What Jesus Did

[After Jesus cast out a demon, some people attributed his power to Satan.] Others, trying to test Jesus, demanded that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority.

—Luke 11:16 NLT

Key Thought​

When someone is determined to oppose us, we will never be able to do enough to satisfy that person. Jesus' involvement with his opponents here reminds us of this reality. The request for Jesus to do a sign to prove himself wasn't genuine. It was just another test...

 

[Continuing his teaching on prayer, Jesus said,] "You fathers — if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him."

—Luke 11:11-13 NLT

Key Thought​

What's one of the greatest answers to our prayers? The gift of God's cleansing, justifying...

 

[Continuing his teaching about persistence in prayer, Jesus said,] "And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened to you."

—Luke 11:9-10 NLT

Key Thought​

Jesus repeatedly said, "Don't quit! Don't give up! Keep on knocking, seeking, and asking! Keep on...

 

Then, teaching [his disciples] more about prayer, [Jesus] used this story: "Suppose you went to a friend's house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, 'A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.' And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, 'Don't bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can't help you.' But I tell you this — though he won't do it for friendship's sake, if you keep...

 

Then, teaching [the disciples] more about prayer, [Jesus] used this story: "Suppose you went to a friend's house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, 'A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.'"

—Luke 11:5-6 NLT

Key Thought​

Jesus didn't teach about prayer just once, but many times. He didn't pray just once, but he consistently went to his Father in prayer. Prayer is not something that we master, but a grace...

 

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[Jesus continued his teaching about how to pray:]

"Give us each day the food we need, ..."

—Luke 11:3 NLT

Key Thought​

One of the great blessings of Israel's wilderness wanderings was the lesson of daily dependence. [1] They had to trust God for their daily food. They couldn't gather too much manna and quail that God gave them and store the food, or it would spoil and become putrid with maggots. [2] While God provided for them, they never suffered from...

 

[In response to one of the disciples asking Jesus to teach them to pray,] Jesus said, "This is how you should pray:

"Father, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon."

—Luke 11:2 NLT

Key Thought​

From this beginning of Jesus' lesson on prayer, we learn that prayer begins with two realities: The first reality is that the Almighty God, holy and majestic, eternal and all powerful, longs for us to come to him as our Father, recognizing that this also means we...

 

Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."

—Luke 11:1 NLT

Key Thought​

So many books have been written about prayer. Most of us have attended classes on prayer. Yet, when was the last time you gave serious time to look in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and study how Jesus prayed, what he taught about prayer, and why he felt prayer was — and is —...

 

As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named ### welcomed him into her home. Her sister, ###, sat at the Lord's feet, listening to what he taught. But ### was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, "Lord, doesn't it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me."
But the Lord said to her, "My dear ###, you are worried and upset...

 

[Following the story of the Good Samaritan:] "Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?" Jesus asked.
The man replied, "The one who showed him mercy."

Then Jesus said, "Yes, now go and do the same."

—Luke 10:36-37 NLT

Key Thought​

Who is our neighbor? Jesus wants to challenge our legalistic definitions and our racial and ethnic — and all other — limitations. So, the LORD made the hero of his story a Samaritan, who is...