A Nugget from New Life Network
Scripture for the Day (October 13, 2015)
And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity (persistence and boldness) he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. (Luke 11:5-8)
This parable is not about friendship, or helping a neighbor, but about prayer. The disciples of Jesus had come to Him and asked Him to teach them how to pray (Luke 11:1). Jesus responded to them by teaching them the Lord’s Prayer in Luke 11:2-4. He then shared the above parable with them.
Jesus followed this parable with these statements: And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 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?
There is so much revelation and wisdom in this parable. The scripture tells us that we have not because we ask not. God wants us to come boldly to the throne of grace to receive from Him.
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)
My wife and I were privileged recently to lead a very precious couple into the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. We have done this many times over the years and the secret to receiving this powerful gift is just to have the boldness to ask. It is amazing to me how many people just don’t ask. It is the same with anything you receive from God. If you want to be saved just follow Romans 10:8-9 and ask Jesus to come into your heart. Salvation is the first step and every other step you make with God is the same way. You have to speak it out of your mouth. You have to ask. Death and life are in the power of the tongue!
Don’t be shy about praying God’s Word and asking Him for great and mighty things. Just remember, He is not a slot machine or some magical genie. He is your Heavenly Father and your heart needs to be right when you go to Him in prayer. And the second thing, don’t buy into the lie that He already knows what you have need of so you really don’t have to ask. If Jesus needed to pray, and He did, then you and I need to pray also! God wants to hear from you. He wants to talk to you. You just have to be bold enough to do it.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. (Proverbs 18:21)
Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. (James 4:2)
