Bible In A Year | Read: Luke 11
1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: “ ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation. ’ ” 5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need. 9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”Luke 11:1-13
Overview of Chapter
Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray. Many have memorized this prayer and use it often. He then goes on to do battle with demons, which turns into a battle with his opponents. Their opposition to Jesus causes them to draw illogical conclusions about why Jesus has power over demons. The people who opposed Jesus the most were the religious leaders, so Jesus has harsh things to say about them. Jesus’ harshest words weren’t for people who seemed like the worst sinners, they were for those who were experts on the Bible but didn’t live according to it.
Jesus said something interesting about demons leaving a person and then coming back. If a person tries to overcome something evil, whether a demon or a sinful habit, they run the risk of it returning and being even worse than it was the first time. The evil needs to be replaced by something more powerful. When Jesus died on the cross, he replaced our sin with his righteousness (1 Corinthians 5:21). When we trust Jesus, our tendency toward sin is replaced by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9, 10). Are you relying on just getting rid of evil in your life or are you relying on God’s provision of a replacement for the evil in our lives?
Thoughts on the verses
Most of us like our independence. We like the idea that we can take care of ourselves. We don’t like the idea that we need any help, until one day we realize we actually need it. Much of the stress, worry, and anxiety we experience is rooted in our belief that we can do it all by ourselves. This self-sufficient way of living keeps us boxed in from experiencing the love and power of God.
Jesus taught his disciples to get out of the box of self-sufficiency by teaching them to pray. In prayer we can ask our loving Heavenly Father for anything we need—from food to forgiveness. When we pray, we’re asking God to do something we can’t. God not only has the power to do anything, He loves us enough to listen and respond.
Self-sufficiency keeps us from pursuing the things we really need that only God can give. Even though it’s good to be personally responsible for our lives, there are many things that are beyond our ability. If we fail to recognize our need for God’s help, we will remain boxed in by self-sufficiency.
Action Steps
Bible: What is God showing me? What am I going to do about it?
Bless: Serve one person through word, action, or gift today.
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