Sermon - Luke 11:1-13 - 7th Sunday after Pentecost

“Some Points on Prayer”

Luke 11:1-13

Our readings today focus our attention on the topic of prayer.  Our Gospel reading is the second version of the Lord’s Prayer found in the New Testament.  Perhaps the more widely referenced is in Matthew 6, amid Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount”.  And then in our Old Testament reading we have Abraham speaking to God – praying – for mercy on the city of Sodom where his nephew Lot and family lived.  Although it seems less like prayer, and more like haggling. 

So let us consider what God’s word shows us about prayer this morning, acknowledging, like all matters on which Scripture teaches, there is always more for us to learn.

Do Lutherans have a “theology of prayer”?  I seem to remember a Roman Catholic friend accusing Lutheranism of NOT having such theology.  I don’t know exactly what he meant by it, but of course I disagreed.  We have a robust theology of prayer that is faithful to Scripture and, like all theology, deeply rooted in the chief teaching of Christian doctrine – namely, Justification by grace through faith in Christ.

A comprehensive study of prayer, in Scripture, would be tantamount to learning the entire Bible itself, for prayer runs through so much of God’s written word. 

What can we say about prayer?  What makes a good prayer?

Christian prayer is an expression of our faith, that is, our trust in the one to whom we pray.  It flows from faith.  You might say prayer is just “faith speaking to God”.  And it is one reason that the unbeliever can’t truly pray, at least in the same sense as Christians do.  In parts of God’s word faith is synonymous with “calling on the name of the Lord”.

We are also taught, by the word, to be persistent, in our prayers, as when Jesus uses the example of the old widow who pesters the unrighteous judge until she gets what she wants.  How much better will it be from the true righteous judge if we, too, persist.  Or the rude neighbor in the second half of our Gospel reading, the fellow who comes knocking at midnight.  Is there ever a time God is not open to hearing our prayers?

Christian prayer asks for what is right and good – we pray for things that tend to the glory of God and good of neighbor.

Christian prayer is not based in pride and show, like the Pharisee, but humble, like the tax collector, confessing our sins.

Prayer is not better when it is long and rambling, again as Jesus criticizes the Pharisees who expected to be “heard because of many words”, but sometimes a faithful prayer is just a few words, even simply, “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner” or just, “Lord, have mercy.” 

We could say much more about prayer, as it is taught in Scripture.  But also, it’s worth noting that the Lord’s Prayer occupies a special place in our doctrine.  It’s ensconced in Luther’s Small Catechism.  It’s one of the 6 chief parts of Christian doctrine, in which every Lutheran is instructed.  There Luther summarizes and teaches this doctrine well – and many of us have even memorized the questions and answers.

One thing Jesus teaches us by giving us this model prayer is that the content of our prayers matters deeply.  We seek first the things of God, his hallowed name, his kingdom, his will… and only then do we pray for our needs of daily bread, forgiveness, deliverance from temptation and evil.  In teaching us to pray he tells us not how to feel, or what our experience of prayer ought to be – but he shows us what is most important, and teaches us to pray for it.

All well and good.  But it’s not far into our survey of the Scriptures about the teaching of prayer – that we begin to notice a problem.  If we are honest, we find our prayers are lacking.  And what would you expect from sinners like you and me?  We could easily confess our prayers are not as fervent or as frequent as they ought to be.  We do not call upon God’s name in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks as we should.  We pray, not, “thy will be done” but, “MY will be done!”

We are not persistent, we pray for selfish things, and not always for the good of neighbor and to the glory of God.  Our prayers are a reflection of our love which is often cold, and our faith which so often flags and fails.  

But fear not, children, for we have a Father who delights in our prayers, for the sake of Christ.  Fear not, for we have a Father who wants to give us good things.  And far more important than our impure and imperfect and infrequent manner of prayer, is the character of the one to whom we pray! 

Jesus calls us to pray, and pray in this way, because he has come to bring us to the Father, to make us dear children once again.  And he forgives our faulty prayers and calls us again to pray, pray, pray to the Giver of all good things.

Jesus tells us to pray, we can see, for what we already know God gives us:  His hallowed name.  We are privileged to call upon him in the first place!  His kingdom, which comes to us in the Gospel and which will come in glory when Christ returns.  His will is done, especially when sinners repent and believe and are saved in his Son Jesus Christ.  He gives daily bread to us, and even to the wicked.  He forgives sins and prompts us to reflect and share that forgiveness with others.  He bears us up in times of temptation.  And he does deliver us from evil, most especially when he delivers us from this vale of tears and ushers us into the perfect pastures of eternity. 

The Lord’s Prayer, you see, is a blessed vehicle for the promises of a loving God and Father to his dear children.  He calls us to pray for what he wants us to have – blessings physical and temporal, spiritual and eternal.

And we know our prayers are heard because of Jesus Christ.  If not for Jesus, we’d have no reason to think God would hear our prayers or grant our requests.  Why would a holy God give a thought to rebellious and wicked sinners, or grant them even a single request?  But we are in Christ, and God sees us through Christ, and God grants us all good things for the sake of Jesus Christ.  This is exactly why we pray in Jesus’ name, and not in our own.  “Hear me, Lord, not because I’m so great (I’m not).  Hear me because of Jesus.  The Jesus who lived a perfect life of righteousness for me – on my behalf. 

The Jesus who died a sacrificial death with all my sins in tow.  The Jesus who becomes sin to put sin to death, and with whom I am buried and raised in Baptism.  “Forgive my sins, because of Jesus.  Give me daily bread, because of Jesus.  Deliver us from evil, through your Son Jesus.”  And God will answer favorably. 

In his time, of course, and in his way.  He will answer according to his wisdom, which is far beyond ours.  And some prayers aren’t answered, some promises fulfilled until the life of the world to come.  But faith knows to whom we pray, and through whom we pray, and in whose power we pray.  And faith continues to pray, trusting the goodness and mercy of Our Father, who art in heaven. 

So pray, Christian.  Pray early and often.  Pray boldly and humbly.  Pray in the confidence of the Gospel, knowing your prayers are acceptable to God through the merits of our savior Jesus Christ. And that you pray to a loving God who wants all the best for you, according to his good purposes.  Pray thus, and you will be blessed.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.