that the cup of judgment pass from him was not answered. Because our salvation would require his condemnation. Christ asked thrice - three couplets - that were denied him. But his prayers of - not my will but thine be done - were certainly answered. And what was God’s will? That he die. And he submitted to the will of God. He gave up the ghost at cross, so that the Holy Ghost might be given to us.
What are you praying for? Good exam results? Wonderful. Why? So that you might serve God in his chosen vocation for you. What else? Good health? Great. Why? So that you might live your life for him. What else? Wisdom? Absolutely, to know how to live your lives for him. Are you praying for God’s will to be accomplished in your salvation?
1. The Need for Prayer
A. The occasion
B. Why the need for instruction?
2. An Education in Prayer
A. The content of prayer
B. The persistence of prayer
3. The Expectation in Prayer
A. The Father’s answer
B. The Father’s gift
* As a matter of courtesy please advise Rev. Mark Chen, if you plan to use this sermon in a worship service. Thank-you.
(c) Copyright 2025, Rev. Mark Chen
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