Happy Father's Day

I have 15 minutes to wish all the guys "Happy Father's Day" while it still is.... so....

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!

I pray it's been a wonderful day for each of you.

Don has had a good day. Girls have called or sent text messages wishing him a happy father's day. Both services were really good this morning. Don's sermon was from Luke 11:1-13 entitled "Persistent Prayer." This is what I heard and the points that spoke to me:

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."

Jesus was about to give his disciples a model prayer. Today, who are His disciples? I am. (I pray you are, too.) Followers of Christ, surrendered to His will and plan for our lives. What we call The Lord's Prayer would be as accurately labeled "the disciples prayer," as it is a model for us, His followers/disciples to use when praying. I also noticed that there is teaching being done here, by Jesus, by John... discipleship is about teaching and being taught ... all part of following and being surrendered to Jesus.

2 He said to them, "When you pray, say:
" 'Father, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come.

In keeping with today being Father's Day, Don talked about this first sentence of the model prayer, comparing our earthly fathers with our heavenly Father. Our earthly fathers, even at best, will fail from time to time and will make mistakes, may not always be present or loving, but our Heavenly Father will always be perfect and ever present.

As we pray, praise and acknowledgement of who God is and that He is holy and worthy of praise and reverence, blesses our heavenly Father.

At this point, Don moved to verse 5, consistent with the title of this message.

5 Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,

6 because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.'

Don explained about the culture and living conditions during the time that this was written. People traveled at night because it was often too hot during the day to travel, so arriving at a home during the night was not out of the ordinary. Also, hospitality was a very important thing in their culture. If food and drink was not offered, it was an insult to the visitor, the host and a negative reflection on the whole community.

Who do we call on when we have a need?

7 "Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.'

There is a long list of why the friend will not get up to answer the request of the person knocking on the door:

~Culture again... all the family slept in one room.

~Do you know how hard it is to get some children to go to sleep? Yeah, me too.

~Even small farm animals were kept in the house at night.

~If the man gets up, his whole household will be disturbed, children and animals will wake up, and then will have to be settled down again, thus robbing this friend of needed rest that's required for the next day's work.

Get the picture?

But this story is not about the friend in his house and his household... this story is about the man knocking on the door. This man represents me... and you.

8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

Friendship is important, but friendship alone does not cause the friend to disturb his household and get up to answer the door , but persistence does... boldness does... shamelessly asking does... pounding on the door does.

As this relates to me, how can I come boldly to the Heavenly Father with my persistent prayers and requests? Through my faith in and personal relationship with Jesus Christ and because Jesus instructs me to.

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.

Ask, seek, knock. There are three levels here and each one is a little more urgent and passionate than the other and the emphasis is on being persistent... never giving up. At this point, Don told us about a homebound elderly lady that told him about her husband who was saved after she had persistently and passionately prayed for him for thirty years.

In this verse, I love "it will be given," "you will find," and "the door will be opened" indicating a promise when I ask, seek and knock persistently.

10 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Did I doubt verse 9? Am I not completely convinced? Again, in verse 10, Jesus persistently emphasizes the promises attached to praying persistently.

Still doubting?

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!"

Wow, Jesus sure is persistent in His desire to have us understand that there is a wonderful promise regarding obedience and praying persistently.

As Don says, "When you wake up in the morning, imagine answering a phone and saying 'Good morning, Lord,' and never hang up. Keep the line open all day and all night and talk to Him and listen to Him all day and any time He awakens you during the night." Blessings will pursue you!