Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text is the Gospel lesson just read, from Luke 11. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- One of the things that Holy Scripture, God’s own Word, encourages us to be is “CONFIDENT IN GOD’S MERCY AND LOVE.” This is quite basic in a person’s relationship with God. It is as Luther explained it: “Whatever you fear, love and trust in above all things is your God.” And human beings, in this manner, make many things into false gods.
- Since God is love, and since He loves mercy, He is eager to make sure that all of us understand this and know this about Him. He also wants us to have confidence and courage for life and in death because we know Who He is and how He is toward us.
- God revealed this to His people of old through the psalmist who wrote: “Answer me, O LORD, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.” And again, “He redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.” [Ps. 69:16; 103:4]
- We have this confidence in God by putting our faith and trust in Him, in the things He has revealed and promised to us in His Word, the Bible. And in this way we have God, the only True and Living God, as our God. And as Jesus taught, this is eternal life – to know the Father and to know Jesus Christ, Whom the Father sent to be our Savior. [Jn 17:3]
- To NOT have such knowledge of God, and to NOT be “CONFIDENT IN GOD’S MERCY AND LOVE” is living in spiritual death. It is ignorance of God, the only True and Living God. This is certainly idolatry, for if we do not trust God we are surely trusting someone or something else.
- With these words, this instruction about and encouragement to pray, Jesus reveals God’s great love for us, and encourages us to be confident in God’s mercy and love. First:
I. Jesus Teaches Us To Pray To God For Everything
Text: “Father, hallowed be Your Name, Your kingdom come. [Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven] Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation [but deliver us from evil].
Statement: No one is sure why Jesus omitted the 3rd and the 7th petitions on this occasion. Or perhaps Jesus included them and Luke omitted them, but there is no good reason why he would do this. It remains a mystery!
However, even the address of the prayer is intended to engender “CONFIDENCE IN GOD’S MERCY AND LOVE.” It is as Luther explained: “With these words God tenderly invites us to believe that He is our true Father, and we are His true children, so that with all boldness and confidence we may ask Him as dear children ask their dear father.”
Application: But look at what Jesus tells us to pray for! Every spiritual blessing, every physical blessing, and everything needed for salvation – forgiveness, and protection from temptation and evil as well. Jesus tells us to pray for these things – this is what God wants to give us! Why else would He have us pray for these things? So let us remember that “every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” [James 1:17] And we all have an abundance of good things in our lives, all from our Heavenly Father! And Jesus makes clear that:
II. God Is Never Grudging In His Giving [As We Sometimes Are]
Text: “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him;’ and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. I tell you ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”
Statement: With these words Jesus shows us how eager God is for us to pray to Him, how much He wants us to be “CONFIDENT IN HIS MERCY AND LOVE.” For we will not confidently pray for all these things unless we know and believe His love for us, and are confident that our prayers will be received by a friendly ear! With these words, Jesus assures us that God is eager and happy to hear us pray to Him.
Application: Again, all of this is determinative of a person’s relationship with God. It sounds harsh, but remember what James wrote: “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord.” [James 1:6,7] The problem with “doubting” is that it denies God’s truthfulness, and it denies His love and mercy! This is no good at all! Especially when God makes it so clear, His great love and mercy toward us, and His desire to generously grant us all good things! And Jesus makes it perfectly clear that:
III. God Knows Far Better Than We Do About How To Give Good Gifts To His People
Text: “What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”
Statement: It is true that God gives us everything that is in accordance with His will. However, there are many things we might want that God has not necessarily promised. And so James reminds us: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’- yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” [James 4:13-15]
Application: It has often been observed that it is a good thing that God doesn’t grant all of our prayers. Not everything we ask for is good for us, and some of it could be disastrous! So it is good that God knows better what to give us, and only gives us what is good for us! And because of this we can be “CONFIDENT IN GOD’S MERCY AND LOVE.”
Conclusion: Jesus is eager to also teach us to pray, and He does so through His Word. When we pray His prayer we are praying a perfect prayer. We can be sure that it is all within His will for us.
Knowing His love and mercy makes us confident in our praying – even when praying for things that He has not revealed to be part of His will for us, so that we include the proviso “if it be Thy will.” We entrust everything into His good and gracious hands and leave off with fear and anxiety – for we are “CONFIDENT IN HIS MERCY AND LOVE” for us!
May God continue to strengthen our faith and trust in Him, our knowledge of His great love for us, and our confidence in Him. Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.